Amelia Collins – Editor

For the creative agency, whitefox, I work closely with the Director to manage both
complex illustrated projects in digital and print format and desk editorial work across
multiple campaigns/ titles. Projects can range from the biography of Lamorna Birch to
centenary celebratory campaigns for international institutions such as Chatham House.
Key responsibilities include editorial and operational oversight of ongoing projects,
building, developing and managing creative teams for each individual project, devising
and managing production schedules for multiple clients, adhering to and maintaining
best practice processes and guidelines for services and supervision of project budgets.

I joined as Project Editor to project manage and oversee the exhibition catalogues and
collection books for the Royal Academy. Overseeing titles such as Francis Bacon: Man
and Beast from conception to publication, including structural editing, copyediting,
proofreading, image sourcing and copyright clearance and direct liaison with the artist’s
estate. Due to joining the RA amidst the beginning of the pandemic, with a large
amount of staff placed on furlough, I took on a range of other project management,
editorial and administrative duties. I worked closely with the editorial team on the RA
Magazine, fact-checking and proofing articles and organising image clearances.
I also assisted the Digital team in editing, formatting and uploading content to the RA
website via the CMS.

I managed many projects across the Gallery’s publishing programme, from conception
to publication. Titles include, David Hockney: Drawing From Life, Cindy Sherman,
Elizabethan Treasures: Portrait Miniatures from Hilliard and Oliver and many others. As
part of any given project, I worked with both internal and remote teams on a global
scale, liaising with authors, artists, curators, institutions, creative agencies, designers,
freelancers, key stakeholders and sponsors of the project.
I developed excellent editorial and project management skills, taking on duties of
commissioning, copyediting, image sourcing and clearing, working closely with
designers and generating design briefs, working closely with reproduction houses and
printers to ensure the highest quality of end product.
The nature of each project was always different and required the ability to balance
many factors when making decisions – identifying issues and proposing solutions
based on the needs of the institution, the target audience while reflecting user experience
data and the needs of the external stakeholders involved.
Alongside my editorial duties, I contributed to new proposals, suggesting concepts,
structures, formats, and contributors, analysed product data to contribute to future
successes, and anticipated current content trends. Updating regularly my project
tracking spreadsheets and actioning next steps within the team, helped prepare for
any perceived or potential obstacles to the completion of our project. I drafted and
communicated directly with all other Gallery departments and those external parties,
be that other cultural institutions or creative agencies, to ensure I worked closely
with all involved. This also included formalising contracts and Letters of Agreement
and managing project budgets, as required.