Freda is the author of twenty-one novels and a new short story collection, Nights of Blood Wine. She has written in a wide variety of fantasy styles including epic, supernatural, vampire, historical and contemporary. Her books have been published by Hodder & Stoughton, Pan Macmillan, Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Tor (US) and Titan Books. In 1997 her novel Dracula the Undead won the Dracula Society’s Best Gothic Novel Award, and her 2009 contemporary fantasy Elfland won the Romantic Times Award for Best Fantasy Novel. She’s taken part in all kinds of creative writing activities including groups, workshops, mentoring and editorial work. Freda is a Cornerstones market editor.

Interests: Fantasy and science fiction, psychological thrillers, mystery, paranormal, gothic, magical realism, literary fiction, erotica, anything unique and character-centred.

Laura is a freelance editor with over nine years’ experience in the publishing industry. Most recently, she was a Commissioning Editor at Orion where she worked with many award-winning, and Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling authors. Previously she worked for Hodder & Stoughton as an ebook proofreader and has also interned at Blake Friedmann Literary Agency. She has a degree in English Literature from the University of Leeds and an MA in Publishing from University College London. Laura has appeared on panels for the Romantic Novelists’ Association and was on the judging panel for the Crime Writers’ Association Debut Dagger Award in 2015. Laura is a Cornerstones industry editor.

Interests: commercial fiction, women's fiction, reading group fiction, crime fiction, thrillers, psychological suspense, saga, historical fiction.

Kylie is the author of four historical novels, published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson and Head of Zeus. She has been a manuscript and script editor for over ten years in the UK, the US, and Australia, and has worked with authors such as Jake Woodhouse on his Inspector Rykel series, Suellen Dainty, Jenny McVeigh, Jack Woolf and Claire Kendall. She has worked for the BBC and has a PhD in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University where she is a lecturer. Kylie has been an editor and mentor with Cornerstones since 2009. Kylie is a Cornerstones market editor.

Interests: commercial, historical, crime

Laura has published six novels for adults (two under a pseudonym). Her contemporary fiction is published by Headline Accent. These novels are Crossing the Line, Skin Deep, Redemption Song and The Family Line. Alongside writing, she runs workshops on craft and has spoken at literary events nationwide. She has a passion for fashion and anything which glitters. In another life, she’d make a good magpie. She has been an editor and mentor for Cornerstones since 2011. Laura is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: women's fiction, romance, psychological thrillers, historical

Following a degree in creative arts, Rebecca worked in the music industry before moving into TV and film production on music videos, commercials and documentaries. She later completed the Creative Writing Certificate at Sussex University. The Liar’s Chair was published by Mantle/Pan Macmillan in 2015 and was chosen for both the Loose Women and Poppy Loves book clubs. Her second psychological thriller, The Hidden Grils, was released in 2020 and was longlisted for the Crime Writers’ Association Gold Dagger award. She is currently working on a third novel. Rebecca has taught for Guardian Masterclasses, the Creative Writing Programme and Brighton and Hove YMCA. As well as novels, Rebecca writes short stories and her articles have appeared in The Independent, Psychologies and Buzzfeed amongst others. She has spoken at events nationwide including Bloody Scotland, CrimeFest and the Isle of Wight Literary Festival.

Interests: contemporary fiction, both commercial and literary, plus thrillers and crime

Clare was born in Tooting, south London in 1987. Her first novel was published by Viking, Penguin in 2017, followed shortly by her first collection of short fiction, How the Light Gets In, with Influx Press. She has an MA in Creative and Life Writing from Goldsmiths College, University of London and a BA in History from the University of Oxford. She has taught creative writing in a wide range of settings, and is particularly interested in working with writers of contemporary fiction, both long and short. Clare is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: Contemporary fiction

Sarah is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader with twenty years’ experience in the industry. She began her freelance career by proofreading exam papers and now edits and proofreads an increasingly wide variety of material, including fiction and poetry; children’s fiction and activity books; and academic books and journals. She has a BA in French Literature and Language and an MA in Celtic Studies. Sarah is an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) (formerly the Society for Editors and Proofreaders) and an SfEP Accredited Proofreader. She also works as a copyediting and proofreading tutor and mentor.

