Publish with confidence

Want to craft a novel that's ready for readers? I’m Louise Harnby, a fiction editor who'll help you prepare your book for market. 

​Work with a genre specialist

You write crime fiction, mysteries, thrillers or suspense. I specialize in editing those genres. That means your novel’s with an editor who gets you and knows the landscape.

​Craft sentences that pop

I’ll work through your narrative and dialogue, attending to engagement, flow, clarity, and consistency. That way, you can concentrate on what you do best – ​telling stories.
Read these six tips to help you decide if we're a good fit.

Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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I'M A BETTER WRITER BECAUSE YOU EDITED MY BOOK​
Cooking for Cannibals is a better book because of your careful, professional edit. And I'm a better writer. I can’t think of a higher compliment. But that’s the truth of it ... I'm a better writer because you edited my book.

RICH LEDER, NOVELIST & SCREENWRITER

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Subgenres I work in

Action thriller  |  Cosy crime  |  Courtroom drama  |  Crime thriller  |  Detective fiction  |  Espionage  |  Hard-boiled crime fiction  |  Legal thriller  |  Locked-room mystery  |  Murder mystery  |  Mystery thriller  |  Near-future crime fiction  |  Noir  |  Police procedural  |  Political thriller  |  Psychological thriller  |  Science fiction thriller  |  Spy fiction  |  Techno-thriller

Emotionally intelligent editing

When you work with me, you work with me – not a subcontractor, not an agency, not a generative AI. Just Louise. From the beginning of the project to the very end.

​You’ve brought your human emotional intelligence to the writing. I’ll bring mine to the editing.

Get topic-based solutions to your writing and editing problems

Do you find particular aspects of writing and editing commercial fiction challenging? Take a look at my resource library. It’s packed with useful information that explores, explains and demystifies core elements of sentence-level craft.

All the guidance is topic-based. That way, you can focus more on creative development and less on hunting for answers.

​And if you’re running an editing or proofreading business, there's plenty of help for you too – books, courses, articles and webinars to help you succeed as a business owner.

Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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I love the clean impact you've brought to my writing – am very happy!

THOMAS R WEAVER, THRILLER WRITER

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Safe hands

I have over 30 years of professional experience, and am a partner member of ALLi.

I'm also an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and am bound by its Professional Practice Code.

Your counsel

Nervous about working with an editor? Don't be. I'm your counsel, not your judge.

​Whether this is your tenth novel or your first, I have one job – to work with you to craft the best book possible.

My promise

I'll be honest about how I can help. If you want a service that I don't provide, I'll put you in touch with a colleague.

That means if we do work together, we'll both feel we've found a good match. That's the foundation of a great working relationship!​

Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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THE IMPACT ON THE BETA READING TEAM HAS BEEN EXPLOSIVE
I’ve worked hard on those opening eight chapters. They’ve been adapted in accordance with your suggestions and edits, and the impact on the beta reading team has been explosive. The raw voice of both the narrator and characters was preserved despite such powerful changes.

DANIEL GARRETT, MYSTERY AUTHOR

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Let me do for you what I did for them ...

Here's a small selection of the 700-plus books I've line edited for independent authors and proofread for publishers.

Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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BY FAR THE BEST LITERARY EDITOR I'VE HAD
You are by far the best literary editor I've had. Your interventions are right on target, not to mention that I've learned a lot from your comments. Thank you.

NINA FITZPATRICK, NOVELIST, DRAMATIST & SCREENWRITER

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Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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HELPED ME SHED SO MANY OF MY FEARS​
​Through all of the changes and feedback I was never once anxious. That you made all of the changes needed with generosity and care is incredible. This is what I want to spend my life doing, and you have helped me to shed so many of my fears about doing so. It means everything. Thank you.

REBECCA MILTON, FANTASY AUTHOR​

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Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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​INVALUABLE FEEDBACK
Louise gives invaluable feedback on the quality, readability and pacing of manuscripts. I would not hesitate in recommending her to others or using her again myself.

JULIAN DOLLIMORE, CRIME FICTION AUTHOR

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Andy Maslen, bestselling crime author

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IF YOU WANT YOUR WRITING TO BE BETTER, GET LOUISE TO EDIT IT​
Louise has the rare ability to refine and polish sentences with a perceptive lightness of touch, revising only where necessary, and somehow, magically, what is left on the page better captures the very essence of exactly what you wanted to say.

​Add that she is a pleasure to work with and clearly loves what she does, and it really does become impossible to find fault with her service.

​In short – if you want your writing to be better, then you need to get Louise to edit it. I can't recommend working with her highly enough.

KESS GOLDLAND, THRILLER AUTHOR

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Get my best advice straight into your inbox

The Editorial Letter comes out once a month. Get my best advice on fiction editing and editorial business building.
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Meet Louise

Crime fiction and thriller editor, writer, speaker and podcaster with thirty years of experience in the publishing industry ...

Click on the button below for piccies and info about what makes me tick. Or watch the video – it's just a quick hello!