Sandy Draper

Sandy Draper – Editor

Sandy is a seasoned editor of non-fiction and fiction titles, and has been helping authors 'give birth' to their books for 20 years.

Overview

I worked for more than 10 years in-house in various editorial roles before turning freelance in 2007. In that time I have worked for DK Books, Watkins Media, Hay House UK, HarperCollins, Summersdale Publishers, AA Publishing, Allison & Busby, Amber Books, WhiteFox, and Vegetarian Living magazine to name a few, as well as a host of self-publishers of fiction and non-fiction titles. I work with lots of very talented authors and been kindly described in epithets such as 'literary doula' and 'fairy godmother' but I think commercially savvy 'trusted pair of hands' suits me best.

Services
Non-Fiction
Health & Wellbeing Parenting & Families Psychology Religion & Spirituality Self-Help & Self-Improvement Sex & Relationships
Fiction
Mystery & Crime Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (AUS) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Copy-editing Skills, Publishing Training Centre, 1999
  • BA (Hons.) English with Theatre Studies, 2:1, St Mary's University, Twickenham, 1995

Work experience

Self-employed

Jul, 2007 — Present

AA Publishing

May, 2000 — Jul, 2007 (about 7 years)

Godsfield Press

Nov, 1997 — Apr, 2000 (over 2 years)

Tigerprint Limited

Sep, 1996 — Oct, 1997 (about 1 year)

Portfolio

Former investment advisor turned committed Buddhist shares a simple introduction to the deep wisdom and transformative practice of mindfulness.This Works looks at mindfulness from a fresh new angle. Looking at it as something of the utmost simplicity, Paddy Br... read more
Write the story that you’re meant to contribute to the world. You know exactly the story I’m talking about. The idea has probably been tapping on your shoulder for quite a while but you haven’t written it yet. You may have jotted down notes, but then doubts sp... read more
Just Breathe

Radhika Vachani

BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
Fierce Reinvention

Rand Leeb-du Toit

"I've read countless books since the mid-sixties and nothing has been equal to this book." —Lex Allen, Author of the Eloah TrilogyIn Reality Unveiled, Ziad Masri takes you on a profound journey into the heart of existence, revealing a breathtaking, hidden real... read more
Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with human beings, even that we might be slightly insane? Why is it that human history has been filled with endless wars, together with brutal oppression and inequality, and that so many of us are fille... read more
The Cathar Tarot is a living Book of Images. It takes as its starting point the beliefs of the Cathars, which were in turn founded on the ancient belief system known as Gnosticism. Building on this, and drawing on a wide knowledge of Grail symbolism, the succe... read more
Can you really change your life by changing your artwork or moving your sofa? Feng Shuiproves that not only is it possible and desirable but there are often unexpected bonuses too. Houses are not just a pile of inanimate bricks and mortar; they are living, bre... read more
Many of us find the challenges of family life, especially the early years daunting and overwhelming. The task of raising children is not easy, the stakes are high so how can mindfulness help us parent better? What is it? How do you do it? And does it help? Thi... read more
It's far from grim up north. There’s no two ways about it, the North has got it all. It founded a nation during the Industrial Revolution, and it’s led the way for a new cultural revolution since the millennium. Celebrate your roots and explore some of the mos... read more
Our Return to the Light has a simple but timely message: stress is the precursor of disease, but when we dance in rhythm with the universe we transmit and receive light within every cell of the body, freeing ourselves from fear and creating healing from within... read more
Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with human beings, even that we might be slightly insane? Why is it that so many human beings are filled with a restless discontent, and an insatiable desire for material goods, status and power? Why is... read more
The Mindful Mother shows you how to cultivate a daily practice of mindfulness, to be present, positive and truly engage in your life-changing journey through pregnancy, childbirth and early motherhood. When you become a mother, alongside falling in love with y... read more
In this technological era, with great emphasis placed on sharing information, people are in fact not communicating any better. Despite extraordinary advances in IT devices, social media platforms and Internet access, individuals are still disaffected and relat... read more
"What leads the human body to get the message that it needs to store fat and what leads the human body to get the message that it needs to burn fat?" In a dynamic, fresh approach to weight loss, acclaimed nutritional biochemist Dr. Libby Weaver discusses the n... read more
This book combines new thinking, cutting edge neuroscience, humour and Phil Parker's upside-down perspective to life's problems and their solutions to help you become happy and fulfilled. Learn how to: use the power of language to release 'stuckness' and creat... read more
This incredibly easy-to-follow diet allows you to eat five meals a day without restricting calories, and create the best health you've ever had! Written by ultra-marathoner and health coach Laura Wilson, who has used these principles to turn her own health aro... read more
Sometimes we can lose touch with ourselves so much that we spend our days going through the motions, without really experiencing our lives. In today's world, we expend so much energy looking forward, rushing on to the next thing, or looking backwards, stressin... read more
Everything was on a downward spiral in Derek Mills' life - his work, his physical and mental health, his relationships with family and friends. But it only took one insignificant question from an office security guard one night for Derek to stop, connect deep ... read more
The Akashic Records are a powerful source of information, change and manifestation. This practical introductory guide shows how they can open your life to profound healing, happiness and true fulfilment.This book will reveal: What the Akashic Records really ar... read more
There's a cosmic alarm clock going off around the world! Written by two young women mobilizing their generation in a movement, #HigherSelfie aims to unite all those waking up spiritually in this digital age. This book is a modern guide to love, healing, connec... read more
50 Tips to Help You Through the Menopause
The Miracle of Self-love Teaches you how to cultivate a fundamentally positive and loving relationship with yourself so that you can know the miracle of self love, and the abundance of joy that brings to your life. This title introduces you to the world this p... read more
Hot, Healthy, Happy

