I’m David Downing, and I was a Seattle-based fiction editor operating quite happily from 2010 to early 2026 as Maxwellian Editorial Services, Inc. I edited more than 400 novels in that decade and a half, splitting my time pretty evenly between projects for publishers and with individual clients.

I loved the work. So many fun books and fine people! But as of this writing I’m in my sixty-eighth year, and have put on a few extra medical miles over the past ten or so of those years. I want to conserve my admittedly waning energy for flailing at my own fiction after a long hiatus and attacking my to-read pile more aggressively. (Also, there’s napping.)

The upshot: as of March 31, 2026, “MaxEd” will no longer exist as a corporate entity and I’ll just be performing story assessments and very limited editorial work for a handful of mainly continuing clients—just enough to keep me in diner breakfasts and brutally expensive coffee shop cappuccinos and pastries.

As you might have noticed, I’ve already closed down the functionality of this website, since I’m no longer beating the bushes for new clients. I’ve kept the site up to this degree so past clients, industry friends, FBI agents and any other interesting randos will have some idea what I’m up to, and be assured I’ll always be glad to hear from them at david@maxeditorial [dot] com. (I know, a Facebook page or Instagram account would keep my name out there, but I’ve bagged all that.)

Happy writing and reading to you (and all of us)!
~ David

  • "David’s deep dive was like a pitching coach demonstrating a whole new grip on the ball."
    - Mark Stevens
    The Fireballer

    Mark Stevens

  • "David challenged me to find more, to give more. I had so many 'Ah hah!' and 'Why didn't I see that?' moments. It was an eye-opening experience, and it turned out to be a lot of fun."
    - Jeff O'Handley
    Powerless

    Jeff O'Handley

  • "Thanks again for another great edit! I deeply appreciate the help."
    - Mark Sullivan
    Beneath a Scarlet Sky, The Last Green Valley, All the Glimmering Stars

    Mark Sullivan

  • “David has a razor-sharp eye and a wonderful 'bedside manner' that makes even the strongest suggestions (like cutting an entire chapter) easy to take. He's been worth every penny.”
    - J. Gregory Smith
    The Flamekeepers, Short Cut, Easy Street, Fast Cash, Legal Tender

    J. Gregory Smith

  • “Besides his nearly-supernatural attention to detail, David has a wonderful sense of nuance, often knowing what I was trying to say better than I did.”
    - S.G. Redling
    Flowertown, The Widow File, Redemption Key, Baggage, At Risk

    S.J. Redling

  • “David understood the thematic strengths of the story and really helped to guide the book to its final state, while never suggesting anything outside of my distinct voice.”
    - Johnny Shaw
    Big Maria (2013 Anthony Award, Best Paperback Original), Plaster City, Floodgate, Imperial Valley

    Johnny Shaw

  • “Swear to God, best help I ever got from an editor.”
    - G.M. Ford
    Thicker Than Water, Chump Change, Threshold, Salvation Lake, Family Values

    G.M. Ford

  • “Working with David is like having the ideal tennis doubles partner, who thinks the same way, covers your backhand, and cleans up your mistakes.”
    - John Enright
    Fire Knife Dancing, The Dead Don’t Dance, Blood Jungle Ballet

    John Enright

  • "David gets your book—the cool stuff, the weird stuff, the full intent of it—and then works like the devil to make your conception sing.”
    - William Lashner
    The Barkeep (2015 Edgar Award nominee), The Accounting, Bagmen, Guaranteed Heroes, The Four-Night Run

    William Lashner

About Maxwellian Editorial Services, Inc.
Editing full-time since 2012, I’ve edited about 30 books a year. I work primarily for publishers, but also for individual clients looking for a developmental/substantive editor who can help take their manuscript to the next level.

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