NOVEL THINKING

My heartfelt thanks to my clients and colleagues who have so generously said these things about my work:

I worked with Brett at Novel Thinking for the editing of my second novel, A Bed of Brambles, and I can’t praise her work or her dedication highly enough. Brett carried out a substantive edit of my manuscript, followed by a line edit. Throughout every stage of the process she was patient and thorough. Brett possesses the rare skill of being kind and tactful whilst relentless! Under her guidance my plot-lines developed structure, my scenes gained depth and my characters came alive. The improvements to my manuscript were beyond my expectations.

As a self-published author, I know editing can be the most expensive part of the process. Brett was worth every penny. In fact, the time she spent working with me, and her generosity in offering care, advice and assistance went way beyond what I paid for. Thank you, Brett, you are a legend. Thoroughly recommended!

                          Sam Russell, author of A Bed of Brambles and A Bed of Barley Straw

Brett completed the first formal edit of We Used to be Kings. Her attention to detail was immeasurable and her advice invaluable. Somehow she managed to view the book from the dual perspective of the writer and reader, knowing that what one hasn’t done, the other may desire. I’m so grateful for her honest opinion and the level of understanding of my writing that led me to add layers and depth I didn’t know were there. Thanks for the faith and the push when I needed it. I got there in the end.

Stewart Foster, author of We Used to Be Kings, published by Jonathan Cape

Brett  provided invaluable critical assistance while I was writing After Everything. She has a way of asking just the right questions and suggesting just the right changes that make all the difference to a manuscript. A terrific editor  both for the fine details and the big picture.

Suellen Dainty, author of After Everything, published mid-2014 by Atria/Simon and Schuster in the U.S.A and Picador in Australia and New Zealand. Audio rights sold before publication to Audible Books, a division of Amazon

When I was preparing my initial sample submission for The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones, which was later picked up by a leading literary agency, Brett was the only editor to whom I was happy to entrust my work. Brett had an intuitive and clear sense of exactly what I was trying to achieve, and like all the best editors, she was keen to bring out the essence of my vision without imposing her own. Her willingness to engage sympathetically with the difficult task of editing the archaic and complex language of my novel was extremely impressive and her comments always insightful. I am sure that the development and eventual publishing success of my novel owes a great deal to Brett’s early editorial assistance.

Jack Wolf, author of The Tale of Raw Head and Bloody Bones, published by Chatto & Windus

Brett Hardman is an editor of the first order. It’s never easy giving up your manuscript to someone else, but I knew immediately that I was in good hands with Brett. She read quickly and incisively, articulating the problems facing my characters better than I was able to myself. She dismantled problematic areas, showed me where things weren’t working, then helped me build the narrative back up again so that it read more fluently. As the very best editors do, she understood my vision for the novel and worked to help me to achieve it. I couldn’t have written The Fever Tree without her, and would recommend her without hesitation.

Jennifer McVeigh, author of The Fever Tree, published by Viking

I am not only impressed by Brett’s writing talent and by her extraordinary intellect, but by the great insight she offers in analysing writers’ work. As an author I have worked with many editors, and I have never met an editor with Brett’s instinct and talent. When I called on her to help edit a novel in preparation for publication, I did so because I wanted my work to be in safe hands. I was not disappointed. I would unreservedly recommend Brett as a manuscript editor to both published and unpublished writers. She is a professional, sensitive and incisive editor, and she cares deeply about writing and writers.

Kylie Fitzpatrick, author of Tapestry, The Ninth Stone and The Silver Thread, published by Head of Zeus

A good editor needs to have keen insight, sensitivity to the author’s vision, the ability to deconstruct without losing sight of the big picture, and awareness and understanding of the current market trends. Brett is an incredible editor.

At Darley Anderson, we receive over 300 submissions a week. It’s tough to stand out; it is so important to get your covering letter, synopsis and first three chapters right. Working with someone as astute and talented as Brett will help every page of your writing say ‘yes’. She’s the fairy godmother who swoops in and magically knows where you’ve gone wrong.

Clare Wallace, Head of Rights and Literary Agent, Darley Anderson Literary, TV & Film Agency

Brett masterminded our MA anthology [Bath Spa MA Creative Writing, 2008–2009] with tact, wit, and most of all, style. She had a light touch ever-sensitive to our writerly concerns, and this was complemented by her indefatigable work on the technical processes: a forensic eye for detail, from the tiniest comma to the grand design. The result was a wonderful, polished collection which showed us in our very best light.

Beatrice Hitchman, author of Petite Mort , published by Serpent’s Tail

Brett’s feedback is not just invaluable, but of the highest order. Brett has the knack of analysing a piece of writing, sifting the good from the wanting and presenting the writer with a solid platform from which to work – all with the minimum of fuss. Seeing through to the core of a piece, she is not afraid to ask searching questions, nor address what might be unpalatable truths. But while others might be harsh, no-one could be quicker than Brett to balance criticism with the positives and to offer not just support, but encouragement together with advice on how to move forward. In my opinion, any writer benefitting from Brett’s input has luck on their side for sure.

Angela Lett, author of Seaward from the Shore, commended in the novel section of the Yeovil Literary Prize, 2007, and fourth in The Mail on Sunday Novel Competition, 2008; and Something You Should Know, commended in the Yeovil Literary Prize, 2009

Brett edited an anthology of writing by the students on the 2007–2008 level three diploma course in Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia, which was published by Gatehouse Press, under the title Not About Love. She put a good deal of careful work into this publication, making editorial suggestions to all the writers, myself included. I found these suggestions to be insightful and detailed. She treated each piece of writing with respect, and was always both constructive and encouraging. I have no hesitation in recommending Brett as an accomplished and conscientious editor.

Dr Ian Nettleton
Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing & Course Director, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, University of East Anglia; Associate Lecturer in Creative Writing at the Open University