Lauren Finger - Editor
Sydney NSW, Australia
Editor and proofreader, 18 yrs. Bookouture, Atlantic Books, Allen & Unwin. Commercial fiction and memoir. Let's make your story shine.
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Overview
I'm a very experienced editor with a great reputation in trade publishing, including digital publishing. I most recently worked for digital publisher Bookouture on commercial fiction (crime, thrillers, romance and women's fiction), and before that the more traditional and literary houses, Atlantic Books and Allen & Unwin (literary and commercial fiction, histories, biographies, memoirs, true crime). I am available for developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading. I'm experienced in both fiction and non-fiction, and have worked with first-time authors through to academics, journalists, high-profile writers and celebrities.
My job is to make your manuscript the best manuscript it can be. I love what I do, and I'm good at it! I'm scarily organised, communicative and have a dry sense of humour. I have empathy and imagination, and will work with you to help you take your manuscript where you want it to go; whether that is to a small group of people, or the world.
My job is to make your manuscript the best manuscript it can be. I love what I do, and I'm good at it! I'm scarily organised, communicative and have a dry sense of humour. I have empathy and imagination, and will work with you to help you take your manuscript where you want it to go; whether that is to a small group of people, or the world.
Languages
English (AUS)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Mystery & Crime
Psychological Thriller
Romantic Comedy
Women's Fiction
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Self-help & Self-improvement
Travel
Work experience
Managing Editor
Bookouture
October, 2016
–
August, 2018
(almost 2 years)
Bookouture is a very successful digital publisher of commercial fiction.
• Project managing all titles from manuscript to finished product (and across very short schedules)
• Liaising with freelance contributors, allocating jobs and fees, checking their work etc.
• Briefing copyeditors, proofreaders, typesetters
• Editing, proofreading, proof checking
• Overseeing and maintaining schedules for all titles in production
• Overseeing corrections and distribution processes
• Liaising with authors
• Mentoring and supervising editorial staff and checking their work
Managing Editor
Atlantic Books
January, 2012
–
September, 2016
(over 4 years)
Atlantic Books and its imprints publish literary and commercial fiction and non-fiction
• Editing, proofreading, proof checking
• Reading and reporting on submissions
• Liaising with authors
• Project managing all titles and other special projects in-house from manuscript to finished product
• Liaising with all freelance contributors, allocating jobs and fees, checking their work etc.
• Briefing designers, copyeditors, proofreaders, illustrators, typesetters
• Overseeing and maintaining budgets and schedules for all titles in production
• Mentoring and supervising editorial staff and checking their work
Proofreader
London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games
August, 2011
–
December, 2011
(4 months)
Working in a small team to produce hundreds of publications for the large volunteer force, and helping inexperienced writers to communicate effectively
• Copyediting and proofreading training documents for the London 2012 volunteers
• Liaising with printers, designers and contributors
Senior Editor and Editor
Allen & Unwin
September, 2005
–
April, 2011
(over 5 years)
Subjects worked on include: fiction (commercial and literary), memoir, biography, history, politics, current affairs, travel writing, psychology, education, cultural studies, humour, anthologies, military history, self-help, sport, true crime.
Roles and Responsibilities:
• Project managing several titles at once—overseeing production from manuscript to book
• Copyediting and proofreading manuscripts, checking proofs
• Collaborating and working with authors
• Briefing covers, illustrations and internal designs
• Commissioning, working with, and checking work from freelancers, typesetters, printers and pre-press houses
• Managing schedules and budgets
• Training and mentoring new staff
Freelance - Copyeditor, Proofreader, Writer
Self-employed
January, 2005
–
Present
(almost 15 years)
Copyediting and proofreading for indie writers, book publishers, magazines, universities, think tanks, charities and individual writers. Mentoring writers pursuing completed manuscripts, publication etc.
