Sarah Naughton

I firmly believe that nearly all of us are capable of becoming published authors if we’re committed to learning the craft and don’t allow the inevitable setbacks to discourage us. My own writing career has been as much dogged determination and donkey work than any innate talent. Engaging a professional editor is not for the faint hearted and there will be things that are hard to hear – most likely the gut-punch that you have a long way to go before your manuscript is ready to submit to an agent. We’ve all experienced it. The easy way out is to self publish, and for some writers that works, but I would say stick at your dream of a book deal with a major publisher – if your manuscript makes it that far, you can be sure it’s the very best it could ever be. When you’ve received editorial feedback take a moment to lick your wounds, then set about making the changes that will certainly improve your manuscript. This is what a writer’s career is: editing, editing, editing. It takes me a couple of months to write a book and three times that to edit it. Learn to deal with constructive criticism now and you will make much faster progress towards your dream of publication.

I certainly wouldn’t have been published without the help of some really talented and incisive editors, and I really hope I can help you navigate the path that I was helped along. Please send me thrillers, horror and YA (particularly with a supernatural twist).