Overview
In my 25 years in professional publishing roles, I've worked on hundreds of titles in a wide variety of genres, and with numerous clients, all with unique requirements, and most with tight deadlines. I genuinely love my job and will go the extra mile to make your project shine.
Whatever stage you are at in your writing, I can help. Not sure what that stage is? Let me evaluate your text and give advice.
I'm an experienced in-house editor who has commissioned, edited, and packaged books for Reader's Digest, Barnes & Noble, Gramercy, DC Thomson, Waverley Books, Parragon, Lomond Books, Bastei Lübbe, Bastei Entertainment, and Orient Longman. As an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), I've had to prove that I meet their exacting standards, and that I take continuing professional development seriously.
I regularly attend SfEP conferences, I'm a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), an associate member of the Crime Writers' Association (CWA), a member of the Editorial Freelancers' Association (EFA), and a member of Scottish PEN.
In a freelance role, I specialise in developmental and line editing of commercial fiction, particularly crime. I currently edit several crime series – from cosy crime to police procedural – working directly with authors, and also with in-house managing editors.
Cookery is another of my specialist subjects, particularly baking. My own book Traditional Scottish Recipes is on its eighth reprint. If you ever need an edible jungle, I helped make one with CakeBomb for the Cake & Bake Show (2014). And – in a sub-genre that is admittedly rare – I've helped write several comedy cookbooks, like the number-one bestseller and Gourmand-Award-winning Maw Broon's Cookbook.
I'm very much looking forward to meeting you!
Whatever stage you are at in your writing, I can help. Not sure what that stage is? Let me evaluate your text and give advice.
I'm an experienced in-house editor who has commissioned, edited, and packaged books for Reader's Digest, Barnes & Noble, Gramercy, DC Thomson, Waverley Books, Parragon, Lomond Books, Bastei Lübbe, Bastei Entertainment, and Orient Longman. As an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), I've had to prove that I meet their exacting standards, and that I take continuing professional development seriously.
I regularly attend SfEP conferences, I'm a partner member of the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi), an associate member of the Crime Writers' Association (CWA), a member of the Editorial Freelancers' Association (EFA), and a member of Scottish PEN.
In a freelance role, I specialise in developmental and line editing of commercial fiction, particularly crime. I currently edit several crime series – from cosy crime to police procedural – working directly with authors, and also with in-house managing editors.
Cookery is another of my specialist subjects, particularly baking. My own book Traditional Scottish Recipes is on its eighth reprint. If you ever need an edible jungle, I helped make one with CakeBomb for the Cake & Bake Show (2014). And – in a sub-genre that is admittedly rare – I've helped write several comedy cookbooks, like the number-one bestseller and Gourmand-Award-winning Maw Broon's Cookbook.
I'm very much looking forward to meeting you!
Services
Fiction
Classics
Comics & Graphic Novels
Humor & Comedy
Mystery & Crime
Non-Fiction
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Health & Wellbeing
New Age
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Awards
- Gourmand Award Regional Winner, Best Cookbook (Scotland)
Certifications
- MA (Hons) English Language and Literature from the University of Glasgow
- Efficient Editing, SfEP
- Introduction to Fiction Editing, SfEP
- Editing with Word, SfEP
- SfEP Advanced Professional Member
Work experience
Bastei Lübbe
Dec, 2016 —
Present
Developmental editing, line editing and proofreading of commercial thrillers and crime fiction.
Gresham Publishing Company
Nov, 2013 —
Present
Proofreading and copy-editing classic abridged fiction, educational materials, and dictionaries. Briefing and managing other freelances. Project-managing e-book production. Writing original material, such as support materials for educational texts and also marketing materials.
Waverley Books/DC Thomson Books
Oct, 2011 —
Sep, 2013
(almost 2 years)
Project managing, briefing, and motivating freelances. Evaluating work and providing feedback. Combining all elements of projects to ensure products are produced to the highest quality and to deadline. Coordinating a large team who had no previous editorial experience to produce the new Glasgow Cookery Book. Maintaining budgets. Writing original material, copy-editing and proofreading.
Geddes & Grosset/Waverley Books
Oct, 2002 —
Aug, 2011
(almost 9 years)
Drawing up contracts. Working to deadlines and budgets. Briefing freelance writers, artists and editors. Coordinating the work of several editors in various locations. Commissioning new work and coming up with ideas for new titles. Preparing promotional material. Working autonomously to produce creative and challenging projects.
The Daily Record
May, 2001 —
Jul, 2001
(2 months)
Features and news tabloid sub-editing in QuarkXpress layouts, supporting the established production desk.
Geddes & Grosset
Sep, 1999 —
Sep, 2002
(about 3 years)
Project managing. Briefing freelance writers, artists and editors. Liaising with key departments.
Picture research and maintaining a record of usage and licenses. Working to deadlines and budget restrictions. Creation of picture archive (where previously a record did not exist).