Portfolio (27 selected works)
Hush Hush: (Harriet Blue 4) (Detective Harriet Blue Series)
James Patterson, Candice Fox
Harriet Blue used to be a detective. Now she's inmate 3329.Prison is a dangerous place for a former cop – as Harriet Blue is learning on a daily basis.So, following a fight for her life and a prison-wide lockdown, the last person she wants to see is Deputy Police Commissioner Joe Woods. The man who put her inside.But Woods is not there to gloat. His daughter Tonya and her two-year-old child ha... read more
Comforted by the gentle hum of the beehives at the bottom of the garden, Grace drains the last of her tea and walks slowly back towards the little hillside house she adores. Her marriage is over, but is it too late to start her life again?Beekeeper Grace thought throwing out her cheating husband would be the hardest thing she ever did. But when she opens the door to a property developer one mo... read more
‘She’d remember Anna Crowe, who’d once sat opposite her, held her hand and had two small kids that were the centre of her world. She’d remember what someone had done to Anna Crowe, cut her down, and made sure that she and her children would never laugh again…’When Detective Iris Locke returns home to Limerick, her father thinks she is making a terrible mistake. Jack Locke worked on the force f... read more
My name was Sebastian. But now they call me Slade. I’ve reinvented myself, become a man, been sworn into the Red Dragon MC. I’ve got tattooed and ripped to hell, I’ve cut my hair and my face now bears the scars of all the fights I’ve seen. The last thing I need is to face her again…It’s been eight years since Maya ran away from the club. Sweet, beautiful Maya. My first love.Why do I have to ri... read more
A case with no leads.A victim with no enemies.A killer with no conscience…When Detective Beth Young is called to investigate a victim with multiple broken bones, nothing prepares her for what she finds. James Sinclair is fighting for his life, and Beth can’t shake the idea that the nature of his injuries suggest someone with a personal grudge against him.But James’s devastated wife Laura insis... read more
My hands are shaking as my fingers curl around the small, neatly wrapped box. There’s a tag dangling from the centre of the red bow which says Love from Kayla in her beautiful, swirly handwriting. I read over the three words countless times, tracing the letters with my fingertip. How is this possible?Heather’s beloved daughter, Kayla, is her world. She is fifteen, a brilliant basketball player... read more
Ten years ago, a family lost their son in the quiet village of Buckthorpe and he was never found.Rosie Sharpe cried over her missing friend for weeks after.But her little sister Heather knows that Rosie’s tears hide the truth. Because the night Samuel was last seen, Heather watched her older sister climbing back through the window of their childhood bedroom. Her jacket torn, her eyes wild and ... read more
Nine years ago her daughter was taken. And now she’s back.Two-and-a-half-year-old Holly is playing happily in a pink plastic playhouse, while her mother Rachel sips coffee and chats with a friend nearby. It should be an ordinary day for all of them. But, in the blink of an eye, it turns into every family’s worst nightmare.Holly is taken by a stranger and never found.Nine years later, Rachel is... read more
Savage Children (John Savage Action Thriller Book 3)
Peter Boland
FROM #1 BEST-SELLING AUTHOR IN AMAZON CRIME ACTION & ADVENTURE.Children are disappearing from London parks. Caught on CCTV, they go in but never come out again…Days after each disappearance, the distraught parents receive a hand-drawn picture of their child as an angel. A sign they’ll never see them again. The police have no clues or leads. All they have is a nickname for the abductor – the Ar... read more
‘I am in book love with this series!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars Fortune tellers and mediums have descended on the Oyster Cove Guesthouse, determined to finally solve the mystery of local seafarer Jedediah Biddeford’s murder 300 years ago. New owner Josie Waters has suddenly got bigger problems than burning the breakfasts: she’s up to her elbows in tarot cards and tea leaves…When one of the m... read more
A Memoir. The extraordinary true story of a boy's journey from starvation at sea to becoming one of Australia's best-loved comedians. A story of true inspiration.
The Roving Party
Rohan Wilson
Raw and hauntingly beautiful, a vivid reimagining of John Batman's infamous roving party that set out to hunt and kill the Aborigines of Tasmania. Winner of the 2011 Australian/Vogel's award.1829, Tasmania...John Batman, ruthless, singleminded; four convicts, the youngest still only a stripling; Gould, a downtrodden farmhand; two free black trackers; and powerful, educated Black Bill, brought ... read more
A fascinating exploration of the women who love the baddest of the bad boys, including the wife of Mark "Chopper" ReadWhat attracts women to dangerous men? For some, it is true love, while for others, it's the excitement, wealth, and glamour. What was it like for Mary-Ann Hodge to be married to Mark "Chopper" Read? How was Joe Korp's former girlfriend Tania Herman persuaded to try to kill his ... read more
The Iron Necklace
Giles Waterfield
The wedding of Thomas, an idealistic German architect, and Irene, an English artist, brings together the Curtius and Benson families. But their new lives are soon shattered by the outbreak of war in Europe. While Irene struggles to survive in a country where she is the enemy, her sister Sophia faces the war as a nurse on the Western Front. For their brother Mark, diplomatic service sees him mo... read more
Title: Tamil Tigress( My Story as a Child Soldier in Sri Lanka's Bloody Civil War) <>Binding: Paperback <>Author: iromiDeSoyza, <>Publisher: Allen&UnwinAustralia
The Secret Vow: An epic wartime love story set in Paris
