Book development
Clarify the proposition, readership, market position and architecture before a full manuscript is written.
Commercial non-fiction · Finance · Risk · Technical subjects
Book editing for ideas that deserve to be understood.
I’m Lewis O’Sullivan, a publishing consultant, book editor and publishing strategist. I help expert authors turn complex knowledge into clear, coherent and compelling commercial non-fiction.
A strong book needs more than expertise
Make the argument clear. Keep the voice yours.
Specialist subjects can be difficult to explain without losing precision or overwhelming the reader. I bring more than 15 years in specialist publishing to the work: finding the central argument, shaping the structure and making the material easier to follow without flattening the author’s expertise.
I have worked extensively across finance, risk, markets, governance and quantitative subjects. The same editorial questions apply to other demanding non-fiction too: who is the reader, what will they gain, and what is the clearest way to guide them through the material?
Structural editing
Strengthen argument, sequence, pacing and explanation across a complete manuscript or defined section.
Editorial assessment
Get a candid diagnosis of what is working, what is holding the book back and what to tackle next.
Author coaching
Build a practical writing plan, develop chapters and work through questions that are slowing progress.
Proposal and publishing strategy
Make the reader, promise and positioning clear, and prepare a stronger conversation with publishers.
Editorial project support
Give publishing teams experienced editorial support on specialist books and complex projects.
Clear scope, useful feedback
The right editorial help for the stage you’re at.
Developmental and structural editing focus on the larger shape and effectiveness of a book. They are different from copy-editing, proofreading and independent fact-checking. We’ll agree the material, scope, timing and deliverable before work begins.
Not sure what the manuscript needs? An editorial assessment can establish the priorities before you commit to a larger piece of work.
A five-minute publishing diagnostic
Would your book survive the acquisitions meeting?
Try the free seven-question test to see whether your idea is clear, distinctive and ready for a publisher.
Take the free test