
Sam Boyce
Writers’ Consultancy
All the help you need to get your story out there.
Welcome to my website! If you’re working on a novel or narrative non-fiction idea, my mission is simple: to help you get that manuscript finished.
No matter what stage you’re at, I offer dedicated one-to-one support to fix whatever’s holding you up — and bring some extra structure, confidence and pleasure to your writing life.
If your manuscript is finished and you’re unsure about the next stage, I offer an expert editing service, along with professional guidance on markets, readerships and routes to publication.
Mentoring
Narrative development for first-time writers;
Technical troubleshooting for mid-draft problems;
Empathetic, positive and practical support for mid-career dilemmas.
Manuscript Assessment
An insightful, professional overview of your manuscript's strengths, weaknesses and potential, plus an hour-long discussion and follow-up resources to help you plan your next steps.
Editing
Detailed development for your early draft, comprehensive line editing for the rewrite, and a fast, skilful copyedit for the final polish.
Professional Development
Help with competitions, anthology call-outs, self-publishing strategies, or submissions to agents and indie publishers.
I’ve been working with writers professionally for nearly thirty years and have helped hundreds of emerging and established authors — as a literary agent, senior tutor of postgraduate Creative Writing, through various national mentoring schemes, and as a full time, industry-trained editor. This depth of experience means I can design an editorial process tailor-made for your book: one which fits with your genre, intended market and preferred working methods, and which is dedicated to helping you achieve your creative and commercial ambitions.
The mentoring and creative/professional development support I offer is flexible and affordable. You can pay in small instalments and arrange the work at your own pace, with face-to-face meetings or Zoom sessions available on evenings and weekends as well as through the week.
If you browse the rest of this website you’ll find more about working with me, and about the other resources I’m developing.
But if you have a story you want to talk about, the best thing is to get in touch. Just contact me for a chat — I’d love to hear from you.
Books
Around half of the work I do is for commercial publishers, largely via the brilliant creative agency whitefox and the rest is for individual writers, who contact me direct. Here are some examples.

Tender Maps: Travels in Search of the Emotions of Place
Alice Maddicott
Published July 2023Development edit for September Publishing

The Puppet Girl
Kati St Clair
Published February 2023Structural/development edit for whitefox Publishing

The Outcast by Eve M. Riley
Eve M. Riley
Published November 2022Manuscript assessment for the author

City of Vengeance
D. V. Bishop
Published by Pan Macmillan, February 2021Manuscript Assessment / Development Edit for the author

Blood of Ravens
Jen McIntosh
Published June 2021Development Edit and Line Edit / Copyedit for the author

A Silent Voice Speaks
Trishna Singh OBE
Published by Fledgling Press June 2022Mentoring and structural editing for the author