Natalie Meg Evans
‘I loved this book. I couldn't put it down… it's beautiful… one of the best love stories I've read… keeps you guessing till the end… truly beautifully written… phenomenal.’ Jthbooks, 5 starsKatya – young, friendless and impoverished – arrives in Paris to begin a new life. Forced to leave her beloved sister behind, she is hiding a terrible secret. Her survival in this strange and beautiful new ... read more
‘This has probably reawakened my love for psychological thrillers!...I don’t think I’ll be able to recommend this one enough. It’s definitely a must read…my book of the year so far!’ Nemesis Book BlogNew beginnings. Old secrets.Theo and Pilar. The perfect couple.Successful, beautiful and very much in love. Until a year ago - and the tragedy that nearly tore them apart.When their baby died, a p... read more
The Ghost Mothers
Jackie McCarthy
Yasmin has just landed her dream job, the one she’s yearned for since childhood. But it’s all a sham, just like her resume. Will her ghost-mothers reveal her biggest lie of all?When Yasmin Taylor-Lee starts her first day at The Woman’s Standard magazine – after dropping some sizeable porkies to get the job - she learns that they have one shot at hitting record circulation, or the whole company... read more
I’m not a hero. I’m a bad dude who’s done bad things. And the sooner she understands that, the better off we’ll be.I’ve just got out of prison and I’m running from my MC, so my step-sister’s best friend has agreed to drive me across the country.Summer’s my ride. That’s all. But she captivates me, and I don’t have a damn clue why. She’s a distraction I can’t afford.Is it because I’ve been told ... read more
‘Oh my god… This book is stunning and must be read by everyone… It made me blub like a baby and I met my grocery delivery man with tears streaming down my face! Five stars.’ Cappuccino and Chocolate, 5 starsHolly was overjoyed to discover she was pregnant. But the baby is unwell, and her relationship is fracturing under the stress. Just when she is at her lowest, she receives the worst news of... read more
The woman’s limbs were so thin; the skin on her arms as translucent as tracing paper. Around her neck lay a faint string of purple bruises. In one so frail, darker, angrier marks might be expected but Beth knew the bruising would have stopped the moment her heart stopped beating.When a walker finds the body of a woman by the shores of Lake Ullswater, the police are put on high alert. Felicia E... read more
‘Romantic, uplifting and full of heart’ Cathy Bramley, author of A Vintage SummerShe’s taking her life back, one step at a time…Grace thought she had it all. Living in the beautiful village of Little Ollington, along with head teacher husband Mark and gorgeous son, Archie, she devoted herself to being the perfect mum and the perfect wife, her little family giving her everything she ever wanted... read more
The must-read psychological thriller for 2019 from the million-copy-bestselling author of Silent Child.In one moment, Kat Cavanaugh’s perfect world is shattered into tiny fragments. The flash of her daughter’s torn yellow dress, the beautiful blonde hair hanging across her precious face. Her own heart-broken sob…Kat experiences every mother’s worst nightmare when her little girl is found dead.... read more
FROM THE AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR OF THE USA TODAY BESTSELLING MYSTIC NOTCH SERIES…‘Talk about inconvenient. Not only did I have a dilapidated mansion and no money to repair it with, two cats I had no idea how to care for and a room full of cranky guests waiting for their breakfast, I also had a dead body on my hands.’Josie Waters has to admit she may have acted a bit hastily when she agreed to pu... read more
Savage Games (John Savage Action Thriller Book 2)
Peter Boland
A dead body concealed high up in a tree.A dark forest that holds many secrets.One man determined to discover the truth.Deep in the New Forest, a body is hidden in the branches of a towering fir tree in an area known as Dead Maids Wood. When John Savage learns that the body belonged to an old school friend, he sets out to discover who was responsible.Together with brilliant computer hacker Tann... read more
He looked down at the little girl, sleeping peacefully, her arms wrapped around a teddy bear. He knew he was the only one who could save her. He could let her sleep forever.An eight-year-old girl, Chelsea Compton, is missing in Pine Valley, California and for Detective Katie Scott it’s a cruel reminder of the friend who disappeared from summer camp twenty years ago. Unable to shake the memorie... read more
'I am in book love with this series!' Goodreads reviewer, 5 starsDiscovering the 300-year-old skeleton of shipping tycoon Jedediah Biddeford in the ballroom wall is a big old hassle for Josie Waters, owner of the Oyster Cove Guesthouse. Especially when Biddeford’s descendants turn up, certain that a family legend about treasure buried nearby must be true.Josie is too busy dreaming up the perfe... read more
Lauren has 2 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Lauren, who is such a professional and a delight to work with. She is endlessly enthusiastic and very supportive of the projects she's helped me with, as well as being a genuinely nice person.
Lauren completed some editing work for me in early 2019. Her first task was to copyedit and proofread a short story prequel of around 8,000 words. Lauren returned the wor...
Read more
Jackie McCarthy, June 2019
Reply from Lauren Finger
Absolutely brilliant! So much work for so little money. If she had charged me double it would still be an absolute bargain. I shall be thanking her on the Acknowledgements page of my debut thriller, A Beautiful Way to Die, which is due for publication on 15th April 2019.
David M Hinds, November 2018
Reply from Lauren Finger
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