Charlotte Hayes-Clemens - Editor
Charlotte is an editorial professional with over five years’ experience in the publishing industry, three of which were spent in the Fiction Editorial team at HarperCollins.
Having specialised in creative writing as part of Charlotte’s English Literature degree, she went on to edit for the fiction and non-fiction creative writing journal Route 57, where she developed her love of collaborating with writers.
At HarperCollins, she worked with the J. R. R. Tolkien and Agatha Christie estates, on women’s fiction and romance titles such as Debbie Johnson’s Summer at the Comfort Food Café, and on unique non-fiction publications, including the Fantastic Beasts movie tie-ins.
As a freelance editor, she has worked one-on-one with every type of writer, from first-time to published authors, and her ability to coach clients through the writing and editing process with clear, constructive feedback has led to several successful publications and a five-star Reedsy review rating.
Testimonials
– Mary Chris Escobar
– Pamela Raymond
– Laura Engelhardt, author of Sirens Unbound
– Taylor Hartley
WHY WE LOVE CHARLOTTE
Charlotte continues to edit and proofread for publishers and creative agencies on an eclectic range of titles by authors such as Zhou Haouhi, Vicky Fraser, Melanie Blake, and Shane Dunphy.
WHAT CHARLOTTE SAYS ABOUT EDITING
There’s nothing more exciting to me than helping to draw out the best writing from an author and collaborating to tell their story in the most impactful way possible. Having spent time at a big five publisher, I know how tough it can be to get your voice to stand out amongst other submissions and I use this insight to help develop brilliant ideas (and writers!) that might otherwise get lost. It has undoubtedly been one of the most rewarding aspects of my career as an editorial freelancer.
Whether proofreading a thrilling romance, editing the first draft of a manuscript, or checking over the sixth revision, I approach all editorial projects with the same dedication, professionalism, and enthusiasm for well-written prose. I also have significant experience with copy, line, and developmental editing and my ability to grapple with the nuances of narrative structure, tone, characterization, and readability results in stronger, more polished drafts.
I’ve worked across a range of genres, but I especially love to read character driven fiction, dystopian fantasies, and whip-smart female leads.
