Overview
In all texts - whatever the subject - my aim is to ensure that the author's meaning is transmitted as clearly as possible.
Part of that is being able to chase down the last detail, whether it's the correct diacritics in a foreign language or smoothing out inconsistency in a bibliography. But the bigger picture is also vital, and I'm confident in re-expressing swathes of text where necessary. That said, I'm very aware that the author's voice must be maintained (enhanced even, where desirable), and change is never made for the sake of it.
Most of my recent work has been for Oxford University Press, whose authors have described my work as 'superb', showing 'unparalleled qualities of patience, sensitivity and attention to detail'.
Services
Non-Fiction
Languages
Work experience
Self-employed
Work as a freelancer has ranged from substantive editing down to proofreading, with clients including:
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), BBC Worldwide Books;
Chambers Larousse; Macmillan Publishers; Naxos Books; Oxford University Press; I. B. Tauris; Peters Edition; Phaidon Press.
Phaidon Press
In this role I was project manager and editor of the 20th-Century Composers series (commissioned by Norman Lebrecht).
• Managed 6–10 books a year, running the cycle from commissioning to publication.
• Developed and refined the series style.
• Provided a strong interface between team members.
• Adapted text of differing length and subject emphasis to fit within the series framework.
I was also project manager of Rudolph Sabor’s translation of Wagner’s Ring cycle libretto; this uniquely preserved the original metre of the German and offered a running commentary and a list of the Leitmotifs as they occurred.
• Delivered the critically well-received project to a very tight deadline.
• Developed the project’s content with author and designer.
Macmillan Publishers
This role involved the management of the area of the dictionary covering the musical history of countries and cities.
After liaising with contributors to ensure submission of appropriate text, I edited the articles, sometimes drafted from skeletal facts, in accordance with a highly complex house style.
Portfolio
