Developmental Editor: Commercial Fiction, Young Adult & Romance
Sophia specialises in shaping fiction manuscripts at the structural level: finding the story's true spine, deepening character arcs, and making sure readers can't put the book down.
I'm Sophia, and I've spent nearly a decade helping fiction writers discover what their stories are truly about. I started as a reader: obsessive, the kind who analyses structure the way others analyse sport. Eventually I turned that obsession into a career as a developmental editor.
My work lives at the intersection of commercial appeal and emotional truth. A great story has to do both: it has to grip readers with plot and pace, and it has to make them care deeply about the people inside it. I work with authors to identify where the two come apart, and how to bring them back into alignment.
I've edited across commercial fiction genres, from high-concept thrillers and coming-of-age YA to contemporary romance and women's fiction. The questions I ask are always the same: What does your protagonist want? What do they need? And what stands between the two? Those questions drive everything.
I work best with writers who are ready to revise. Not because their first draft is wrong, but because the best version of your book is waiting inside it, and I know how to help you find it.
Developmental Editor
Kingswell Press
2018 – Present
Associate Editor
Marlowe Fiction House
2015 – 2018
Editorial Assistant
Pendleton & Shaw
2014 – 2015
Kingswell Rising Star Award, 2021
Recognised internally for exceptional author satisfaction scores and three commercially successful debut fiction titles in a single calendar year.
A selection of fiction titles shaped through developmental editing, from early structural overhauls to final-draft polish across commercial genres.
“Sophia saw the book I was trying to write long before I could see it myself. Her developmental notes did not just fix problems; they unlocked the whole second half of the story. My debut novel sold at auction three months after working with her.”
Naomi Adeyemi
Verified Author
“I've worked with several editors and Sophia is in a different league. She understands genre deeply and knows exactly what commercial fiction readers expect, and when to give it to them, and when to subvert it. Invaluable.”
Luke Farrington
Verified Author
“My YA novel had good bones but the pacing was all wrong. Sophia restructured the entire middle act in a way that felt completely natural. By the time we were done, the book felt urgent in a way it never had before.”
Elise Moreau
Verified Author
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Read articleWhether you have a first draft or a half-formed outline, Sophia will help you find the story's true shape and make it impossible to put down.
World-class editors, ghostwriters, and publishing consultants — each one a specialist in their craft.
