Diane Parker, Editor in London, UK

Overview

I help writers across a range of genres and formats polish their publications and bring them to fruition. I have over 20 years' experience as a book, journal and website editor, and my services include coaching, manuscript development, copyediting and proofreading.

As a qualified and practising coach and psychotherapist, my specialist areas include personal and professional development, leadership and creativity, psychology, health and wellbeing. I have worked with a number of organisations across publishing, the arts and education, including academic book publisher Routledge, the National Gallery in London, psychology publisher PCCS and the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). I am also co-editor of the anthology Holding the Hope: Reviving Psychological and Spiritual Agency in the Face of Climate Change (PCCS, 2023).

I also work with individual authors, mainly practitioners from within the fields of coaching, counselling, business and psychology, to help bring their writing into the world. I have worked with writers on a range of projects, including books and articles on personal development, spirituality, leadership and creativity. These range from self-published personal development / self-help books, to edited anthologies by prominent psychotherapy and coaching practitioners published by established academic presses. Many of my writing clients choose to work with me on multiple projects, or have recommended me to colleagues in the profession.

As a writer myself, I understand the vulnerability of the writing and publishing process, and my background in publishing, as well as being a trained psychotherapist and creativity coach, really helps me in this regard. The best feedback I have ever had from an author was: 'I know that I can trust you with my baby.'

Whether I am helping you nurture the seed of a creative idea as your coach or helping put the final polish on your work as your proofreader, I hold you and your writing in the highest regard, with sensitivity and care from start to finish, challenging and supporting you along the way to produce your best work. I see my role very much as a collaborator, or 'book doula', helping you birth, develop and polish your writing project. Think of me as midwife, nanny and governess rolled into one. Can ChatGPT do all that? I don't think so.

Update September 2023 - please note that, due to an increase in my current workload, I am only available for basic copyediting and proofreading projects until further notice.

Services

Copy Editing

Proofreading

Non-Fiction

Business & Management Health & Wellbeing Inspirational Psychology Self-Help & Self-Improvement

Languages

English (UK)

Work experience

Freelance Writer and Editor

Self-employed

Jul, 2011 — Present

For the past 15 years, alongside my coaching/psychotherapy practice, I have worked with a range of private writing clients from within the coaching psychotherapy field, helping bring their book projects to fruition. I work with clients at all stages of the writing process; as creativity coach, development / copyeditor or proofreader. Leadership by Design (2021) and Nature's Way (2019) are examples of books where I worked closely with authors from early draft development to final proofread. I have worked with self-publishing practitioners as well as those publishing with established academic presses, eg From the Couch to the Circle (2016) and Coaching Supervision Groups (2021), drawing on my own background in academic publishing. I have also co-edited my own anthology of essays exploring psychological and spiritual responses to the climate emergency. I commissioned contributors, worked alongside them to develop their writing, and with my co-editors/publisher to copyedit the final manuscript.

Freelance Proofreader

PCCS Books

Dec, 2018 — Present

I provide occasional proofreading services for this specialist counselling and psychology press. Books I have worked on include: - The Industrialisation of Care: Counselling, Psychotherapy and the Impact of IAPT (Jackson and Rizq, 2019) - Living Well and Dying Well: Tales of Counselling Older People (Kewell, 2019) - #MeToo – Counsellors and Psychotherapists Speak about Sexual Violence and Abuse (Lee and Palmer, 2020) - In Love with Supervision: Creating Transformative Conversations (Shohet and Shohet, 2020)

Editor, Coaching Today

British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)

Aug, 2011 — Present

Coaching Today is a quarterly journal for coaches and coach-therapist professionals who are members of BACP's coaching division. I commission and develop articles on contemporary coaching and coach-therapy practice, and its application in education, business, healthcare, the third sector and private practice. I work closely with coaches and counsellors, academics and designers to help both seasoned and novice writers develop their ideas and bring them to publication.

Editorial Consultant

Trinity Laban Dance and Music Conservatoire

Nov, 2010 — Oct, 2011 (11 months)

I was responsible for providing editorial support in developing a new website following rebranding post-merger of Trinity College of Music and Laban Dance. I wrote and edited website copy and worked on developing a print and online prospectus.

Research Editor, Visual, Literary and Performing Arts

Creative & Cultural Skills

Jan, 2007 — Jul, 2008 (over 1 year)

I researched, devised and wrote editorial content for an online careers portal and produced and commissioned a body of work on leadership development in the creative industries and cultural sector. I also managed the delivery of a major content workstream on coaching, mentoring and leadership development and provided direct in-house coaching, mentoring and editorial support.

Website Editor

The National Gallery, London

Feb, 2005 — Dec, 2006 (almost 2 years)

My official introduction to working in both digital media and the visual arts. Despite having limited experience in both disciplines, I very quickly and successfully managed and maintained quality control of all editorial content on the Gallery's main website and related sites, devising and developing content for the Gallery's website and ArtStart system. This involved the creation of a number of interactive features on paintings, artists and exhibitions. A very steep learning curve, and the best fun. My inner geek was finally allowed to flourish.

Assistant Editor, Literature, Theatre and Performance Studies

Routledge (Taylor & Francis Books)

May, 2002 — Sep, 2004 (over 2 years)

My move into academic publishing, combining two of my greatest loves: books and theatre. Here I carved out a niche for myself, managing the growing theatre and performance list, and developing within that a small series of dance books. I also got to commission the kind of books I wanted to read when I was a student.