Vicki Harris

Vicki Harris - Editor

London, UK

An editor and proof reader with over 30 years' experience. I work on all types of general fiction and non-fiction .

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Overview

I have been a book editor and proof reader since 1989; working in-house at Secker & Warburg and Gollancz, and freelance. I've worked on books by authors from Louis de Bernières to Bill Bryson, who described me as 'a brilliant editor and an extremely nice person to boot'.
My work is all about attention to detail, of course, but also sensitivity to the material: this is enhanced by a wealth of life experience; a vast breadth of reading; and knowledge of French, Spanish and Latin, plus a smattering of Greek. Facts are checked, of course, even for fiction (if something looks wrong or unlikely, it can make your plot unconvincing, or just snag the reader's concentration), and I will send you a detailed list of queries and comments. You are more than welcome to question anything I've said or suggested, and no change will be pushed on you; if it's easier, we can also talk via phone or video chat.
Flawless spelling, punctuation and grammar guaranteed (but idiosyncrasies respected!).

Languages
English (UK)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Health & Wellbeing
Nature
Travel
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Humor & Comedy
Literary Fiction
Thriller & Suspense

Certifications

  • Pitman Advanced Typing; Book House copy-editing 3-day course

Work experience

freelance editor and proof reader

Self-employed
June, 1996 – Present (almost 27 years)

I have been self-employed since becoming a parent 26 years ago. I currently work mostly for Transworld and Granta, but have freelanced for many different companies including Little, Brown and Pan Macmillan.

commissioning editor

Victor Gollancz
February, 1994 – November, 1995 (over 1 year)

Commissioning and editing non-fiction titles; also editing for the Publisher.

desk editor

Secker & Warburg
January, 1988 – December, 1993 (almost 6 years)

Duties included copy-editing and admin.

Portfolio (18 selected works)

Neither Here, Nor There

Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson’s first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia. Fluent in, oh, at least one la... read more

Bill Bryson’s first travel book, The Lost Continent, was unanimously acclaimed as one of the funniest books in years. In Neither Here nor There he brings his unique brand of humour to bear on Europe as he shoulders his backpack, keeps a tight hold on his wallet, and journeys from Hammerfest, the northernmost town on the continent, to Istanbul on the cusp of Asia. Fluent in, oh, at least one la... read more

With One Lousy Free Packet of Seed

Lynne Truss

Lynne Truss's first novel, in which she shows herself to be one of the very best comic writers. 'It was nobody's fault, this widely held assumption that “Come Into the Garden” had long since sought eternal peace in the great magazine rack in the sky. Nevertheless, it required strength of character for those intimately acquainted with the title not to take the comments personally. After all, it... read more

Lynne Truss's first novel, in which she shows herself to be one of the very best comic writers. 'It was nobody's fault, this widely held assumption that “Come Into the Garden” had long since sought eternal peace in the great magazine rack in the sky. Nevertheless, it required strength of character for those intimately acquainted with the title not to take the comments personally. After all, it... read more

The Pianist

Wladyslaw Szpilman

The bestselling memoir of a Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds.'We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close... riveting' OBSERVEROn September 23, 1939, Wladyslaw Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor live on the rad... read more

The bestselling memoir of a Jewish pianist who survived the war in Warsaw against all odds.'We are drawn in to share his surprise and then disbelief at the horrifying progress of events, all conveyed with an understated intimacy and dailiness that render them painfully close... riveting' OBSERVEROn September 23, 1939, Wladyslaw Szpilman played Chopin's Nocturne in C-sharp minor live on the rad... read more

Wolf

Mo Hayder

Bestselling and prize winning author Mo Hayder has expertly crafted an authentically disturbing, gripping, unsettling and engrossing thriller in Wolf. Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Stuart MacBride and Karin Slaughter, this is one novel you won't be able to put down...'Builds to its mesmerising climax with a brilliantly paced sense of menace. Masterful' - Sunday Mirror'Terrifying' - Karin S... read more

Bestselling and prize winning author Mo Hayder has expertly crafted an authentically disturbing, gripping, unsettling and engrossing thriller in Wolf. Perfect for fans of Stephen King, Stuart MacBride and Karin Slaughter, this is one novel you won't be able to put down...'Builds to its mesmerising climax with a brilliantly paced sense of menace. Masterful' - Sunday Mirror'Terrifying' - Karin S... read more

Fat Cow, Fat Chance

Jenni Murray

'A powerful, poignant tale of dieting and despair.' The Times'A moving, brutally honest memoir about what it feels like to be fat-shamed.' Mail on Sunday_______________At sixty-four, Jenni Murray's weight had become a disability. She avoided the scales, she wore a uniform of baggy black clothes, refused to make connections between her weight and health issues and told herself that she was fat ... read more

'A powerful, poignant tale of dieting and despair.' The Times'A moving, brutally honest memoir about what it feels like to be fat-shamed.' Mail on Sunday_______________At sixty-four, Jenni Murray's weight had become a disability. She avoided the scales, she wore a uniform of baggy black clothes, refused to make connections between her weight and health issues and told herself that she was fat ... read more

My Name is Yip

Paddy Crewe

"MY NAME IS YIP TOLROY & I am a mute. I have made not a sound since the day of my birth, October 2nd, 1815. I will say that my life has been something of a trial but such is God's wish & so I must tell my story here on the page." Yip Tolroy and his fiery Mama run the general store in Heron's Creek, Georgia. An uneventful life, until gold is discovered nearby and Yip is caught up in a bloody, g... read more