Dr. Christy Fergusson

Hot, Healthy, Happy There are a million ways to lose weight, and countless books selling the secret to skinny, but what if you want more than thin thighs and a size 6 waist? This title shows how science makes you sexy and invites you to activate the life and t... read more
Winner of Tony Thistlethwaite Award for best consumer health book by the Medical Journalist's Association. How can it be that even with all the advances modern healthcare has made, we're experiencing record levels of ill health - from diabetes, heart disease a... read more
When was the last time that you felt truly happy? Free, joyful, at peace with yourself and everything around you, enjoying every second for what it was? Now imagine what it would be like if you could experience those feelings all the time, and not just in pass... read more
Wake the F#ck Up

Brett Moran

Humorous and wise, gritty and real, Brett Moran is a spiritual gangsta who knows the score about transformation. In Wake the F*ck Up he shares the tools and techniques he's learnt on his journey so you can do the same. Whether you're looking to overhaul your h... read more
If every therapist and psychotherapist on the planet could repeat this to their clients, like a mantra, again and again, there would be fewer therapists and psychotherapists. Because it works. Very quickly. Realising that what you're worrying about and stressi... read more
Eating healthily doesn't have to be complicated or confusing. But somewhere along the way, even the most health-conscious of us can become overwhelmed by the endless information and advice available and feel tempted to give up. In Eat Real Food, yoga teacher a... read more
Deliberate Receiving: Finally, the Universe Makes Some Freakin' Sense! is a hilarious, fun, but deeply practical guide for anyone who was inspired and excited by the promise of The Secret, but felt that it fell flat when it came to the actual details of how to... read more
In this first instalment of the Bow Street Rivals series a riot breaks out in Dartmoor prison, enabling some American inmates to escape. The twin detectives Peter and Paul Skillen catch wind of a projected assassination but the target is unknown. Trouble ensue... read more
Brides of War

June Tate

1947. Excited and in love Gracie Brown leaves her home in England and moves to America with her husband Jeff. With little money and no job prospects, the couple move in with Jeff's parents whilst they find their feet in a land where promise seems to only come ... read more
Cupcakes and Coffee

Rebecca Stone

One Independent Woman's Search for Self-Love Through - Sex. Sam is fast heading towards forty. She's a love coach about to publish her self-help book on relationships. Yet she's single and hasn't missed the irony. Looking to find what's missing in her life she... read more
Red House, The

Emily Winslow

Maxwell is living his worst nightmare when he begins to question whether his fiancee Imogen is his own blood sister, separated by adoption. A visit to Imogen's birthplace in Cambridge stirs up deja vu that intensifies his fears. While Detective Chief Inspector... read more
Two young boys stumble upon a dead prostitute. She's on Sean Denton's patch. As Doncaster's youngest community support officer, he's already way out of his depth, but soon he's uncovering more than he's supposed to know. Meanwhile Karen Friedman, professional ... read more
Damn LuckyValder LarkaDamn Lucky is the remarkable true story of a young man who left his native Sweden to fight with the armed resistance during Uganda's 'war in the bush'. Against the fragile backdrop of war's brutal theatre he found brotherhood, a sense of ... read more
Follow what lights you up, and you'll light up the world. Light Is the New Black is a guidebook for a new breed of women who are here to be bright lights in the world - modern-day light workers, who agreed to be here at this time in history. In order to thrive... read more
This book combines new thinking, cutting edge neuroscience, humour and Phil Parker's upside-down perspective to life's problems and their solutions to help you become happy and fulfilled. Learn how to: use the power of language to release 'stuckness' and creat... read more
NLP
. 2015 clean bright copy
Welcome to the meditation technique that you've been looking for. With Mind Calm you will learn how to let go of the constant chatter in your mind, gain clarity, perform at your best, worry less, heal faster, sleep better, improve relationships, and feel more ... read more
Colouring for Contemplation
Confused about what's good and bad for you and your baby? With the constant bombardment of what you can and can't do during pregnancy, parents-to-be can often feel stressed at a time which should be full of new and exciting discoveries. This concise and access... read more
Switch on
The Second World War is without parallel in human history. The sheer carnage is staggering, with som....

Sandy has 73 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Michael B.

Michael B.

Aug, 2023

Sandy works with the UK's premier publishers and authors, and it's clear why: her innate narrative intuition. She discerns what resonates, what falls flat, and how to structure a story seamlessly. Sandy's guidance was invaluable for a debut author like me, who can be overwrought in what I put down on the page, a practice I am trying to shake, but now often requires meticulous feedback. Wholehea...
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Keith J.

Keith J.

Jul, 2023

Sandy had some lovely ideas on the manuscript format and placed some well-chosen quotes from the chapter under the heading, serving nicely as a teaser. The copy editing was mostly all there albeit somewhat later than scheduled. The trick is to get Sandy interested in one's project so one can extract the best out of her. Perhaps going for a developmental edit would have been a better choice.
Kevin B.

Kevin B.

Jul, 2023

Sandy was a pleasure to work with. This was my first time going through a book edit and she made the process feel easy, and helped me understand many other topics, like considerations around typesetting and publishing. I definitely feel like I got more than I paid for!
Clement K.

Clement K.

Jun, 2023

You go to Sandy if you want someone who will care about your project as their own, go above and beyond what is required, be seriously focused on quality and is happy to advise you through out the entire book process. For me, Sandy is the person I needed. I did not want my book rushed. I wanted someone who will guide me through the entire process, someone who had proper old school experience and...
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Heidi M.

Heidi M.

May, 2023

Sandy is excellent at copywriting and I think she is an perfect choice for my genre-health and wellness. Her ideas for improvement were great such as adding testimonials and advisories. My main criticism is promptness, but I can overlook this because of the quality of the work.

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