Gale Winskill – Editor

Are you looking for an editor who will support you and your project as a collaborator, not a dictator? Someone who's creative, able to think on their feet and adapt to your book? Somebody who has edited award-winning and bestselling authors and has a proven track record?

Look no further! With over 30 years of experience in the publishing arena, both in-house and freelance, in the UK and abroad, I bring a wide array of skills, constructive feedback and a collaborative approach to every book-editing and coaching project, coupled with a good sense of humour.

I work across fiction (adult and children’s), memoir and general non-fiction, in both UK and US English, and am able to transfer my professional skills to authors at all stages of their publishing journey. I do everything from book coaching, through the various stages of editing, to proofreading, to empower writers to transform their manuscripts into polished works that captivate readers and stand out for their chosen audience.

Beyond editing and coaching, I have travelled extensively and lived and worked abroad (Italy, Egypt, Thailand, Hong Kong), not only writing and editing books, but also importing fruit and working as a PADI divemaster — some of this has proved very useful when editing certain narratives.

As well as engaging in regular professional development, I now teach student authors on the HarperCollins Author Academy (fiction stream), and have been an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) since 2006, through whom I also train new fiction editors. In addition, I have assessed in-house book submissions and judged various book prizes.

I read widely and carry that enthusiasm into my day job, as I edit most fiction genres (far beyond those listed below), narrative non-fiction (i.e. memoir) and a wide range of general non-fiction. Most importantly, I know all of the problem areas and can help you fix them.

I'm originally from Stratford-on-Avon, and yes, I am distantly related to William Shakespeare, although also half-Italian, with a good working knowledge of several European languages. These days, I live in Scotland, where my desk overlooks Edinburgh Castle across the Firth of Forth.

So, if you want a professional editor, with a wide variety of skills and lived experience, I would be delighted to support you as you turn your great idea into a well-written, flowing narrative.

Get in touch now and let’s start a conversation.