David Bamford

David Bamford – Editor

Editor with ten years of professional experience working across literary fiction and non-fiction, formerly at Little, Brown UK.

Overview

I edited and project managed a wide array of both literary fiction and narrative non-fiction books over eight years at Little, Brown Book Group (part of Hachette UK), one of the country's largest and most successful publishing houses. My experience includes developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading and copywriting, as well as commissioning literary non-fiction, so I know what a book, a proposal or a submission needs to do to excite an agent, an acquiring editor and, ultimately, its readers.

I relish working with authors to hone their books, making the most of every opportunity to inform, entertain and inspire readers with compelling voices and narratives. But on the technical side, too, I am adept at spotting a typo, spelling mistake or the tiny tweak required to turn a good sentence into a great one, and make a manuscript shine.

In my role at Little, Brown I was lucky enough to work with countless wonderful writers – from debut novelists and first-time memoirists to established Booker and Pulitzer Prize-winners, public figures and beloved entertainers. So whether you're a seasoned professional writer looking for some finishing touches, someone with a fascinating life story who isn't quite sure how to tell it, or a budding literary voice that needs amplifying, I'd love to help you with the next step of your writing career.

I'm available for editorial assessments, reviews, developmental editing, copy editing and proofreading
on full-length books, non-fiction proposals and query letters, so please do get in touch to let me know what you're writing, and to discuss how we might collaborate on your work.
Services
Non-Fiction
Art Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment History Math & Science Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Literary Fiction
Languages
English (AUS) English (NZ) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Hachette UK Staff Award
Certifications
  • The Publishing Training Centre/Hachette copy editing course
  • The Publishing Training Centre/Hachette proofreading course

Work experience

Little, Brown Book Group (UK)

Aug, 2013 — May, 2021 (over 7 years)

My career in publishing to date has primarily been in the editorial department at Little, Brown Book Group, where I worked across the literary fiction and non-fiction imprints, including Abacus, Virago, Fleet and Little, Brown itself. I was also responsible for all project management and desk editing for Dialogue Books, an imprint dedicated to amplifying voices often excluded from the mainstream.

My job involved structural editing, copy-editing and proofreading, as well as copy writing both for covers and marketing material. I also acquired literary non-fiction for the Little, Brown/Abacus list, and was responsible for the publication of books by – among others – Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter, Gerald Scarfe, Maryn McKenna, Alyssa Mastromonaco and Jeevan Vasagar.

Portfolio

Lion City

Jeevan Vasagar

Lion City tells the extraordinary story of Singapore - the world's most successful city state.In 1965, Singapore's GDP per capita was on a par with Jordan. Now it has outstripped Japan. After the Second World War and a sudden rupture with newly formed Malaysia... read more
Friends

Robin Dunbar

Friends matter to us, and they matter more than we think. The single most surprising fact to emerge out of the medical literature over the last decade or so has been that the number and quality of the friendships we have has a bigger influence on our happiness... read more
'Fascinating and illuminating' STYLIST'Perceptive and candid' IRISH TIMES'Wide-ranging, deep-dive, soul-baring interviews, full of candid, intimate, spiky meditations on inspiration, artistry, sexuality, race, love, self-doubt, abuse, defiance and everything i... read more
'Illuminating!' Professor Brian Cox'Every Steve Jones book is a masterclass in clear and captivating writing with tantalising detours into beguiling anecdotes. Here Comes the Sun is dense with ideas and stories and, like all his books, it will change the way y... read more
Long Drawn Out Trip

Gerald Scarfe

In Long Drawn Out Trip: My Life, Gerald Scarfe tells his life story for the first time. With captivating, often thrilling stories, he takes us from his childhood and early days at Punch and Private Eye, through his long and occasionally tumultuous career as th... read more
British Summer Time Begins

Ysenda Maxtone Graham

A Sunday Times Book of the Year Sunday Times Top 10 BestsellerBritish Summer Time Begins is about summer holidays of the mid-twentieth century and how they were spent, as recounted to Ysenda Maxtone-Graham in vividly remembered detail by people who were there.... read more
The Indian Empire At War

George Morton-Jack

'Essential to a proper understanding of the war and of our world of today' Michael Morpurgo1.5 million Indians fought with the British in the First World War - from Flanders to the African bush and the deserts of the Islamic world, they saved the Allies from d... read more
Being a practicing Muslim in the West is sometimes challenging, sometimes rewarding and sometimes downright absurd. How do you explain why Eid never falls on the same date each year; why it is that Halal butchers also sell teapots and alarm clocks; how do you ... read more
For the Love of Peanuts

Peanuts Global Artist Collective

A gorgeous, coffee-table collection that captures the energy, excitement and, of course, the love, behind Peanuts's first-ever partnership and public art exhibition with seven major internationally renowned artists including Nina Chanel Abney, AVAF (Assume Viv... read more
Plucked!

