Ashley Rayner

Ashley Rayner – Editor

**CLOSED TO REQUESTS** I'm a professional book editor with 15 years of experience. I love helping make book dreams reality!

Overview

**CLOSED TO REQUESTS**


I'm a professional book editor with 15+ years of experience, both as a freelancer and an in-house production editor. I love helping authors polish their prose and make their book dreams a reality.


I hold a BA in English from the University of Guelph and a Certificate in Creative Book Publishing from Humber College. After graduation, I worked as an editorial intern and then as production assistant with various Canadian publishers. I was Editorial Manuscript Co-ordinator at the University of Toronto Press from 2014 to 2017. Since 2009, I've been providing publishers and authors with quality editorial services.


What I Do


I'm a reader first and a writer myself too. I know how tough it can be to find a good editor. I work with you to polish your manuscript so your voice can shine through and tell your story the way you want it told. With my in-house experience behind me, I can help move your book from dream to draft, from manuscript to book.


I've had a hand in over 140 book projects (but who's counting?). I specialize in academic and non-fiction, although I have a soft spot for fiction. My areas of expertise include history, social sciences, sports, and politics. For fiction, I work primarily on romance novels, although I also like fantasy and sci-fi.


My Skills


As a production editor, I had to develop the skills to take a book from draft to final product. My areas of expertise include:


-copy editing

-proofreading

-reference editing (APA, CMS, MLA)

-book production project management

-rights and permissions licensing

-photo research


Why Work with Me?


There are so many editors out there. It's hard to choose one--and how do you know you've found the right person? I get it. I used to hire freelancers as part of my job, and it's tough to find the right people. My clients keep coming back, so I think I must be doing something right. Here's what I offer:


-Collaborative editing. My job is to help you tell the story you want to tell, in your own words.

-Support every step of the way. Have a question about what to do next? Feel free to pick my brain.

-Excellent communication. A good editorial relationship is built on communication.

-Attention to detail. People say I'm thorough. Almost too thorough. (Is that even a thing?)

Services
Non-Fiction
History Humanities & Social Sciences Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
LGBTQ Fiction Romance
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Nov, 2009 — Present

I provide copy editing, proofreading, and other services for publishers and authors.

University of Toronto Press

Jul, 2014 — Jan, 2017 (over 2 years)

As the Editorial Manuscript Co-ordinator, I was responsible for guiding manuscripts through the production process, from copy edit to printed book.

University of Toronto Press

Aug, 2010 — Jun, 2014 (almost 4 years)

As the Production Assistant, I was responsible for helping the Production Co-ordinator prepare manuscripts. I assisted with proof reading, copy editing, and other tasks.

Firefly Books Ltd.

Apr, 2010 — Jul, 2010 (3 months)

As the Editorial Assistant, I prepared cover copy, conducted photo research, and reviewed and edited page proofs for several books.

Firefly Books Ltd.

Feb, 2010 — Apr, 2010 (about 2 months)

As the Editorial Intern, I gained insight and experience in the book industry by assisting with the preparation of several books. I assisted with photo research and reviewed page proofs.

McGraw-Hill Ryerson

Sep, 2009 — Oct, 2009 (about 1 month)

As an Editorial Intern, I reviewed page proofs and learned about the production processes for textbooks.

