“I can’t recommend Matt at Word Sleuth highly enough.” — Paul Olchvary, writer and publisher of New Europe Books
Word Sleuth:
Discretely supporting writers of crime fiction and true crime
Word Sleuth: Specializing in Developmental Editing for Crime Fiction, True Crime Non-Fiction, and Dark Memoir.
-
FICTION/NON-FICTION EDITING
Developmental editing from a seasoned professional.
-
MANUSCRIPT CRITIQUES
An in-depth diagnostic letter about your book’s strengths and weaknesses.
-
BOOK COACHING
Let’s work together to get your story written. Mostly painless!
MY SKILL SET
-
RAP SHEET
I’ve worked at major publishing outfits in New York, from Doubleday to prestige literary agencies. I’ve seen the bodies, and know where they are buried.
-
BOOK 'EM
I am also a published writer whose books and translations have been praised by Booklist and The Guardian, and whose journalism has been featured in VICE, among other venues.
-
PRINT 'EM
Authors I have worked with have gone on to sign international book deals and publish best-selling indie hits. I am always available to supply advice moving forward with your completed manuscript.
As a developmental editor, Matt Henderson Ellis has been solving and resolving tricky issues of character, plot, pacing, plausibility, and prose for over twenty years. Are you unsure which genre your book falls under? Want to know if your setup is gripping? Is your plot’s climax logical and played for maximum impact? Is the slow-burn pacing working, or does your protagonist need a fire lit under their seat? With Word Sleuth, you’ll get a full audit of story and craft, creative solutions from a critically acclaimed writer, as well as tips on how to move forward once the book is completed. Drop me a line. I’m always open to questions. Knock on my door.
Every noir, neo-noir, mystery novel, true-crime documentary, and thriller offers lessons in craft. The task is to resist immersion and instead keep the work at arm’s length: to examine it clinically, forensically, like a body on a slab. That may sound hyperbolic, but studying what works makes it easier to replicate those effects in our own writing—not by copying plots, but by absorbing underlying principles.