Gideon Roberton - Editor
Gideon is an experienced editor, story analyst and a published author. He writes the Drake’s War series of WW2 Espionage Thrillers under the pen name Gideon Saint. Drake’s War has been selected for The Bernard Cornwell Reading Club and has been an Amazon best-seller.
Before he took up novel-writing, Gideon previously worked for Twentieth Century Fox, Focus Features, and Universal Pictures International as a story analyst. Gideon also ran a department of a trade publishing business in London for a number of years.
Gideon has a BA (hons) in Contemporary Media Practice (Westminster University), an MA in Creative Writing (Lancaster University), an MFA in Creative Writing (Kingston University), and he studied Screenwriting at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). Having been on all sides of the table, as an author, editor, publisher, screenwriter and story analyst, Gideon is uniquely placed to help you on your journey to becoming a published author or screenwriter.
Testimonials
- Barry Kirwan (author of the successful Eden Paradox sci-fi series)
- Mike J.
- Andrew Wood
- Peter R.
- Adrian C.
WHY WE LOVE GIDEON
Gideon’s reports hold unique insights into crucial story elements and the market surrounding both books and film. His honest but encouraging feedback will guide you to re-examine your work and ultimately help you strengthen it.
WHAT GIDEON SAYS ABOUT EDITING
I know how enlightening it is to have a good editor help to get your writing to the next level. Whether it’s first draft or almost ready for publication – editors really help!
I come to every manuscript with a simple question: what would I do if it were my job to take this manuscript to the required level? That means identifying what works well, and what could be improved. But it means more: how does the writer actually fix those issues? What are the practical steps or the skills involved? The real magic is in finding the core of the story and helping to bring it out. There is a joy in seeing an edited manuscript take wings and fly…
I cover a range of genres: contemporary, literary, historical, mystery, crime, thriller, espionage, action, adventure, or military/naval fiction. I will also be happy to look at mainstream science fiction or fantasy. For other genres – just ask! I have a particular interest in WW2, which I write about. Get in touch!
What Gideon works on
Manuscript Assessment
Developmental Editing
Agent Submission Pack assessment
Post-editorial guidance
Line-editing
Copy-editing
Short Stories
Opening Section Review
Genres Gideon specialises in
Gideon's published books
Drake's War
It’s May 1940.
The Allies are at a standoff with Hitler’s Germany.
Second Lieutenant Tennyson “Ted” Drake, until recently a barracks schoolmaster, is on a shadowy reconnaissance trip deep in the Ardennes forest.
But when the German panzers burst across the border, Drake’s commanding officer is killed, leaving Drake in a place he should not be, with no orders, just a bloodstained notebook filled with code – and a mysterious sketch of a raven.
As the Allied defences crumble before the onslaught of the Blitzkrieg, Drake must stay alive long enough to discover the raven’s secret – and stop its catastrophic consequences on the outcome of the war… “A quick-paced, well-plotted novel set during the German invasion. Saint’s prose is sharp and suspenseful, rarely letting up… The author has written a propulsive, mystery-driven narrative that manages to effectively capture the stakes and scope of the real-life battle it portrays… fans of World War II films will certainly enjoy this cinematic offering.” Kirkus Reviews
Selected for the Bernard Cornwell Reading Club
