Editor
Critically acclaimed authorAbby Davies
Abby Davies is the author of Mother Loves Me (2020) and The Cult (2021), both published by HarperCollins, and Arrietty (2023), Her No.1 Fan (2023), The Girl Who Heard Maggots (2023) and Pretty Polly (2024) published by Apple Loft Press.
Mother Loves Me was shortlisted for Mslexia Novel Competition 2018. The Peterborough Telegraph called Abby’s debut ‘a chilling dread-laden thriller’. Chris Whitaker (bestselling author of We Begin at the End) called it ‘Intensely gripping, perfectly paced and thrilling’, and Alex Lake (bestselling author of Seven Days) said, ‘Mother Loves Me is both utterly gripping and totally original.’
Abby holds a BA English Literature from The University of Sheffield and an MA in Creative Writing from Nottingham Trent University. She taught English in all its forms for 13 years before becoming a full-time author.
Abby enjoys many genres but has a penchant for psychological suspense, crime, mystery, YA, speculative fiction and dystopia. Amongst her client successes, one came third in the London Novel Prize, and another was longlisted for the Bridport Prize.
Find Abby on X here: @Abby13Richards
If you’d like to work with Abby, get in touch with our Writer Support team; tell us about your book and what you’d like support with, and we’ll help you identify your next steps.
Really helped with my confidence
- Mark A.
Thorough and detailed
- Janet W.
Makes perfect sense
- Jennifer M.
Constructive
- Nick S.
Gives me hope
- Jennifer M
A strong sense of direction
- Anonymous
Thorough
- Robin T.
Richly detailed
- Mark B.
Very valuable
- Tanya E.
Abby's specialties
Why we love Abby
Abby has an incredible eye for pace and tension, both on a sentence-by-sentence level and across the entirety of your manuscript. She’ll tease out what needs to be done to make a manuscript work, whilst telling you what you’re already doing well. Premium Members can also watch her masterclass on Building Mystery and Tension in Your Writing.
What Abby says about editing
As an aspiring writer, I craved the sort of feedback I’m now – rather wonderfully – able to give. I needed intelligent, in-depth scrutiny of my work, to know my strengths and areas for improvement, and above all, ways in which to better those areas. Indeed, the guidance I did receive was invaluable, and certainly helped me to hone my writing skills and take my work to another level. I’m therefore excited to be able to pay this forward and share my passion for writing while having a positive impact on your craft. Furthermore, having taught English for over a decade and written novels for twenty years, I understand writer psychology and can offer honesty and constructive critique alongside a sensitive ear.
Ultimately, my editorial aims are to enhance your work and writing craft while respecting your ideas and preserving your authorial voice.
I love stories involving psychological issues, crime, mystery and gothic/horror elements. I also enjoy dystopian fiction and gravitate towards the topic of dance.
What Abby works on
By purchasing any of these products, you'll have the opportunity to express your interest in working with Abby.
Manuscript Assessment
Developmental Editing
Agent Submission Pack assessment
Post-editorial guidance
Opening Section Review
Abby's published books