Maryn McKenna

'This is an important book. You can't understand the radical cheapening of food, with all its unpleasant effects, for farm animals and our most cherished rural landscapes, until you begin to understand the industrialisation of chicken. Industrial chicken is no... read more
'A joy to read' Amanda Craig'Shades of Cold Comfort Farm...Charming' GuardianEnglish Animals is a subversive, wry debut that fans of Marina Lewycka's A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian will love. When Mirka gets a job in a country house in rural England,... read more
Margaret Drabble | Beryl Bainbridge | Angela Carter | Maggie O'Farrell | Elizabeth Jane Howard | A. S. Byatt | Penelope Lively | Sarah Waters | Jonathan Coe | Diana Souhami | Jilly Cooper | Elizabeth Bowen | Mark Bostridge | Alexander McCall Smith | Sarah Duna... read more
Circling the Sun

Paula McLain

A RICHARD & JUDY BOOK CLUB PICK'Thrilling...sun-soaked, gin-fuelled...A totally absorbing and compelling read.' Richard & JudyThe author of The Paris Wife takes us to the heart of another true story: set in 1920s colonial Kenya, Circling the Sun is about an un... read more
In her bestselling autobiography Bedsit Disco Queen, Tracey Thorn recalled the highs and lows of a thirty-year career in pop music. But with the touring, recording and extraordinary anecdotes, there wasn't time for an in-depth look at what she actually did for... read more
Set in the last shanty town of Hong Kong before the fraught 1997 handover from Britain to China, Diamond Hill follows the return of a recovering heroin addict, Buddha, as he tries to salvage what's left from a place he hoped to forget.Diamond Hill was once the... read more
Cold Warriors

Duncan White

'White handles hefty quantities of research effortlessly, combining multiple biographies with a broader overview of the period. His energetic, anecdote-laden prose will have you hooked all the way from Orwell to le Carré' Sunday Times, Books of the Year'Cold W... read more
Locking Up Our Own

James Forman, Jr.

Winner of the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-FictionLonglisted for the National Book AwardOne of the New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of 2017Former public defender James Forman, Jr. is a leading critic of mass incarceration and its disproportion... read more
'Always fascinating and very funny, Alyssa's book is full of juicy stories from one of the world's most glamorous jobs' Mindy KalingIf your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memo... read more
Wish We Knew What to Say

Dr Pragya Agarwal

'A thoughtful, prescient read for any mother or father parenting through the unique challenges of this racially polarised year, decade and beyond' Kenya Hunt 'Comprehensive, readable, and so very important. The next generation needs you to read this book' Clar... read more
London, Burning

Anthony Quinn

London, Burning is a novel about the end of the 1970s, and the end of an era. It concerns a nation divided against itself, a government trembling on the verge of collapse, a city fearful of what is to come, and a people bitterly suspicious of one another. In o... read more
Hamilton: The Revolution

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for DramaNow a major motion picture, available on Disney Plus.Goodreads best non-fiction book of 2016From Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist-star Lin-Manuel Miranda comes a backstage pass to his groundbreaking, hit musical H... read more

David has 23 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Margaret D.

Margaret D.

Dec, 2024

David has copy edited three novels for Joram Piatigorsky, Jellyfish Have Eyes, Roger's Thought-Particles and Regina's Imagination. His edits were exceptional, improving the text immeasurably. In addition to the edits, he provides a handy style sheet. He is a consummate professional and communicator, and makes the editing process fun. We look forward to working with him in the future.
Paul B.

Paul B.

Jun, 2024

David has been fantastic. Knowledgeable, quick to respond, diligent and always blunt and honest, whilst being respectful. Exactly what is needed in an editor.
Bruce B.

Bruce B.

Aug, 2023

Excellent copy editing services are provided, along with highly beneficial suggestions on how to enhance the readability and consistency of your narrative. He helps you improve your voice and make it more convincing.
Linda A.

Linda A.

Jul, 2023

It was a pleasure working with David. He gave valuable advice during the editing that helped the book move along. I not only had a great editor but teacher, as well. Thank you David for your patience, expertise and guidance during this process!
Adam F.

Adam F.

Mar, 2023

My second time working with David and, once again, he did not disappoint!

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