Portfolio

When a photo of Hollywood leading man, Joshua Hudson, hits the tabloids with his tongue down another man's throat Josh has no other option but to lay low for a while. The problem being of course that going home for the first time in eight years means facing al... read more
The plan was simple. The results are anything but... I’ve lost too much to even think about opening my heart to anyone again. Grief consumed my life, and all I wanted was to be left alone so I could drown my sorrows while trying to find a sliver of relief at t... read more
It is said that if one can capture a mermaid, she will be bound to you, filled with love stronger than the tides of the sea, for the rest of her days.Archibald wants that. He wants that devotion and passion. He wants his life to have meaning, to be that man wi... read more
At nineteen, Gabriel Foss has four Olympic medals to his name. Now back at university, he’s already focusing on the next competition on his way to a second Olympic Games. Between swimming and studying, Gabriel doesn’t have time for romantic entanglements. Unfo... read more
Gabriel isn't stupid enough to think there won't be fallout after he sleeps with his teammate Reese Lockwood. He just didn't expect it to pan out like this.As winter semester gets underway , Gabriel quickly realizes he has a lot to learn: about relationships a... read more
To study the interactions between Muslims and Christians in the medieval period is to observe a history of conflict and co-existence encompassing warfare, piracy, and raiding as well as commerce, intellectual exchanges, and personal relationships that transcen... read more
Death in the Peaceable Kingdom is an intelligent, innovative response to the incorrect assumption that Canadian history is dry and uninspiring. Using the "hooks" of murder, execution, assassination, and suicide, Dimitry Anastakis introduces readers to the full... read more
In the second edition of this groundbreaking social history, M. Ann Hall begins with an important new chapter on Aboriginal women and early sport and ends with a new chapter tying today's trends and issues in Canadian women's sport to their origins in the past... read more
A History of Science in Society is a concise overview that introduces complex ideas in a non-technical fashion. Ede and Cormack trace the history of the changing place of science in society and explore the link between the pursuit of knowledge and the desire t... read more
This Happened in My Presence reveals life in the small Spanish town of Deza during a period that was complex and tumultuous.The introduction explains the medieval origins of Deza's Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations and the changing policies toward reli... read more
The Trial of Tempel Anneke examines documents from an early modern European witchcraft trial with the pedagogical goal of allowing students to interact directly with primary sources. A brief historiographical essay has been added, along with eleven civic recor... read more
This short microhistory details the life and death of Eddie McKay, a varsity athlete at Western University, who flew with the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War. Graham Broad switches creatively from telling McKay's fascinating story to teaching valuabl... read more
Truth and Indignation offers the first close and critical assessment of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission as it is unfolding. Niezen uses interviews with survivors and oblate priests and nuns, as well as testimonies, texts, and visual materials produced by... read more
Charting the rise and fall of an experimental biomedical facility at a North American university, Culturing Bioscience offers a fascinating glimpse into scientific culture and the social and political context in which that culture operates. Krautwurst nests th... read more
In this meditation/how-to guide on drawing as an ethnographic method, Andrew Causey offers insights, inspiration, practical techniques, and encouragement for social scientists interested in exploring drawing as a way of translating what they "see" during their... read more
Building on the sensory ethnographic trend in contemporary sociocultural anthropology, this collection introduces the idea of a different kind of ethnography: an imaginative and creative approach to anthropological inquiry that is collaborative, open-ended, em... read more
The third edition of this bestselling book introduces readers to anthropology, and the world around it, by connecting important concepts to current global issues. A question-based approach encourages readers to understand specific issues in a broader cross-cul... read more
Addressing important and timely topics, including global climate change and the #MeToo movement, Through the Lens of Cultural Anthropology is a fresh and contemporary textbook designed to engage students in the world surrounding them. The book offers a sustain... read more
Through the Lens of Anthropology is a concise introduction to anthropology that uses the twin themes of food and sustainability to illustrate the connected nature of the discipline’s many subfields. Beautifully illustrated throughout, with over 150 full-color ... read more
Through the Lens of Anthropology is a concise but comprehensive introductory textbook that uses the twin themes of food and sustainability to illustrate the connected nature of anthropology's four major subfields: archaeology, and biological, cultural, and lin... read more
This reflective collection examines anti-oppressive research methods and the effective implementation of those methods within social work settings. Comparing phenomenological, auto-ethnographic, survey-based, and arts-based research approaches, Reimagining Ant... read more
Indigenous peoples are vastly overrepresented in the Canadian criminal justice system. The Canadian government has framed this disproportionate victimization and criminalization as being an "Indian problem."In The Colonial Problem, Lisa Monchalin challenges th... read more
Now in its second edition, Race and Racialization presents new scholarship focusing specifically on immigration and migration, policies of multiculturalism, whiteness, gender and race, and settler relations. Contributors explore the problem of institutional ra... read more
Canadian Organized Crime

Stephen Schneider

Most texts on classical social theory offer exhaustive coverage of every possible theorist, making it difficult to use the book in one semester. Capitalism and Classical Social Theory, Second Edition represents a departure from this approach by offering solid ... read more
Biology of Sex