Interests: literary (fiction & non-fiction), children’s, commercial, crime, historical, YA

Jaine has been writing science fiction and fantasy professionally since 2007. She also writes for video-games, has written for Dr Who, and teaches creative writing. Her novels include the Hidden Empire space opera series, published by Gollancz. Her short fiction has appeared in various anthologies and magazines in the UK and US, has won the British Science Fiction Association Shorter Fiction Award and has been long-listed for the BBC National Short Story Award. Jaine is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: science fiction, fantasy, YA, historical and Fortean non-fiction

Jonathan has been an editor for 15 years, and has commissioned many books for Bloomsbury Publishing. Writers he has worked with on a freelance basis have gone on to be published by HarperCollins, Bonnier, Boldwood, Orenda and others. Recent successes include the bestselling thriller writer Alex Stone and hotly anticipated debut children’s author Laura Noakes. He is the author or co-author of six books of fiction and non-fiction for adults and children, and as a writer himself understands the need to create a supportive creative environment with his clients. Jonathan is a Cornerstones market editor.

Interests: YA, children's (middle grade), literary and general fiction, historical, sci-fi/fantasy, non-fiction/memoir

Nicola has over twenty years’ experience in the book industry, both as an editor and an author. She began her career at Hodder & Stoughton, home of Stephen King and John le Carré, where she launched the careers of bestsellers Max Pemberton and Rae Earl. She is the author of eight novels, most recently with Penguin, including two Irish Times bestsellers and one winner of the RNA Festive/Christmas Romance prize. She is a consultant editor for the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Curtis Brown Creative and HarperCollins among others. She is a Submissions Editor for the Cornerstones scouting programme and has taught fiction craft classes at the City Literary Institute. She has helped many Cornerstones authors on their journey to publication including Annette Sills, Kathleen Whyman and Fenella Forster. She loves working with debut authors, identifying their strengths and developing their talent with a rigorous but always encouraging report.

Interests: memoir, historical fiction, romantic and commercial fiction, reading-group fiction, psychological suspense, thriller, crime, saga.

Suellen has written two novels, After Everything and The Housekeeper, both published in the US and the UK by Simon and Schuster. She has also written non-fiction books, including the memoirs of the Michelin starred chef, Michel Roux Jr.

She worked as a journalist and television producer before studying creative writing at the University of Oxford and Bath Spa University. Suellen is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: contemporary commercial and literary fiction, psychological and family drama, and sociological non-fiction.

Lucy has been editing and writing children’s books for 25 years, and is Managing Editor for children's publisher Farshore. She has been published by Hodder, HarperCollins, Stripes and Scholastic among others, and writes across the age range, with her most recent work in the younger middle-grade genre. She is the author of the Teach Yourself title Get Started in Writing an Illustrated Children’s Book (November 2016, John Murray/Hachette) and a regular contributor to The Children’s Writers’ and Artists’ Yearbook. She has been with Cornerstones since 2015. Lucy is a Cornerstones industry editor.

Interests: Children's and YA fiction, particularly humour, animals, magic, romance

Lezanne is a fiction writer and freelance editor. She is represented by Rowan Lawton of Furniss Lawton and her first novel (Jellybird, Orion) was chosen as the Waitrose Book of the Week. Her second novel (The Colour of Lies, Orion) was published in August 2018. Her short stories have won or been shortlisted for The Bridport Prize, The Fish Prize (Flash and Short Story categories) and The New Writer Prose and Poetry Awards. Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies, magazines and newspapers. She has run her own writing and critique circle for six years and is passionate about supporting and assisting fellow writers. Lezanne is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: adult commercial and literary fiction, psychological suspense, magic realism and short stories.

Lil Chase is a writer and editor. She has written six books as sole author, and many more as a writer-for-hire.

Lil has had a varied experience in the publishing industry: she worked at ‘romance HQ’ a.k.a Harlequin Mills & Boon. For twelve years she was a Senior Commissioning Editor at Working Partners Ltd, the creative company behind massive commercial successes such as the Rainbow Magic, Beast Quest and Warrior Cats series. More recently, she worked with the Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency, editing everything from picture books to YA. Lil is a Cornerstones industry editor.

Interests: commercial fiction of all kinds – from picture books to adult. Special interest: humour and heart.

