From Author to Editor, by Laura Marshall

Being the runner-up in the Bath Novel Award 2016 changed my life – and as the prize sponsor, Cornerstones was a big part of that. To be back eight years later as an editor for them is a real full-circle moment, and I couldn’t be more delighted. Part of my prize as runner-up was editorial support and mentorship from a Cornerstones editor which was hugely helpful in shaping my debut novel Friend Request. Published in 2017, Friend Request was a Sunday Times top ten and Kindle No.1 bestseller, was translated into twenty-five languages and optioned for TV. Since then I’ve gone on to have four further novels published with a sixth to come in 2025. My books fall firmly into the commercial fiction camp – psychological thrillers with a strong emotional heart and sometimes a sprinkling of dark humour. I have a strong instinct for what makes a story spring off the page, and I know how transformative it can be to have a fresh pair of eyes on your manuscript. I love sharing what I’ve learnt over the last eight years and I’m really looking forward to getting stuck in to my new role as an editor for Cornerstones.