Vanessa Curtis - Editor

Over the past twenty years I have helped many novelists, new and experienced, to rewrite and hone their books and novels to a high standard. I have published over ten of my own books (details can be found further down this page) and have won several awards for them. As the editor of a literary magazine and also a contributing book reviewer to the national newspaper, I have a keen eye for what sells and for current trends in publishing. I specialise in editorial assessment and developmental editing. My developmental editing takes the form of an in-depth report on your novel which can be tailored to suit your requirements but will generally give you feedback on the following aspects of improving your novel/book:

Characterisation - how to create really compelling, memorable characters
Plotting - I use a particular template which is fantastic for plotting out taut, fast-moving fiction
Sentence construction - how to avoid over-writing and repetition etc
Dialogue - how to make it believable and to use it to avoid passive writing
Similes and metaphors - how to use them to avoid 'telling' rather than 'showing' in your work
Believability - how to create fully-rounded, believable characters
Originality - how to write as only you, the author, can, so that your submission stands out in the slush-pile

Query letters:
I also have an in-depth knowledge of the publishing industry so can also help you put together a succinct, professional query or selling letter to an agent/publisher, along with a professional package designed to put you, the author, in the best possible light.

I look forward to working with you!

Lilah May's Manic Days

Vanessa Curtis

Lilah May used to be angry. VERY angry. But not any more. She's got her temper - and her life - back under control.Or has she?Things with her best friend, Bindi, are going from bad to worse. The whereabouts of her brother Jay is still a mystery. And gorgeous Adam Carter is still out of reach. Groo!Can Lilah sort out her family, her friendship and her love life? Or is her anger about to reach a... read more

Lilah May used to be angry. VERY angry. But not any more. She's got her temper - and her life - back under control.Or has she?Things with her best friend, Bindi, are going from bad to worse. The whereabouts of her brother Jay is still a mystery. And gorgeous Adam Carter is still out of reach. Groo!Can Lilah sort out her family, her friendship and her love life? Or is her anger about to reach a... read more

The Taming of Lilah May

Vanessa Curtis

I'm Lilah May and I'm ANGRY. So angry that I'm about to be excluded from school, my parents can't control me, and only one person in the world understands me. And that's my best friend, Bindi. I haven't always been this way. It all started with my brother Jay. And what no one realises is that it's all my fault.

I'm Lilah May and I'm ANGRY. So angry that I'm about to be excluded from school, my parents can't control me, and only one person in the world understands me. And that's my best friend, Bindi. I haven't always been this way. It all started with my brother Jay. And what no one realises is that it's all my fault.

The Haunting of Tabitha Grey

Vanessa Curtis

I've just moved into a creepy old manor house with my family. And it feels like the house is waiting for something. I can't explain all the things that are happening here. The maids I hear sobbing... The cold breath of... Life? Death? I don't know. I can't tell Dad or Mum. But least I've got my little brother Ben to talk to.

I've just moved into a creepy old manor house with my family. And it feels like the house is waiting for something. I can't explain all the things that are happening here. The maids I hear sobbing... The cold breath of... Life? Death? I don't know. I can't tell Dad or Mum. But least I've got my little brother Ben to talk to.

Zelah Green: One More Little Problem

Vanessa Curtis

The wonderful second in Vanessa Curtis’s books for teens about one girl and her uncontrollable obsession. Ideal for girls nearly ready for Jodi Picoult.My name is Zelah Green – and I’m still here. Summer’s supposed to be good, right? But I’m stuck at home with a lousy laptop, stacks of homework to start and dad being more useless than ever. And then Caro turns up out of the blue, all heavy met... read more

The wonderful second in Vanessa Curtis’s books for teens about one girl and her uncontrollable obsession. Ideal for girls nearly ready for Jodi Picoult.My name is Zelah Green – and I’m still here. Summer’s supposed to be good, right? But I’m stuck at home with a lousy laptop, stacks of homework to start and dad being more useless than ever. And then Caro turns up out of the blue, all heavy met... read more

The Baking Life of Amelie Day

Vanessa Curtis

Baking Life of Amelie Day

Baking Life of Amelie Day

Zelah Green: Who Says I'm a Freak?

Vanessa Curtis

A wonderful book for teens about one girl and her uncontrollable obsession. Ideal for girls nearly ready for Jodi Picoult.My Name is Zelah Green and I’m a cleanaholic. I spend most of my life running away from germs. And dirt. And people. And I’m just about doing OK and then my stepmother packs me off to some kind of hospital to live with a load of strangers. It’s stuck in the middle of nowher... read more

A wonderful book for teens about one girl and her uncontrollable obsession. Ideal for girls nearly ready for Jodi Picoult.My Name is Zelah Green and I’m a cleanaholic. I spend most of my life running away from germs. And dirt. And people. And I’m just about doing OK and then my stepmother packs me off to some kind of hospital to live with a load of strangers. It’s stuck in the middle of nowher... read more

The Hidden Houses of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell

Vanessa Curtis

The Hidden Houses of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell Presents a biography of place that studies the 'hidden houses' in conjunction with the novels of Virginia Woolf and the diaries and letters of both Woolf, and her sister Vanessa Bell. This book provides a glimpse into the world of the upper-middle-class Victorian/Edwardian holidaymakers, whilst giving an insight into their minds.

The Hidden Houses of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell Presents a biography of place that studies the 'hidden houses' in conjunction with the novels of Virginia Woolf and the diaries and letters of both Woolf, and her sister Vanessa Bell. This book provides a glimpse into the world of the upper-middle-class Victorian/Edwardian holidaymakers, whilst giving an insight into their minds.

The Stolen Ones

Vanessa Curtis

My name is Inge. I am sixteen. I live in Munich. Food is rationed, though the war ended years ago. My boyfriend is Jewish. My parents would not approve, so I hide this from them. I think they are hiding something from me, too. Letters arrive on my birthday, but they are not addressed to me. They are for a girl named Kasia. This is her story.

My name is Inge. I am sixteen. I live in Munich. Food is rationed, though the war ended years ago. My boyfriend is Jewish. My parents would not approve, so I hide this from them. I think they are hiding something from me, too. Letters arrive on my birthday, but they are not addressed to me. They are for a girl named Kasia. This is her story.