Russel's other job: The Editor, the teacher. I work as a development editor for various publishers. In essence this means working closely with authors to make sure their plot, characters, and prose all align to bring out the full potential of their story. You can see a gallery of covers of some of the books and authors I've worked with on this page. I'll be updating it slowly over time to show off some of the brilliant writers I've worked with
While I don't usually work directly with authors on a private basis any more (due to time constraints), I do work with Jericho Writers, who have a treasure trove of help and advice for writers, and offer editorial reports and even developmental edits similar to the work I do with publishers. You can see their website and services by clocking on the wee image above, where you you can request me as your editor. Although they do work with a huge variety of editors and experts in different forms and genres. Check them out!
I also occasionally teach masterclasses. I often work with the University of Dundee as part of their MLitt in crime fiction, and have done masterclasses for writing festivals, such as Bloody Scotland. If you work for a university, a festival, even a school (I tend to prefer work with older pupils, S4 and up, due to the nature of the genres I specialise in) and want me to teach a masterclass or just come along and talk to your pupils about writing, do get in touch via the form at the top of this page (this will usually guarantee you a quicker response than a Twitter DM, for example). Priority will always be given to paid work (If you are in Scotland, look at the brilliant Live Literature Program run by Scottish Book Trust, which assists in paying a decent fee to visiting writers).
A few of the books Russel has worked on over the years Click on the covers to see their Amazon pages where applicable Please note that these are affiliate links: if you purchase from Amazon, Russel will receive a small payment