Alex Mills

Biology of Sex is a lively and intellectually challenging textbook. Mills analyzes the biological basis of sex by considering genetic, physiological, and evolutionary principles. In order to explain the biological aspects of human sex, he uses direct and intri... read more
Costly Fix examines the post-1995 Alberta tar sands boom, detailing how the state inflated the profitability of the tar sands and turned a blind eye to environmental issues. It considers the position of First Nations, the character and strength of environmenta... read more
A Short History of the Ancient World begins with the Bronze Age and ends with the collapse of the Roman Empire. Rather than restricting his analysis to the Greek and Roman experience, Rauh introduces students to ancient Africa, Israel, Egypt, Iran, China, and ... read more
European Union Governance and Policy Making introduces Canadian students to the politics of the EU. Divided into three parts, the collection examines its political system (history, theories, institutions), specific policies, and some of the challenges that the... read more
Private companies that respond poorly to a crisis may go bankrupt, wiping out investments and jobs. Charities that respond poorly to a crisis may lose donations, ending support for the most vulnerable. Professional athletes, religious leaders, CEOs, and politi... read more
Detailed profiles of every player in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame is the greatest individual honor that can be bestowed upon a professional hockey player. Since the first class in 1945, the Hockey Hall of Fame has inducted 24... read more
Petroleum is the most valuable commodity in the world and an enormous source of wealth for those who sell it, transport it and transform it for its many uses. As the engine of modern economies and industries, governments everywhere want to assure steady suppli... read more
Newspapers, television and films cast homeless shelters as places of desperation, sadness and sickness. However, over the last 25 years, homeless shelters have changed dramatically.Shelters have become more professional and sophisticated in addressing homeless... read more
Rivals for Power: Ottawa and the Provinces tells the story of the politicians who continually contend over the division of power (and money) between Ottawa and the provinces. The heroes and villains of this story include many of the leading lights of Canadian ... read more
Canada is in a new era. For 35 years, the country has become vastly wealthier, but most people have not. For the top 1%, and even more forthe top 0.1%, the last 35 years have been a bonanza.Canadians know very well that there's a huge problem. It's expressed i... read more
Why have democratic governments failed to take serious steps to reduce carbon emissions despite dire warnings and compelling evidence of the profound and growing threat posed by global warming?Most of the writing on global warming is by scientists, academics, ... read more
These original essays show how the US government repeatedly aided certain regimes as they planned and then carried out crimes against humanity and genocide. What makes the collection unique—and chilling—is the inclusion of declassified documents generated by t... read more
285 glorious illustrations celebrate the scratchboard art of Scott McKowen. "McKowen is a scratchboard master, creating theater posters and book covers of fantastic clarity, shrewd wit and subtle mystery. McKowen's mastery of line and texture, gift for arresti... read more
Since the publication of the first edition of The Crusades: A Reader, interest in the Crusades has increased dramatically, fueled in part by current global interactions between the Muslim world and Western nations. The second edition features an intriguing new... read more
The fifth edition of this bestselling reader builds a strong foundation in both classical and contemporary theory, with a sharpened focus on gender and anthropology, and the anthropology of new media and technology. Short introductions and key terms accompany ... read more
In assembling, translating, and arranging over a hundred primary source readings, Somerville and McDonald successfully illuminate the Vikings and their world for twenty-first-century students and instructors. The diversity of the Viking Age is brought to life ... read more
Award-winning lecturer Kenneth R. Bartlett applies his decades of experience teaching the Italian Renaissance to this beautifully illustrated overview. In his introductory Note to the Reader, Bartlett first explains why he chose Jacob Burckhardt's classic narr... read more
As young girls in Cairo, Anna and Layla strike up an unlikely friendship that crosses class, cultural, and religious divides. Years later, Anna learns that she may carry the hereditary cancer gene responsible for her mother's death. Meanwhile, Layla's family i... read more
Asking what it means to be quilombola (descendants of African slaves) in the twenty-first century, Kenny illustrates how heritage and identity do not simply exist, but are continually being constructed to reflect particular historical circumstances. The book i... read more

Ashley has 13 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Ava W.

Ava W.

Mar, 2024

It has been a great pleasure working with Ashley since 2021. She is attentive and will answer any question you have. She digs into your work and helps guide you to the finish line. She is insightful to what readers are looking for and will provide great feedback. I hope to continue our collaborations on my romance novels when she returns. We are a team and I will miss you! Good luck until you ...
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Caitlin K.

Caitlin K.

Dec, 2023

Thanks for the assistance.
Jessica B.

Jessica B.

Nov, 2023

Ashley was thorough in reading through my work. Her edits and notes were helpful, though I do not think she enjoyed my work. She offered to do a phone call to talk more in depth about my book and her suggested edits however when I responded I was available the date she suggested I never heard back from her. I appreciate the time she spent reading and providing suggested edits.
Riley V.

Riley V.

Jul, 2023

Ashley was amazing to work with. She really went above and beyond to help my story become the best version it can be. I hope to work with her much more in the future! Thanks Ashley!
Ava W.

Ava W.

Jan, 2022

As always, it is a wonderful experience working with Ashley and I will continue on any of my future projects.

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