Andrew Dawson – Editor

I have a passion for helping authors produce their best possible work.

I specialise in copy editing and proofreading and particularly enjoy working on books in the self-help and business genres, as well as memoirs and career guides.

The common thread? These authors want to help others like them by sharing their experiences, whether it’s a former Scotland Yard detective explaining how to solve murders (an Amazon bestseller), an entrepreneur sharing the secrets of their success, a spiritual journey, or one of the many career guides that I've edited in a range of professions, from veterinary medicine to modelling. They are great people to work with.

With 20 years’ experience in journalism, communications and publishing, I like to think I’m a great person to work with too, and I know how to meet your high standards. I’ve never missed a deadline, often getting manuscripts back well ahead of schedule, and I will always reply to your messages promptly.

I began my career as a reporter and quickly learned the value of a good editor who can help shape and improve writing, while preserving the author's integrity and spirit - and how demoralising and frustrating it can be to have your work edited insensitively.

These lessons have guided the subsequent 15 years of my career as an editor of newspapers, magazines, self-published books and professional publications, and I will always treat your work with the empathy and respect it deserves.

I’ve been the news editor of six weekly newspaper titles with a readership of more than 50,000, checking hundreds of stories every week produced by a team of eight reporters. I’ve also managed a busy government press office, with responsibility for the quality and accuracy of all press communications for an organisation with 23,000 employees and a £1bn budget, as well as editing a 24-page residents’ magazine delivered to around 500,000 households three times a year. There’s no margin for error when you’re the last port of call before hundreds of thousands of copies are printed, so you can rest easy that I'm well trained in spotting typos!

This background has also ensured that I am very versatile and, since becoming a freelance editor, I’ve sensitively honed the writing of authors in a wide range of topic areas, from architecture (various textbooks published by the Royal Institute of British Architects) to sci-fi (Finality, the latest novel by award-winning novelist Marcus Martin); and from nutrition (Immunity Hi, Virus Bye-Bye) to psychology (Damaged People).

I’d love the opportunity to do the same for you.