hey.
i'm rachel kenny
non-fiction talent scout, editor and publishing consultant
I'm an award-winning freelance non-fiction editor, and talent scout for literary agents and publishers.
I have multiple Sunday Times bestsellers (and a New York Times bestseller - an unofficial autobiography of Taylor Swift!) under my belt from over 10 years experience working in-house. Now I live and work by the sea in sunny Margate with my husband, and our two boys.
A former Bookseller Rising Star and Star Buyer, I also headed up the non-fiction list at HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, from its launch in 2016 through to 2020.
In that time, HQ was shortlisted for Imprint of the Year in 2019 and BOSH!, one of my first acquisitions for the list, became a Sunday Times No. 1 bestseller, the biggest-selling vegan cookbook of all time and won Non-Fiction Lifestyle Book of the Year at the Nibbies.
Since going freelance, I have worked for all of the 'Big Five' publishers. I am also a Freelancer of the Year 2024 FutureBook Award semi-finalist.
I've been lucky enough to work with a whole array of wonderful authors including Jane Fonda, anti-racism advocate Sophie Williams, ELLE UK Editor-in-Chief Kenya Hunt, Hollywood actress Anna Faris, BBC TV presenter Kate Humble, period poverty activist Amika George, superstar influencer Patricia Bright, founder of the Positive Birth Movement Milli Hill, actress and TIME's Person of the Year Rose McGowan, Olympian Tom Daley, wine expert Tom Gilbey, chef and food writer Gizzi Erskine, poet Charly Cox, prolific Sunday Times bestselling author Daisy Buchanan and psychotherapist-to-the-stars Owen O'Kane to name just a few.
I particularly enjoy working with passionate experts, creative thinkers and inspirational voices across a range of fields including food, psychology, neuroscience, personal development, performance and success, leadership, fitness, the environment and parenting.
Anyone, in fact, with a fresh perspective and original voice who enjoys creating positive change and living well.
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Created knock-out proposal (including 9,500-word sample, comprehensive chapter breakdown and title) with wine expert and social media personality (746k on IG) Tom Gilbey from scratch in a month. Backlisting beautifully after a strong start, bestselling wine book on Amazon since publication in Nov '25
Scouted Scots poet Len Pennie for Eve White Literary Agency on (formerly) Twitter. Debut poetry collection poyums: No.2 Sunday Times bestseller & No.1 bestselling book in all UK independent bookshops on pub week. Won Scots Book o the Year at the 2024 Scots Language Awards, Book of the Year at the 2025 British Book Awards in the Discover category, and shortlisted for the Scots Writer o the Year 2025 award and the Books Are My Bag Poetry Award 2024. Len's second Autumn '25 poetry collection poyums annaw was an instant Sunday Times bestseller
Scouted self-taught home cook Eloise Head a.k.a. Fitwaffle for Eve White Literary Agency on TikTok. Now a 3x Sunday Times bestselling cookbook author with 5 cookbooks under her belt, sales of over 150k in the UK alone and more to come
Acquired and published cult self-publishing freedom-from-alcohol phenomenon This Naked Mind, now one of HarperCollins' biggest-selling titles in audio
Acquired Sunday Times bestseller The Prison Doctor (250,000 copies sold) by Dr. Amanda Brown, the success of which led to a Prison Doctor 3-book series
Acquired and published first book from vegan influencers BOSH! in a hotly-contested 8-publisher auction, and built them into the biggest vegan brand in the UK with 5 books and counting. Put together an 800-person vegan festival at Borough Market (the first of its kind at that venue) for the BOSH! launch - BOSHFest. BOSH! became a Sunday Times Number 1 bestseller, the fastest-selling debut cookbook of 2018, and the biggest-selling vegan cookbook since records began. BOSH! have now sold over 1 million copies worldwide
I'm one of 18 "titans of the writing, publishing and book-marketing world" (a.k.a. The Masters) in Sunday Times No.1 bestselling author and Book Writing Super Coach Michael Heppell's Write That Book Masterclass
Check out my interview with Michael:
Some nice things people have said
"Rachel has been (and is) a complete godsend."
'The Wine Guy' Tom Gilbey, author of Thirsty
"Thank you so much again for all the brilliant work you have done here. It’s been such a pleasure to read this proposal! Tom’s personality really shines through in these pages – his passion, his heart and also the more tender sides of him. It even felt like harking back to the age of Jilly Cooper’s Rivals – I loved the vivid descriptions, from the Slough Trading Estate to the Oxford caves. And Tom’s heartfelt story of starting a family, as well as the eclectic cast of personalities he came across. Love, love, love. You’ve really made his voice translate on the page. I can see that a lot went into this."
Marianne Tatepo, Publisher at Universal Music, formerly Penguin Random House
"I just wanted to let you know what has happened because you were such an integral part of this journey.
My submission went to 10 different publishers on [date] and Catherine heard back from 5 of them the same day expressing interest! My manuscript went to auction! There was a bidding war! With 3 out of the big 5.
Thank you so much for all your help Rachel. You have been wonderful. I truly am grateful for your support. So glad I found you."
Nova Gibson, author of Australia's biggest-selling practical self-help book of 2023 Fake Love
"As soon as I met Rachel, I knew she was the editor I wanted to work with.
She was informed, enthusiastic and warm - she felt like a safe pair of hands to guide me through the process of writing and releasing my first book. She literally made it impossible for me to consider going with anyone else!
Rachel was always available when I needed her, and helped to demystify what can be a confusing process for first time writers."
Sophie Williams, author of Anti-Racist Ally, Millennial Black and The Glass Cliff
"Early last year you gave me some brilliant feedback about my book ‘Wild Egg’. You invited me to think about turning my then memoir into a novel, and fictionalising my story. I just wanted to let you know I took your advice … and you were so right! I am now a few weeks away from publishing with a women’s imprint called The Unbound Press."
Jennifer Flint, author of Wild Egg
I'm thrilled to have freelanced for some great publishers and literary agencies like these
Want to know a bit more about why I went freelance? Read on...
Until August 2020 I was Editorial Director at HarperCollins Publishers, one of the biggest publishing houses in the world.
But caring for a then 1-year-old who woke five times a night* during the first lockdown (the one where all the nurseries shut) while working from home I found really hard. I felt like I was failing at being a mum and at my job. My little boy needed me and I was trying to get books over the line, which - quite honestly - felt very unimportant when we were experiencing a global pandemic, and he was so little. I was wracked with guilt about how much time we had to stick him in front of the TV so we could take meetings and send emails.
I realised if I was going to be the mother I wanted to be, and do good work too - something that’s always been important to me - without losing my sanity or too much sleep, I needed to make a big change.
I handed in my resignation and even though I had no idea about what I was going to do next, it was the only decision I'd felt at peace with for months.
I've been freelancing ever since and it's very hard to imagine a better job. I am privileged to work with some amazing people on inspiring projects - while still being able to spend plenty of time with my boys and my husband.
*if this is you: solidarity. It does get better