Editing & Mentoring Services
“When I ran the manuscript assessment programme at Faber Academy, Laura Marshall was one of my most trusted readers – her reports are incisive, comprehensive and practical, always getting to the heart of a novel and giving clear, thoughtful advice on how the author can achieve its full potential. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to any novelist.’
- Nicci Cloke, former programme manager, Faber Academy
I know the power of having a fresh pair of eyes on your work and of receiving constructive, practical feedback that transforms it into a marketable, publication-ready book. Whether you’ve just started writing or you have a finished manuscript that needs a final polish before you send it out to agents, I can help.
In 2015, I had an idea for the book that would become my best-selling debut novel, Friend Request. All I knew was that the book would begin with a woman receiving a Facebook friend request from a girl she bullied at school – a girl who had been dead for twenty-five years. The problem was I had no idea how to turn that one-sentence concept into a 100,000 word novel! So I signed up for the creative writing course that changed my life. I began the course with a couple of chapters and no experience whatsoever of the publishing industry. By the end I had a completed first draft and signed with a top literary agent. Friend Request was published the following year and shot to the top of the bestseller charts as well as being translated into twenty-five languages.
Since then, I have published five crime novels with a major publisher, with my sixth coming in 2025. My books have topped the Sunday Times and Kindle charts, and have been optioned for film and TV. I have learned so much in my years as a published author, and I love to pass on this knowledge to emerging writers in my work as a freelance editor and mentor for several of the major creative writing schools in London.
My speciality is commercial fiction, in particular crime and psychological thrillers but I’m happy to consider other genres.
TESTIMONIALS
“I highly recommend Laura as an editor and mentor. She gave me incredibly helpful notes on my 2nd novel, helping it to publication. She was encouraging and supportive, while giving a very clear assessment of areas needing development: pointing out inconsistencies in character and plot, asking questions and giving options. She was big picture and creative to open up new ideas, as well as specific and forensic so that I could directly apply her spot-on suggestions.”
- Liz Webb, Author of The Daughter (published 2022) & The Saved (published 2024)
“I’ve hugely benefitted from Laura’s mentorship over the past couple of years. Alongside her encouragement, she had a great eye for what was working (and not working) in my manuscript and helped me improve it. Her insider knowledge of publishing and contacts allowed me to target the right agents and understand the industry better. Excitingly, my first novel got accepted and will be published in March 2025 in no small part due to Laura’s kindness and attention.”
- Cameron Grant, author of Death of A Dame (published 2025)
“Laura is an outstanding mentor. Her deeply insightful and constructive feedback not only identified what was working well in my manuscript but also highlighted areas that could be reworked and strengthened. She provided a much-needed injection of oxygen into my writing process, making the path from the second draft to the next stage far clearer and more navigable. Laura’s encouragement and support, coupled with her knowledge of the publishing industry, have been invaluable.”
Camilla Chaudhary (worked with Laura in 2025)
“Laura is a great and insightful editor. I fully agreed with all her comments on my manuscript and it was enlightening to properly recognise the issues with it - I felt like I couldn’t ‘see’ the book before her edit. It gave me fresh impetus to return to my MS and implement her suggestions.”
- Anna Morrissey (worked with Laura on two manuscripts in 2025)
“Laura’s editorial report was absolutely bang on and gave me clear areas to work on.”
- Emma Salisbury, author of the DS Coupland Series and Small Acts of Mercy (publishing February 2026)
“Laura’s report on my manuscript was super helpful and comprehensive. I was nervous about receiving her feedback as it’s the first time that anybody apart from my MA tutors had read more than a few chapters of my work, but I found myself saying “yes” out loud to all of her suggestions.”
- Nicola Goodwin (worked with Laura in 2025)
“I highly recommend Laura’s services - her comments on my manuscript were insightful, helpful and very much appreciated.”
- Lucia Foster-Found (worked with Laura in 2024)
WHAT I OFFER
Opening Chapters Review £200 (+ VAT @ 20% - total £240)
Up to 10,000 words (extra words £10 + VAT per 1000 words)
The opening chapters are the most important of the whole book. They’re the ones you’ll send to agents when you’re seeking representation, and the ones that will hook your future readers in and ensure they read the rest of the book. Maybe that’s all you’ve got so far, and you’re looking for advice as to whether the story is working and how to proceed. Or perhaps you’ve written an entire novel, but you want my feedback on those crucial opening chapters before you send them off to prospective agents.
Either way, I’ll read up to 10,000 words and provide a 1000 word report highlighting what’s working and giving constructive feedback that will enable you to move forward with your story, or give your chapters the final polish they need before you send them out into the world.
Full Manuscript Review £500 (+ VAT @ 20% - total £600)
Up to 100,000 words (extra words £10 + VAT per 1000 words)
I will read your entire novel and provide a 2000 word report looking at aspects such as plot, characterisation, pace, voice, dialogue, structure, style and marketability. If you want me to focus on a particular aspect of your novel, just let me know.
Telephone Consultation
Add a 30 minute telephone or video call to either of these services for £50 (+ VAT @ 20% - total £60). Once you’ve had a chance to digest my report, we’ll have an in-depth chat about any aspect of it that you’d like further feedback or clarification on.
Mentoring
Please contact me if you’d like to discuss a longer term mentoring arrangement – the price will depend on what you are looking for.
CONTACT
If you would like to discuss how I can help you with your manuscript, please contact me on: lauramarshallauthor@gmail.com
