Katharine Smith - Editor
I have been a freelance editor/proofreader/copywriter since 2009. I set up Heddon Publishing in 2012, helping indie authors get published.
Request a quote
Verified identity
Overview
BACKGROUND
I trained as a proofreader with the Publishing Training Centre in 2005/6, and set up as a freelance professional in 2009, having gained extensive experience of working with business documentation in my previous career.
I began work as a proofreader on an extensive series of creative biographies, and this quickly developed into the role of Managing Editor. At the same time, I was working with a range of other clients: authors, students, small businesses, in a number of capacities, largely editing, proofreading and copywriting.
PUBLISHING AND AUTHOR SERVICES
Over time, I gained enough experience and skills to set up my own small publishing business and at the point of writing, I have edited, proofed, formatted and published c. 20 books, with five more currently in the pipeline.
I also work with authors who want to go on to publish their work themselves, but need help in terms of editing/proofreading/formatting.
I will consider any genre and I have worked with all sorts of fiction: literary, science fiction, chick lit, drama, comedy, children's, young adult and adult(!). I have also worked on a number of non-fiction books, including memoirs and historical studies.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
I've worked with a number of authors who just want an honest assessment of their work. I generally provide a written, detailed report, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and providing suggestions for improvements.
COPYRIGHT/PERMISSIONS
I work with authors who wish to use copyrighted work in their books, to help secure permissions.
I am an independent author myself so I fully understand my clients, and how important it is to get things right. I love what I do, and I love working with such a wide variety of people. I am delighted when an author comes back to me with another book as it means I must be doing something right.
I trained as a proofreader with the Publishing Training Centre in 2005/6, and set up as a freelance professional in 2009, having gained extensive experience of working with business documentation in my previous career.
I began work as a proofreader on an extensive series of creative biographies, and this quickly developed into the role of Managing Editor. At the same time, I was working with a range of other clients: authors, students, small businesses, in a number of capacities, largely editing, proofreading and copywriting.
PUBLISHING AND AUTHOR SERVICES
Over time, I gained enough experience and skills to set up my own small publishing business and at the point of writing, I have edited, proofed, formatted and published c. 20 books, with five more currently in the pipeline.
I also work with authors who want to go on to publish their work themselves, but need help in terms of editing/proofreading/formatting.
I will consider any genre and I have worked with all sorts of fiction: literary, science fiction, chick lit, drama, comedy, children's, young adult and adult(!). I have also worked on a number of non-fiction books, including memoirs and historical studies.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS
I've worked with a number of authors who just want an honest assessment of their work. I generally provide a written, detailed report, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and providing suggestions for improvements.
COPYRIGHT/PERMISSIONS
I work with authors who wish to use copyrighted work in their books, to help secure permissions.
I am an independent author myself so I fully understand my clients, and how important it is to get things right. I love what I do, and I love working with such a wide variety of people. I am delighted when an author comes back to me with another book as it means I must be doing something right.