Monica has over fifteen years’ experience as an editor in the publishing industry and three of her titles have topped the Sunday Times Bestseller List. She has worked as an Editorial Director at HarperCollins Publishers, where she commissioned and edited predominantly non-fiction titles and is experienced at transforming manuscripts and original ideas into successful, desirable books for a competitive market. Since working freelance, she has worked primarily on fiction books, particularly literary fiction, women’s commercial fiction and historical fiction. She has an MA in English Literature from Cambridge University. Monica is a Cornerstones industry editor.

Interests: Non-fiction, contemporary and historical literary fiction, women's commercial fiction, older children’s books

Daniel has written over 25 books, and has been published by Penguin, Hamish Hamilton, Allison and Busby, BBC Books, Chicken House, Scholastic USA and Badger Learning. He is represented by a leading UK literary agent and is published in over 10 countries. He has written three of the BBC’s original Doctor Who novels as well as his own work for adults, children and teenagers. Daniel has also taught on the Creative Writing MA at Sheffield Hallam University, is a regular judge at the Off The Shelf Festival’s “Novel Slam”, and has led writing days and workshops in over 400 primary and secondary schools. He is a Cornerstones market editor.

Interests: Adult fiction, YA and children's books, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, time-travel, timeshift, literary fiction, crime and thrillers, books for reluctant readers

Vicky is a freelance development editor working for publishers (including Oneworld, Little, Brown, Bookouture, Legend Press and RedDoor Press), agents and authors across a range of genres including literary fiction and narrative non-fiction, crime and psychological thrillers, women’s commercial fiction, historical sagas and series. She has worked in publishing for over thirteen years, and was Senior Fiction Editor at Myriad Editions for seven years, launching the careers of award-winning debut authors who went on to become New York Times and Amazon bestsellers. She has a PhD in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Sussex and read for literary scout Sylvie Zannier-Betts before working in-house in rights and then becoming a commissioning editor. She won the Independent Publishers’ Guild Young Independent Publisher of the Year Award in 2013. She also teaches creative writing at workshops for universities and mentors writers through the publishing process from planning to completing a novel and publishing strategy. Her training as a commissioning editor means she is quick to spot potential and she enjoys working with an author to develop that promise, ensuring every book is as strong as it can be and has the best possible chance of success in a competitive market. Vicky is a Cornerstones industry editor.

Interests: Contemporary and historical literary fiction, women's commercial fiction, psychological thrillers, memoir, literary non-fiction and short stories.

Gina has authored seven YA novels. Her most recent books are YA-crossover thrillers, Love You to Death (2023, Scholastic) and You Can Trust Me (2022, Scholastic), and a duo of teen fairy tale retellings, All the Better to See You (2021, Scholastic) and Good Enough to Eat (2022, Scholastic). She has also authored three earlier crime-thrillers with Pan Macmillan (Pretty Twisted, 2011, an e-book bestseller, Forget Me Never, 2012, winner of the Oldham Book Award, and Saving Silence, 2013, winner of the Warwickshire Book Award and nominated for the Carnegie Medal). She has a degree in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and has spoken at literary festivals, in schools and at library events.

In addition to editing work, Gina is also an Associate Lecturer on the MA in Creative Writing for Young People course at Bath Spa University. Outside of publishing she has worked in the education sector, offering advice and guidance to young people considering university and various career pathways. Gina is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: YA, MG, crime, thrillers, historical, horror, romance, all commercial fiction

Alex is the author of several picture books including Monkey Bedtime (Faber, 2022), Stop that Dinosaur (Bloomsbury, 2021) and a middle-grade series Sky Pirates (Simon & Schuster). Her books have been shortlisted for the Dundee Picture Book Award, chosen by BookTrust for their Bookstart Corner programme and selected by The Reading Agency for the Summer Reading Challenge. Alex has an MA in Writing for Young People and is experienced in mentoring authors and running creative writing workshops. She is a Cornerstones core editor.

Interests: All YA and MG genres; picture books

Becca is a freelance editor who has worked in publishing since 2009. She began at independent publisher Constable & Robinson where she worked on a range of adult fiction and YA, then joined Hachette Children’s Group to work on children’s fiction (age 5+ to YA). She currently works with a range of publishers, literary agents and charities, and is passionate about getting brilliant stories into the hands of readers. Becca is a Cornerstones market editor.

Interests: Middle-grade and YA fiction, especially historical, fantasy, mystery, literary, diverse voices and anything quirky or unique. Adult fiction including cosy crime, historical, commercial women’s and literary fiction.