"MY NAME IS YIP TOLROY & I am a mute. I have made not a sound since the day of my birth, October 2nd, 1815. I will say that my life has been something of a trial but such is God's wish & so I must tell my story here on the page." Yip Tolroy and his fiery Mama run the general store in Heron's Creek, Georgia. An uneventful life, until gold is discovered nearby and Yip is caught up in a bloody, g... read more

The Lost Continent

Bill Bryson

‘I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to’And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn’t hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England, he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of trim and sunny place where the films of his youth were set. Instead, his search led him... read more

‘I come from Des Moines. Somebody had to’And, as soon as Bill Bryson was old enough, he left. Des Moines couldn’t hold him, but it did lure him back. After ten years in England, he returned to the land of his youth, and drove almost 14,000 miles in search of a mythical small town called Amalgam, the kind of trim and sunny place where the films of his youth were set. Instead, his search led him... read more

The Retreat

Sarah Pearse

Will you brave The Retreat this summer? The new bestselling thriller from the author of The Sanatorium. They couldn't wait to stay here. An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the coast of Devon, promising rest and relaxation - but the island itself, known locally as Reaper's Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it's rumored to be cursed. But now they... read more

Will you brave The Retreat this summer? The new bestselling thriller from the author of The Sanatorium. They couldn't wait to stay here. An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the coast of Devon, promising rest and relaxation - but the island itself, known locally as Reaper's Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it's rumored to be cursed. But now they... read more

Life Under Fire

Jason Fox

THE EXTRAORDINARY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER.Take control of your life, build resilience and learn to thrive in any situation with the powerful and inspiring new book from the number one bestselling author of Battle Scars.In Life Under Fire, ex-Special Forces Sergeant Jason Fox shows you how to build the strength of mind and the resilience of an elite soldier.Recounting stories from high-stakes o... read more

THE EXTRAORDINARY SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER.Take control of your life, build resilience and learn to thrive in any situation with the powerful and inspiring new book from the number one bestselling author of Battle Scars.In Life Under Fire, ex-Special Forces Sergeant Jason Fox shows you how to build the strength of mind and the resilience of an elite soldier.Recounting stories from high-stakes o... read more

The Darkness Echoing

Dr Gillian O'Brien

The Irish Times Top 10 Bestseller!From war to revolution, famine to emigration, The Darkness Echoing travels around Ireland bringing its dark past to lifeIreland is a nation obsessed with death. We find a thrill in the moribund, a strange enchantment in the drama of our dark past. It's everywhere we look and in all of our beloved myths, songs and stories that have helped to form our cultural i... read more

The Irish Times Top 10 Bestseller!From war to revolution, famine to emigration, The Darkness Echoing travels around Ireland bringing its dark past to lifeIreland is a nation obsessed with death. We find a thrill in the moribund, a strange enchantment in the drama of our dark past. It's everywhere we look and in all of our beloved myths, songs and stories that have helped to form our cultural i... read more

At My Mother's Knee...And Other Low Joints

Paul O'Grady

THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER'Warmly funny, dry and mischievous . . . Genuine and brilliant.' Daily MailPaul O'Grady is one of Britain's very best loved entertainers. He is known and adored by millions, whether as the creator of the acid-tongued Blonde Bombsite, Lily Savage, the presenter of the fantastically successful, award-winning Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 or the massive hit ITV show, F... read more

THE MILLION COPY BESTSELLER'Warmly funny, dry and mischievous . . . Genuine and brilliant.' Daily MailPaul O'Grady is one of Britain's very best loved entertainers. He is known and adored by millions, whether as the creator of the acid-tongued Blonde Bombsite, Lily Savage, the presenter of the fantastically successful, award-winning Paul O'Grady Show on Channel 4 or the massive hit ITV show, F... read more

Captain Corelli's Mandolin

Louis de Bernières

25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR'A true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy' Daily MailIt is 1941 and Captain Antonio Corelli, a young Italian officer, is posted to the Greek island of Cephallonia as part of the occupying forces. At first he is ostracised by the locals but over time he proves himself to be civilised, humorous – and a consummate ... read more

25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY THE AUTHOR'A true diamond of a novel, glinting with comedy and tragedy' Daily MailIt is 1941 and Captain Antonio Corelli, a young Italian officer, is posted to the Greek island of Cephallonia as part of the occupying forces. At first he is ostracised by the locals but over time he proves himself to be civilised, humorous – and a consummate ... read more

The Wood

John Lewis-Stempel

'BRITAIN'S FINEST LIVING NATURE WRITER' - THE TIMESA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' from 'indisputably, one of the best nature-writers of his generation' (Country Life) Written in diary format, The Wood is the story of English woodlands as they change with the seasons. Lyrical and informative, steeped in poetry and folklore, The Wood inhabits the mind and touches th... read more

'BRITAIN'S FINEST LIVING NATURE WRITER' - THE TIMESA SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER and BBC Radio 4 'Book of the Week' from 'indisputably, one of the best nature-writers of his generation' (Country Life) Written in diary format, The Wood is the story of English woodlands as they change with the seasons. Lyrical and informative, steeped in poetry and folklore, The Wood inhabits the mind and touches th... read more

Love Remains

Duncan, Glen

Vicki has 1 review

Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality

Leonid Kulakov
Vicki Harris is a great editor. My previous collaborator became unavailable, so I was looking for someone to line edit a text. I was fortunate to find Vicki! Vicki is attentive to details, responsive and very knowledgeable. Her editing is precise and scientific: in fact I've got a feeling that Ockham's razor is an integral part of her mind. She went the extra mile in her help and advice. I am...
Read more

Leonid Kulakov, January 2023

Vicki Harris
Thank you, Leonid. I appreciated your openness to change, and your promptness in responding to each set of edits.

Reply from Vicki Harris

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