Graham Southorn

Graham Southorn – Editor

Business book editor and coach | Specialize in business, technology, science | 20+ years experience | Formerly BBC, Insider magazines

Overview

My mission is to help authors write books that showcase their expertise, giving them a higher profile and helping them achieve their business goals.


In my 25-year career in writing and publishing, I've worked on all kinds of business books and other content. But I'm also comfortable with technology and scientific subjects because I started my career as a tech journalist and later edited science magazines.


I love seeing clients achieve success with their books, whether that's reaching #1 in specialist Amazon bestseller charts (The Smart Home Manual, The Waste Detectives) or formal awards:

🏆 Sandra Lam: finalist, The Business Book Awards 2023

🏆 Christina D Warner: Gold Medal, Axion Business Book Awards 2020


🙏 Client testimonial: "Beyond Graham’s fantastic suggestions, I was struck by his upbeat attitude. He was as much a coach as he was an editor. His feedback was accompanied by positive comments which motivated me to do a great job on my revisions. He made me feel like I might have a good book on my hands." - Marlon Buchanan

https://blog.reedsy.com/stories/marlon-buchanan/


My services include:


📕 COPY EDITING

Correcting spelling and grammatical mistakes, improving readability, and implementing a "style guide."


📘 PROOFREADING

A final read-through to pick up any mistakes that have been missed in copy editing.


📗 EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT

An expert second opinion in the form of a short report (typically 3-4 pages) with practical action points.


📙 DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

An overview assessment report plus detailed comments and suggestions on your first draft in the manuscript.



My quotes are based on:


1. Number of words

The longer the book, the longer the job will take.

2. Complexity

If the book has particularly technical content, it could take me longer.



ABOUT ME

I've worked as a writer and editor for 25 years. Before book editing, I edited business-to-business (B2B) and consumer (B2C) magazines, including South West Business Insider and the popular science titles BBC Focus and BBC Sky at Night.

Awards: The Best Writing on Mathematics 2017 (Princeton University Press); Digital Magazine Award x 2

Academic qualifications: Journalism; Physics.


Services
Non-Fiction
Business & Management Computers & Internet Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences Education & Reference Engineering & Materials Science Physics & Chemistry Technology
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (SA) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Digital Magazine Award (DMA) for BBC Focus
  • CrimeFest Flashbang award for crime fiction
  • Axiom Business Book Awards 2020, Gold Medal
Certifications
  • PGDip in magazine journalism

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2017 — Present

I combine book writing and editing with journalism, contributing to a range of publications and providing SEO-friendly copywriting for businesses, marketing and PR agencies.

Insider Media

Apr, 2016 — Sep, 2017 (over 1 year)

I edited South West Business Insider, a monthly business-to-business magazine, for 18 months. The role involved writing and commissioning content for each issue, as well as facilitating business events across the South West region.

Immediate Media

Jun, 2005 — Jun, 2015 (about 10 years)

I edited the UK’s top-selling monthly science magazine, BBC Focus, overseeing the print
and digital editions and podcast. Prior to that, I launched BBC Sky at Night magazine, based on the long-running astronomy show.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Book Coaching
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
What if you had a crystal ball that revealed the future of the healthcare landscape?Wouldn’t you want that ball?Think of how that information could boost your success and impact your future. Y... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Book Coaching
“Do you believe that future thinking machines are likely within our lifetimes?” After reading this book, the emphatic answer is, “Yes. Let’s get prepared!” Easy to read, well researched, provo... read more
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
The Ancient Greeks figured out that our planet was round over 2,000 years ago. Columbus and Magellan launched their expeditions based on this knowledge. Millions of airline passengers are carr... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Physics-Squared
Copy Editing
All you need to know about the big ideas that have kept scientists busy for centuries. It explores how we came to know what we know and, crucially, asks what we don`t yet understand about topi... read more
Copy Editing
In 1968, the Apollo 8 astronauts became the first humans to see the Earth as a whole. Ever since, spacecraft and satellites have been delivering new perspectives on our planet. Today, Earth is... read more
Copy Editing
How do we know things about the world? How do we know what`s inside an atom, for example, or how old the Earth is? How do we know the speed of light or the fact that the Universe started with ... read more
Copy Editing
Is personality genetic? Does playing the same lottery numbers increase your chances? Is tomato ketchup good for your health? Why do bees buzz? Do all planets spin the same way? How fast can a ... read more
Copy Editing

Graham has 27 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Adriel L.

Adriel L.

Oct, 2023

Graham was helpful start to finish. He helped me think strategically, caught both tiny issues and glaring inconsistencies, and was responsive and helpful from start to finish. Loved working with Graham.
Peter S.

Peter S.

Aug, 2023

I learned a lot from Graham. This was my first book so it had some work to do. Graham is meticulous and detailed, missing nothing. He also left comments, suggestions and questions in the document for me to work on and consider. Graham is also friendly and helpful. I engaged Graham for developmental and copy editing, and I recommend him for any technical book. Great work. Thank you Graham.
Jackson W.

Jackson W.

Jan, 2023

Graham is amazing! His work significantly improved my book. He was inquisitive, insightful and totally professional. I would recommend him to anyone.
Jan-Erik J.

Jan-Erik J.

Dec, 2022

We have been very happy with the delivery. A lot of great input and an amazing sense for what we are doing. Absolutely valuable. Thanks a lot.
Avner M.

Avner M.

Dec, 2022

Graham is a great editor. I looked far and wide for one with experience both in the hard sciences (as in physics and math), not just the language science, and let me tell you: It isn't easy to find, but Graham stood out. Physics, journalism, editorial, not easy experience to duplicate. On top, he is meticulous, diligent, but also patient and thorough. My book is not easy to edit-- it uses ana...
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