“Beejay Silcox has a rare and wonderful gift, they can read a work in progress, even one at an early stage of development and can see and articulate what works about the novel/memoir/story and what is stopping the work from reaching its full potential. This is a very uncommon skill.

Most editors and readers approach an early-stage work in a way that simply shuts down the author’s creative process. Beejay manages to open up the text to new possibilities, gently nudging a writer away from elements of the work that are holding it back and giving open suggestions towards moving the story forward. I have worked with Beejay on several of my books - as first reader and structural editor. Several other readers offered suggestions and feedback that only made me feel anxious and unable to move forward with the work. So many interventions just shut the story development down at a very delicate stage of the creative process. Beejay’s questions and suggestions pointed me towards new spaces in the texts that could allow for exciting developments of the stories. In each case Beejay was able to meet the work at its early stage of development, understanding that there was more work to be done and that I just needed an insightful reader with a curious eye who could point out new possibilities in the work that I had not yet seen.  

Beejay is a generous reader, a kind and curious one, with a vast knowledge of how literature works. They bring this rich understanding and knowledge to the reading of any work in progress asking the right questions and guiding an author towards discovering the best path for any manuscript. With Beejay working beside me on a text I feel totally supported and gently guided towards finding the beating heart of my book.”

- Kris Kneen, award winning author of Fat Girl Dancing (2023)

“Writing is a seductive loneliness. For artists, the hardest people to find are creative confidantes who can sit with us in our lonely process. Our ways, our ambitions, our sensitivities to an uncertain world that kinda digs art but digs holes for artists - such a delicate livelihood requires more than opinions and feedback, it requires rare-earth wisdom, the kind Beejay Silcox possesses.

Beejay assisted me from the first draft of my novel Letters to Our Robot Son through to release; they are the first person I thank in its acknowledgements. Whether it was guiding me towards other materials to broaden my research, sharing thoughts on plot, structure and editing or simply seeing me while I was lost, Beejay’s excellence helped me write, deliver & launch. Beejay Silcox is as synonymous with books as the glorious smell of them. A literary phenomenon, they have dedicated their whole life to stories and the people who tell them, making Beejay that rarest of mentors and a master of craft. If you should be so lucky to have an opportunity to work with them - why are you reading my words when yours could be glowing? Bugger off; hire Beejay, writer.”

- Cadance Bell, author of Letters to our Robot Son (Ultimo, May 2025).

“Beejay Silcox is my favourite reader. With a generous and discerning eye, she identifies what you are working to achieve in a text and with great grace and care, guides you towards doing so. Silcox has a magical ability to bring the best out of every manuscript. Her insights are unmatched and her edits, with a light touch, deliver profound impact. It is an honour for any writer to have Beejay Silcox engage with their work.”

- Yassmin Abdel-Magied, speaker, broadcaster and writer of Listen Layla (2021)

“Working with Beejay has been transformative for my novels. She has this exceptional ability to see both the grand vision and the minute detail, and identify with incredible precision how to lift and improve both. Her deep understanding of the narrative craft, and her practical suggestions and guidance, have made my stories and my characters infinitely better. I can’t imagine publishing without having Beejay’s invaluable feedback first. She is an author’s best friend, and secret weapon, all in one.”

- DP Clarence, author of The Paper Boys (2024) and Going Solo (May, 2025).