Siân Heap

Siân Heap – Editor

Passionate and supportive editor with 7 years' experience publishing bestselling fiction, specialising in crime, thriller and romance.

Overview

My editorial style is backed by 7 years' experience in publishing, commissioning crime and thriller. As a freelance editor, my publishing clients include Harper Collins, Embla, Hodder & Stoughton, Canelo and Joffe Books.

I specialise in developmental editing and use my years of publishing digital and print bestsellers to help you realise your vision. Authors I have worked with have gone on to become Amazon bestsellers, been shortlisted for major prizes and had their lives transformed by their writing careers. My services cover the whole lifecycle of a book – whether you've just found the spark of an idea, want a detailed developmental edit to strengthen the foundations of your novel, or if you want a copyedit before you hit publish to ensure the book is polished.

Writing can be an emotional process and whatever path you want your publishing journey to take, I’m here to guide you through the editing process with encouragement, sensitivity and care.

Services
Fiction
LGBTQ Fiction Mystery & Crime Romance Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • University of St Andrews - Modern History & English Literature, MA (Hons)
  • Oxford Brookes University - Publishing Media, MA
  • Copyediting 1 – The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
  • Coaching Skills for Fiction Editors – The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 2025 — Present
I’m a freelance editor and publishing consultant working with authors and publishers. I specialise in commercial fiction and have extensive experience editing and publishing bestsellers.

Joffe Books

Jul, 2024 — Apr, 2025 (9 months)
- Commissioning crime, thriller and suspense resulting in multiple Kindle Top 100 Bestsellers directly from authors and from established literary agents - Guiding authors and agents through the publication process from acquisition to publication day and beyond - Providing detailed structural notes and feedback on manuscripts - Utilising market knowledge to acquire, brief covers and write engaging blurbs for a commercial digital readership

Canelo

Apr, 2019 — Jul, 2024 (over 5 years)
- Commissioned and published both established and debut authors in the commercial fiction, specialising in the crime and thriller genres - Structurally edited titles, wrote copy, briefed covers, read direct and agented submissions, optimised book metadata and created publication strategies - Worked closely with authors and agents, both domestically and internationally

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Nothing Left Behind (Detective Liz Field, Book 2)

Hannah Brennan

HarperCollins Publishers

‘Emergency. Which service do you require?’ ‘He’s trying to burn down my house. He’s going to kill me.’ They thought it was another false alarm. They were wrong. This page-turning crime thrille... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
The Husband: An absolutely gripping psychological thriller (Unputdownable Domestic Suspense)

O'SULLIVAN, DARREN

Joffe Books psychological thrillers, suspense and crime

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing

Siân has 8 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Clarisse H.

Clarisse H.

Dec, 2025

Pinned
Siân copyedited my manuscript using CMOS and provided additional line/developmental notes as necessary. She was incredibly helpful, kind, and professional throughout the process. Her excitement about my initial draft made me excited to work with her! Siân's suggestions and comments pointed out t...
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Siân H.
Thank you so much Clarisse. I loved working with you and I'm so excited to do so again!
Patricia R.

Patricia R.

Jun, 2025

Pinned
Siân did a developmental edit of my novel. Her work was very thorough. She prepared an editorial report and also added multiple comments in the manuscript. I'm really happy I chose her. Her thoughts and suggestions were incredibly insightful and inspiring. They made me think of aspects I hadn't ...
Read more
Siân H.
Thank you so much Patricia! It was such a pleasure to work with you and on your brilliant novel. I'm looking forward to working together again!
Shelagh H.

Shelagh H.

Jun, 2025

Pinned
Siân provided an impressive manuscript assessment. She identified elements that, in her view, needed attention and she was correct and helpful at every turn. She saw the big picture of the story and provided encouraging and realistic feedback. I don’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone thinking ...
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Siân H.
Thank you so much Shelagh! I'm so pleased you were happy with the edit – it was such a pleasure working with you. Good luck with the next steps!
Hannah T.

Hannah T.

Jun, 2026

Siân was amazing to work with. The suggested edits were exactly what was needed to elevate my manuscript, and everything was presented in a comprehensive and understandable way. Clear with communication, Siân was also incredibly empathetic when there were dates and payments I needed to move aroun...
Read more
Rachel G.

Rachel G.

Jun, 2026

Very helpful and a delight to work with.

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Most recent contributions

How do you balance being critical while encouraging authors through your feedback?

I always want to give actionable and clear feedback to an author. Although pointing out weaknesses in a manuscript can feel like criticism, it’s never meant as such. It’s my job to provide insight for why something isn’t working so I always endeavour to find a balance between explanation and su...
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What's the best piece of writing advice for an author who wants to improve their craft?

Practice and read! In the same way that you need to practice a musical instrument to get better, you need to do the same with writing too. Very few writers will publish the first book they ever write! The other thing that will help you to improve your writing craft is reading. Read the books t...
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How do editors stay updated on current trends in publishing?

As a commercial fiction editor, I need to make sure I'm keeping up to date on the latest trends in publishing to ensure that I'm advising my clients appropriately. I do this through being a member of professional organisations like the Charted Institute of Editing and Proofreading and taking prof...
Read more

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