The Sunday Herald
Jul, 1999 —
Oct, 2010
(over 11 years)
News, features and business sub-editing using Copydesk and InCopy. Proofreading and writing headlines. Supporting and advising the production desk.
Geddes & Grosset
Aug, 1995 —
Aug, 1999
(about 4 years)
Proofreading and copy-editing to a high standard. Supporting and providing verbal and written reports to senior management. Writing back cover and promotional copy. Working to deadlines.
Portfolio
A failed marine, Judd can't believe his luck when Catriona falls for him. He lives in Minnesota; she's from Scotland. They work for the same company, they've messaged online for ages. But when they finally video chat, she turns out to be gorgeous. They may be ... read more
When Edward Townes - famed writer of novels about knights and maids, and castles and conquering - attends a medieval launch party for his latest book, he arrives ready to do more than celebrate. But party night brings a blizzard, a once-in-a-century storm that... read more
Bernard Mandeville loves trains. Every Sunday, the elderly and frail Bernard, in perfect attire, purchases a ticket on the Great Cotswold's Steam Railway, takes a seat in First-Class and revels in a journey from the past. But on one particular Sunday, in the m... read more
When a new restaurant with a starred American chef opens in Cherringham, it seems the Spotted Pig has a worthy rival. But a series of disturbing incidents turns that rivalry into something dangerous - perhaps even fatal. Jack and Sarah get involved and soon di... read more
From the authors of the best-selling series CHERRINGHAMSussex, England, 1929. Mydworth is a sleepy English market town just 50 miles from London. But things are about to liven up there, when young and handsome Sir Harry Mortimer returns home from his diplomati... read more
LOOSE LIPS COST LIVES.It’s 1986, and Adam Cave, lead singer of the pop sensation Loose Lips, is struggling to stay in the closet, especially as his group is going through a messy split, and media speculation about the reasons behind it are high. Joe Stone is a... read more
A DEAD CABARET HOST. A BROKEN STILETTO AND A FEMME FATALE WITH A POINT TO PROVE.It’s the summer of 1985 in London's Soho, and Joe Stone is settling in in his new home at the heart of London's developing gay scene.When Danny Devraux—the compère they've hired to... read more
SOME RELATIONSHIPS ARE JUST MURDER It's 1985, and Joe Stone is excited to be joining his old school friend, and lifelong crush, Chris, for a long weekend in London's Soho—home to a vibrant, developing gay scene, and a million miles from the small town where Jo... read more
“Don’t waste your time, he’s just another dead junkie.”That’s what Detective Inspector Solomon Gray is told when the body of a junkie is found. But Gray recognises the junkie’s name – an old school friend of his daughter. The trouble is, drug users are the und... read more
A missing son, a web of lies, a murder covered up.Detective Inspector Solomon Gray is getting closer to finding his son, missing now for over a decade. He’s on the trail of a bent cop, Lewis Strang, who appears connected to the disappearance, all those years a... read more
Two men fight to prove their innocence. A cop and a convicted murderer. One of them is lying.Fifteen years ago, local crime boss Duncan Usher was sent to prison for killing his wife. A young Detective Solomon Gray was first at the scene and instrumental in put... read more
Mixing business with family can be a murderous affair ...A body washes up on the beach near Ramsgate in the South of England. For Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray, the case appears cut and dried – the drowning of an immigrant. Another victim to the sea in his d... read more
‘Classic Scottish noir: bad food, bad moods, too much booze and tight plots’ @ey0k1, Twitter Perfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Stuart MacBride and Christopher Brookmyre, Heroes and Villains is the eighth book in the dark and gripping Scottish police procedural s... read more
A washed up reporter, an escaped convict, a sociopathic gangster. All are hunting the Nudge Man…Wheelchair bound, born again, ex-gangster, Eric Hennessey offers down on his luck reporter, Harrison Vaughan, a job. Track down the Nudge Man, a mysterious vigilant... read more
Was it suicide ... or murder? Detective Sergeant Solomon Gray is driven to discover the truth. Whatever the cost.When teenager Nick Buckingham tumbles from the fifth floor of an apartment block, Gray answers the call with a sick feeling in his stomach. The vic... read more
‘Classic Scottish noir: bad food, bad moods, too much booze and tight plots’ @ey0k1, Twitter‘The best yet’ Amazon five-star reviewPerfect for fans of Ian Rankin, Ed McBain and Christopher Brookmyre, Bottleneck sees the return of Acting Detective Sergeant Scott... read more
A brutal murder. A haunted detective. A case that unearths monsters.When a young woman is killed, squashed between a London bus and a white van, DI Simon Fenchurch is called in to investigate, soon discovering the case has deeper roots than initially appears.W... read more
A combined dictionary, thesaurus, and atlas of world history includes more than 19,000 entries, state maps and corresponding fact sheets of the United States and Canada, and an appendix of weights and measures.