Languages
English (AUS)
English (CAN)
English (NZ)
English (SA)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Anthologies
Classics
Cultural & Ethnic
Historical Fiction
Holiday
Humor & Comedy
Literary Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Thriller & Suspense
Women's Fiction
Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Education & Reference
Inspirational
Parenting & Families
Philosophy
Certifications
- Publishing Training Centre - Proofreading
- Society for Editors and Proofreaders - Proofreading Problems
Work experience
Publisher
Heddon Publishing
August, 2012
–
Present
(almost 8 years)
Freelance Proofreader, Editor and Copywriter
Katharine Smith Literary Services
May, 2009
–
Present
(about 11 years)
Portfolio (20 selected works)
Steaming into the North West: Tales of the Premier Line
Michael Clutterbuck
Steaming into the North West is a fine addition to the Steaming Into series, taking us away from the GWR and into the heart of the London and North Western Railway in its heyday, before the outbreak of the First World War. Although shorter than the other titles in its series, this entertaining book nevertheless holds its own. From bad-tempered drivers to bank robbers, the tales in Steaming int... read more
Fallen Blood, Broken Love (The Chosen Book 1)
Markus Dune
Vampires are legendary. Tales differ but most say they are strong and powerful. They are killers. Jake Dunmer is a fourteen-year-old with more than his fair share of problems: money is scarce at home, girls laugh at him, his best friend Danny won’t be seen with him at school and he is bullied on a daily basis by the ever-persistent Thomas. When his younger brother becomes the focus of Thomas’s... read more
All Desires Known
Georgie Newbery
All Desires Known… And from whom no secrets are hid. (from the collect before Communion in the 1928 edition of the Book of Common Prayer.) Lay out your classic English village in a little bowl-shaped valley: you’ll need a church, village hall, couple of farms, row of council houses, old rectory, and a river. Take the following ingredients: One disaffected vicar One vicar’s wife, rural-life-fan... read more
Looking Past
Katharine E. Smith
Looking Past is a tale of family, friendship, love, life and death – not necessarily in that order. This book will strike a chord with mothers, daughters, and daughters-in-law, everywhere."Without offering coping mechanisms or advice, this is ultimately an uplifting story about being true to yourself and becoming a mother on your own terms." Today's Child MagazineSarah Marchley is eleven years... read more
Writing the Town Read
Katharine E. Smith
July 2005. London is hit by a coordinated terrorist attack. Jamie’s boyfriend disappears without a trace. Hundreds of miles away in Cornwall, how can Jamie find out what has happened to him?The initial impact of that terrible day is followed by a slow but sure falling apart of the life Jamie believed was settled and secure. A betrayal by her best friend.A threat to her job and beloved career.A... read more
Cover Story
Carol Burns
“We need to get you out of London, somewhere safe.”“Witness protection?”“No, but this might be a good time to take a long holiday in the country.”“I have a job, a home, I live in London. What do you mean go to the country?”When a body part turns up on the desk of London-based journalist Victoria Manders, it’s not just her story that gets spiked. As parts of her interviewee are sprinkled around... read more
Little White Lies
Carol Burns
Caitlin McCall is hot on the trail of her first exclusive story. She knows it's a good one: her contact has turned up dead. She doesn't mind going out on a limb for a front page story, but with the corpses beginning to pile up, a break-in or two, and her very own stalker, Caitlin quickly finds herself out of her depth and out of luck. All of this just as two new men arrive in her life. She can... read more
Steaming into the Firing Line: Tales of the Footplate in Wartime Britain
Michael Clutterbuck
“The tales are a fascinating mix of anecdotes about the working lives of footplate men... readers with a railway bent will find themselves moved. This ebook is incredibly good value for money.” Gauge 0 Guild GazetteSteaming into the Firing Line is a set of short stories based on and around the railways of North West England during the Second World War.Humorous and moving, the collection tells ... read more
Steaming into History: Footplate Tales of the Last Days of Western Steam
Michael Clutterbuck
Steaming into History is the second of Michael Clutterbuck's Steaming Into series. In this collection of short stories we are reacquainted with some familiar characters as well as meeting new ones. The stories tell the tale of some of the North West's footplatemen following the Second World War, as the railways undergo a series of dramatic changes due to nationalisation, the introduction of di... read more
No Picnic for Sam
Roderick Shaw
The Tait family move into The Stables, an old house in a Shropshire village, with plans to make it a beautiful family home. After their first night in their new home, Alan is surprised to see a man and a dog staring across at the house, and even more so when they seem to disappear in the blink of an eye. His daughter Molly sees them too but wife Donna and son Billy remain unconvinced. As the T... read more
The Diamond Connection: A Jemima Fox Mystery
Josie Goodbody
The most expensive diamond necklace in the world is stolen during a high-profile charity gala in London. Jemima Fox-Pearl, Head of PR at fine jewellery house Vogel, travels between London, South Africa and New York in a bid to solve the crime, while unravelling a century-old mystery of the Cullinan Diamond's fabled missing part. With love, intrigue, danger and disaster, The Diamond Connection ... read more
What's One More?
