Fiona Houston

Fiona Houston – Editor

Historical fiction, non-fiction and well-being, academic works and educational resources. Worked for Nomos, Aircademy, Muddy Pearl.

Overview

I am an experienced editor with a PhD in English Literature. I have industry experience working in house as an Assistant Editor for an independent publisher in Edinburgh, where I have edited religious non-fiction titles, general-market gift titles and works of historical fiction. I have also worked on numerous freelance projects, including proofreading for academic publishers and educational organisations. I have edited German academic textbooks and educational resources for a drone pilot company, also based in Germany.

I'm friendly, professional and efficient, and my feedback reflects this: I will help get your manuscript to the best it can be while taking into account author style and preferences and making sure we keep a great working relationship! I will copyedit and mark up unformatted manuscripts, preparing them for typesetting, and will check proofs when set. I will provide reference and fact checking services; check spelling, grammar and syntax; and provide stylistic feedback when appropriate. I can work to your house style, but can also help you develop your own house style guide and manage your publishing schedule. I can check manuscripts that have been converted for ebook, as well as check for scanning errors when reprinting back titles. I absolutely love editing, and will bring this entuhsiasm to your project!

“As a publishing house dealing with training material for pilots, we need precise translations and a language that supports the learning process. Fiona’s proofreading makes this happen for us, as she not only ‘technically’ goes through the documents, but makes the best out of an idea and topic with her clear phrasing. Thanks to her help, the readability of the materials improved significantly, bringing us great results and more-than-satisfied customers worldwide.”

— Henrik Lührs, Managing Director Aircademy


“I’ve worked with Fiona for many years now, and she’s consistently prompt and accurate. She enables me to finish manuscripts efficiently and to tight deadlines. I highly recommend her services.”

— David McNeill, Director, REVO Creative Ltd





Services
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Non-Fiction
History Religion & Spirituality Writing & Publishing
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • CiEP

Work experience

Muddy Pearl

Jun, 2016 — Sep, 2020 (over 4 years)

• Formatting manuscripts for typeset
• Collating proofs from proof-readers
• Copy-editing manuscripts
• Proof reading
• Maintaining author relationships
• Preparing contracts for foreign rights sales
• Drafting author agreements
• Training and development of interns and junior staff members
• Writing design briefs for cover and page design
• Writing blurbs for book publications
• Writing reader reports for submitted manuscripts
• Writing of acceptance/rejection letters for submitted manuscripts
• Entering of Metadata for new publications
• Development and management of publication schedule
• Pitching authors for book festivals
• Basic translation of German manuscripts
• Drafting funding and grant applications

Fiona has 1 review

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Ann L.

Ann L.

Jun, 2021

Fiona was very flexible with my project. She went at a pace that was suitable for me. I found her work excellent and she was very friendly. I would hire her again for a future project!

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