You don't need to be Wiccan to enjoy this friendly book of home cooking and natural remedies. To the kitchen witch, every recipe is like a little spell bringing the opportunity to create love and positive energy in the home and for loved ones. This year-round ... read more
On the night of the school prom, a young teacher is found dead in the Thames in a drug-related accident. It seems - at first - to be another sign that Cherringham High is spiralling out of control. The new head however is convinced that the teacher's death is ... read more
Accidents happen to Charley Clutterbuck. Always just scraping by, living on his ramshackle boat, not above the dodgy deal here and there ... So when his body is found floating down river, accidental drowning seems the logical conclusion. But Charley's pal Ray ... read more
Last year at Cherringham High, and for three girls that means facing the School Summer Challenge, a grueling fifty-mile hike across the Cotswolds, through thick woods, over steep hills, camping each night under the stars. But when one of them disappears in the... read more
When a hiker falls from a cliff edge while walking the Cotswolds Way, it seems like no accident. The more Jack and Sarah investigate the walkers on the trail that day, the more likely it seems that danger is still afoot. Is there a potential killer in this Che... read more
When Cherringham's Council debates selling the historic village hall for development as a luxury restaurant and hotel, all of Cherringham is up in arms; some seeing the sale as needed, others deeply opposed. For many, the centuries-old hall is the very heart o... read more
Brimley Manor, home to an eccentric museum of oddities from its owner's lifetime of exotic travels also holds dark secrets. When a suspicious fire breaks out, the biggest question must be ... was it just an accident? Sarah and Jack think not. As they begin to ... read more
Murder. Abduction. An attic full of frightened children. London, 1810. The industrial revolution roars across England like a steam locomotive. Cotton mills and factories rake in profits thanks to cheap labor. Not from illicit African slave trade-but by enslavi... read more
Generations of Scots have grown up on recipes using oatmeal, curly kail (cabbage), haddock, potatoes, offal, and soups made with a good ham hough. This book combines traditional, classic recipes with Scottish family favourites - complete with tips - handed dow... read more
When the boss of the big local DIY outlet is murdered on a moonlit night, all the evidence points to the store's junior manager. And when police retrieve the murder weapon from the Thames, the manager goes on the run. But Jack and Sarah are not at all sure of ... read more
When classic horror movie star Basil Coates becomes the victim of a series of scary pranks, the local police put it down to a crazed fan. Just pranks, after all ...But with Halloween only days away, the spectre of murder suddenly visits the ghostly Coates mans... read more
Get cracking the eggs as Jill Colonna shows you the easiest way to make the Parisians' favourite afternoon treats: eclairs, tartlets, millefeuilles, and macarons, and guides you to many of Paris's best patisseries and tea salons.Share in Jill's enthusiasm and ... read more
Maw Broon and the Glebe Street Afternoon Tea Ladies bring you the best of their Scottish recipes for just under 100 Scottish fancy cakes and dainty savouries. Maw Broon and the Glebe Street Afternoon Tea Ladies bring you the best of their Scottish recipes for ... read more
Robert Burns was born on 25th January, 1759 in Ayr, Scotland. He wrote the famous poems 'To a Mouse', 'Holy Wullie', 'Tam O'Shanter', 'Ae Fond Kiss', among many more. This book is a guide on how to organise your own Burns' Night at home - from the shopping lis... read more
A cookbook with a difference, this nostalgic collection of recipes dates back to 1940 and is entirely different, but just as good as, the first Maw Broon cookbook. Funny, inventive and full of humour and comic strips from "The Broons", with witty comments from... read more
A work of meringue-sandwiched brilliance The Parisian Macaron (or Macaroon) is the stylishly light French confection tipped to be the new cupcake and finally hitting the glossies outside France. www.madaboutmacarons.com The art of making macarons is highly res... read more
From Book 1: A city boils. Another seethes. A third simmers. And the fourth is about to erupt. Like a stove top, the cities of the Bay Area cook in concert, each steeped in danger, corruption, and a criminal underworld that ties them together. A new homicide s... read more
It’s Carnival week in Cherringham, but while most of the locals are looking forward to the regatta, the parade and the fireworks, Jack and Sarah are more interested in the mysterious body that’s been uncovered at the archaeological dig just outside the village... read more
Glasgow Caledonian University and Waverley Books are delighted to announce the publication of a new edition of the world famous "Glasgow Cookery Book". This much sought-after book is finally available again, revised and updated for 2010, the centenary year of ... read more
Robert Louis Stevenson's spellbinding tale of adventure, murder and revenge has all the elements of a great graphic novel, so it is no surprise that Edinburgh's Unesco City of Literature Trust turned to veterans of the strip Judge Dredd to effect this translat... read more
Launched in 1936 in the 'Sunday Post' in Scotland, The Broons are undoubtedly Scotland's first family - the Nation's favourites - with a readership covering various generations. This title is a facsimile of Maw Broon's very own cookbook.
