Kathy George recommended Laurie to me, declaring him ‘the best there is.’ We worked on my ‘sophomore’ novel, that second child with all its fidget and quirk; almost submittable, almost ready to query – but not quite. Beyond just a fresh and professional set of eyes, Laurie brought many things to his assessment of my manuscript: vast literary knowledge, scholarly wisdom, publishing insight. His suggested revisions – one of them key, a main character POV shift – came from engaging with and trusting what I had written and how I had written it. Laurie's feedback aimed to elevate, not alter. To tame the fidget for a smoother reading experience. Shortly after making those revisions and sending the manuscript out, I was offered representation. 

But more than all that: Laurie Steed is deeply compassionate, a true and decent person. A rare find. His friendship and support know no deadline. Any writer would be blessed to have him on their team.  

- Alayne Campbell, Author, The Keepers

I discovered Laurie Steed some years ago when he edited my short story for a Margaret River Press anthology. He did it with such care, thoughtfulness and compassion that when an opportunity arose for him to assess more of my work I was over the moon. This particular manuscript had been rejected by my agent. It’s not working, she’d said, and I was in despair. Laurie made that hopeless feeling disappear. His advice was insightful, detailed and constructive. He suggested things I had at no stage considered with the result that my agent is now in love with the work. Laurie is not only very good at what he does, he is a superb human being. I like to say that he is Sir Laurie, a knight on a steed.  

- Kathy George, Author, Sargasso (HQ Books), shortlisted for the ASA/HQ Commercial Fiction Prize and published in 2021, Estella (2023) and The Scent of Oranges (2024), all published by HQ.

Once, I went to a light show and oohed and ahhed at the stunning twinkles. As I exited into the dark and turned to look at the lights for the last time, from a distance, I realised that they formed the pattern of a dragon I hadn’t noticed when I was inside the show. To me, Laurie’s advice has brought back that moment. A transformation.

- Jing Cramb, author, Clean

I learnt a lot with Laurie. As we moved from one draft to the next together, my novel opened in front of me and I saw how to arrange plot through character arc, what to trim, and importantly, which parts of my book were strong enough to build upon.

I would highly recommend Laurie's guidance!

- Charlie Scott, author, Neoprene Dreams

Laurie worked closely with me on the early manuscript of Three Boys Gone, at a point where I was unsure of how to tell the story as a coherent whole. His insights and understanding of how a novel  evolves as you write it were invaluable. He was able to offer an honest critique without overwhelming me with the amount of work that needed to be done. It was exactly what I needed at the time. His knowledge and expertise were critical in the journey to publication.

- Mark Smith, Author of Three Boys Gone, The Road To Winter, Wilder Country, Land Of Fences and If Not Us. Where Truth Ends coming in June 2026

I’ve worked with Laurie twice – once for what I considered my ‘practice novel’ and again when I made the jump to short stories and needed a guiding hand. Both times, his warm and incisive feedback fast-tracked my development as a writer and put me firmly on the path to publication. As someone who hasn’t studied creative writing formally, his services and support were invaluable to me.

- Jake Dean, author of For Reasons I Can’t Discern, shortlistee for the 2025 Richell Prize

Dig deeper. Go further. Write till it hurts and find the heart of story. Working with Laurie Steed is a masterclass in perfecting technique and ablating words till they express what you truly want to say. His steady, wise counsel guided me to see that the goal of writing is our soul's expression, going to those deeper places to find the meanings our words hope to magnetise. Do that and the rest takes care of itself - but it's much easier if you have a Laurie Steed to light the way.

- David Allan-Petale, Shortlistee for The 2017 Australian/Vogel's Literary Award and author, Locust Summer (Fremantle Press)

Laurie has been a constant source of support since I started my writing journey in Melbourne. A short story master, his feedback is insightful, honest and inspiring. The insights and personal experiences he shares keeps you going, despite the setbacks that come with this line of work. He has been an invaluable source of encouragement in a writing and publishing world that can otherwise often be very cold and impersonal.

- Su-May (Amy) Tan, author, Lake Malibu and other stories (Spineless Wonders, Highly Commended in the 2021 Carmel Bird Digital Literary Award), Katie goes to KL (Penguin Australia)