Editor
Russel McLean
Russel D McLean’s debut novel, The Good Son (Five Leaves Crime), was published in 2008, and shortlisted for “Best First Novel” by the Private Eye Writers of America on 2010.
Since then he has written several more crime novels, including the darkly comic Ed’s Dead (Contraband), which was praised by Martina Cole as “a really authentic and remarkable read! I loved it!”
A former bookseller, Russel is now a freelance author, editor, and teacher. He has worked for publishers of various sizes as a developmental editor, including work on one book that was shortlisted for the McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish Crime Fiction at the Bloody Scotland Festival. He has also run masterclasses in fiction writing for festivals, universities and creative writing groups, as well as advising MLitt students on the fiction element of their dissertations for the University of Dundee’s crime writing and forensics course. For two years, he wrote a crime fiction review column in the Scottish Sunday Herald, and has interviewed authors for several newspapers and magazines.
Although Russel’s primary concern has been noir and thriller fiction, he has also worked across a variety of genres as an editor including horror and SFF. You can find more about Russel and his work at his website, www.russeldmcleanbooks.com and find him on Twitter here: @RusseldMclean
– Mark W.
- D Henley.
- Chris S.
- Aurgho G.
– Andy S.
– Steve R.
Edited by Russel
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Edited by Russel
Learn moreRussel's specialties
WHY WE LOVE RUSSEL
Russel is boundlessly positive and encouraging, and is a master at helping writers write the best book they can. Having worked with the likes of Amazon and similarly huge publishing houses, Russel knows what editors (and readers) are looking for – and how to incorporate this authentically into your edits. By incorporating his teaching methods into his detailed critiques, Russel not only highlights areas of improvement, but demonstrates how to fix them using examples from your text. He articulates things clearly, succinctly and in a friendly manner that is bespoke to you.
WHAT RUSSEL SAYS ABOUT EDITING
I came to editing in a very roundabout way, when a publisher I knew asked if I had any experience in editing and whether I would be willing to work with one of their authors on a very specific project. After that first experience, I realised how much I enjoyed working with authors and helping them to see their books from an outside experience. As an editor, I often tell clients my job is to “ask the daft questions before the readers do”, especially because it’s very easy to forget that readers don’t have access to all the information we have about our story and characters, and can only act upon the clues in the text.
Honesty and empathy are important to me. I try to understand what the author wants to achieve, and then direct them towards techniques and tricks that will help them achieve this. Sometimes this will mean rewriting wholesale. I don’t want to pretend writing is easy, but the joy comes in learning and considering new ideas.
What Russel works on
By purchasing any of these products, you'll have the opportunity to express your interest in working with Russel.
Perfect for authors with a finished draft
Manuscript assessment
Perfect for authors with a finished draft
Developmental Editing
Perfect for authors querying agents
Agent Submission Pack assessment
Perfect for authors querying agents
Post-editorial guidance
Russel's published books
