Mark Stay – Editor

I worked in bookselling and publishing for over 30 years. I would write in my spare time and sometimes those writings would get turned into books and films, and I've worked with the likes of Gollancz, Simon & Schuster, Warner Bros Uk, Disney and Amazon Prime.

I also teach screenwriting and created a self-publishing module at Christ Church University in Canterbury.

I have created courses on the craft of writing for online academies, as well as hosting regular online craft coaching sessions and weekly writing surgeries. The courses I’ve created have covered plotting, outlining, story structure, character development, editing, copy editing and proofreading.

Creating the courses, working one-to-one with writers, and running the weekly surgeries and craft coaching sessions has equipped me with the skills to provide constructive feedback, foster good writing practices, and guide individuals to realising their potential as writers.

"I've used Mark several times and he is a fantastic editor. As a writer himself he has a fantastic feel for the work, coupled with an attention to detail that makes him a top-notch editor."

Caimh McDonnell, Bestselling Author of Stranger Times and The Bunny McGarry series

"Mark is a gamekeeper-turned-poacher, having worked in publishing for twenty years before self-publishing a best-seller or two. If you need help with your writing career, Mark's been there, done it, and eaten a pack of Hobnobs while doing it."

Ian W Sainsbury, Kindle Storyteller Award Winner

"Mark helped me, not only with fastidious line edits, but with understanding genre, how books are marketed, and how important it is to consider reader expectations. While his critiques were all delivered in a kind and constructive way, he was also frank with me about the parts that didn't work. His edits gave me new ideas, rather than new problems to solve."

LJ Shepherd, author of The Trials of Lila Dalton

“Working with Mark is an enjoyable and terrifying experience. He is friendly, funny and professional, but his edits are ruthless. Maddeningly, he’s not wrong! When it came to structure and wasted opportunities, he seizes upon those like a demon processed and will show where storylines could be moved around or strengthened. I’ve worked with him on four novels now and look forward to working together again in the future."

Liz Hurley, author of the Quantum Curators series (writing as Eva St. John)