Mel Wells
This first book by Canadian author Mel Wells follows the story of Peter, an unusual hero. When we first meet him, Peter has just joined Alcoholics Anonymous, having recently been released from jail for a drink-related offence. Peter is faced with starting again, working on his family’s ranch and staying true to his new-found sobriety. What’s One More? takes us straight into Peter’s new life as... read more
Dead Next Tuesday
John P Gibson
Ed Porteneau is a nerdy 28-year-old who lives an uninspiring life in a rundown apartment in a suburb of Seattle. He works as a Produce Manager in a general store, for a boss he despises. He has a best friend who beats him hands-down in the nerdiness stakes, and his social life consists of playing on his Xbox, visits to comic book stores, and daily phone calls from his overbearing mother. Not s... read more
Rydon Hall
Alexander Games
Charles Goldforbes is the new Latin teacher at Rydon Hall, the third best boys' prep school in Churley, south-west London. Along with the job come two related problems. One is the hideous Florian Bavington, aged 13 but already a master of low-level disruption. The other is the disturbingly alluring Natasha Bavington, Florian’s mother.Drama unfolds as Charles accompanies Florian and the rest of... read more
Little Story's Story Book
Matt Young, Lily Young
Little Story is a Mummy, a Daddy, a Grandma and a Grandpa.Little Story has children all over the world. Pups, cubs, kittens, tadpoles and even human being babies.Every night, when Little Story gets the children ready for bed in a den, a cave, a swamp or a house, the children always ask the same question.'Can I have one more story please? Just a little one, a quick one. One more little story, p... read more
Jet! (The JET! Trilogy Book 1)
Phil Phoenix
April 4th 3387. Captain Sirk Notaani is about to embark on a mission to another planet; one which is believed to support humanoid life. Leaving his wife Cita and his friends is not going to be easy but his pride and sense of adventure mean he cannot refuse the challenge, or the chance to explore this intriguing planet. Surviving a crash-landing on arrival, the fearless Sirk has to search for a... read more
Stanley Gets a Guinea Pig
Sheila Hayes
Stanley is a little boy in need of a pet and he knows just what type of pet he wants. It has to be a guinea pig. He’s even decided what it will be called! Along with his little sister Serena, Stanley goes for a holiday to stay with his Auntie Lois and Uncle Richard. Besides sampling Uncle Richard’s delicious cooking, the children learn all about taking good care of guinea pigs at Auntie Lois’s... read more
The Downunder Kid
Peter M Clutterbuck
The Downunder Kid is an extremely funny book for children approaching and undergoing the transition into secondary school life. Despite its light-hearted nature, there is an underlying serious message, about bullying and the effect this can have on children – including the bullies themselves.Full of colourful characters, The Downunder Kid tells the tale of Sam Bond – a small, intelligent and k... read more
Chalk It Up: Short Stories of Teachers and Teaching
Peter M. Clutterbuck
Chalk It Up is a set of entertaining short stories written by international educational author and retired teacher, Peter M. Clutterbuck. Based around the lives of teachers, their interactions with students and colleagues, and the sometimes unusual situations they find themselves in as a result of their work, the stories in this brilliant collection throw a light on what it means to be a teach... read more
My Crazy Uncle Walter
Peter M. Clutterbuck
My Crazy Uncle Walter is the tale of 14-year-old Australian Joseph Johnstone and the summer his ‘crazy uncle’, better-known to some as a conman, came to visit. The story is told with a hint of nostalgia, by the now elderly Joe to his 15-year-old neighbour Sarah. Sarah is spellbound by the tale, watching and listening as Joe is transported back to the long, hot summer when he became involved in... read more
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Lourdes Venard
Creative, collaborative editor, with more than 35 years of editing experience in publishing and journalism.
San Diego, CA, USA
Dushi Horti
Experienced editor, formerly in-house at HarperCollins. I specialise in commercial + literary fiction. Available for proofreads + copyedits.
Toronto, ON, Canada
