Scott Vandervalk has been an editor for over 13 years, and his projects range across the globe, from educational textbooks to novellas, novels, short stories, biographies, self-help books, roleplaying games and boardgames, amongst many other types of text.
Scott has previously worked in science research and education support, both of which have led to editing projects related to those fields. He’s worked as an associate editor for Aurealis magazine since 2011, and was previously lead editor for 21D magazine.
Of particular interest to Scott are stories, games and education, and the ways they can be connected together. When not editing, Scott can also be found dabbling in gardening, cooking, writing or designing and playing games. Scott is also a committee member for the Bendigo Writers Council, often putting together the monthly program.
Hobbies: Gaming, writing, reading (speculative fiction and comics)
Favourite book and writers: Best Served Cold and The Wisdom of Crowds (Joe Abercrombie), Blue Remembered Earth (Alastair Reynolds), The Water Knife (Paolo Bacigalupi), The Scar (China Mieville), Coraline and Neverwhere (Neil Gaiman), the Rivers of London series (Ben Aaronovitch) and the Locked Tomb series (Tamsyn Muir)
Editing keys: Clarity, structure, development, plot, character arc
Specialty topics: Speculative fiction, graphic novel, science, education, gaming, inclusion
Qualifications: Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing, Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours), Certificate III in Education Support, Certificate III in Customer Contact
Scott is currently an Professional Member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) and currently serves as the program coordinator for the Bendigo Writers Council.
Due to environmental concerns and concerns about the theft of work from creatives, Scott prefers not to work with manuscripts that have used generative AI. (Article: IPEd statement on the impact of AI and LLMs on editors and the editing profession, 2024.)
Scott Vandervalk 