Kelly Davis – Editor

I am nothing if not versatile! I can handle proofreading, copy-editing, rewriting and project-editing jobs for publishers and self-publishing authors. I can also carry out picture research and write publicity material, if required. I have written a few non-fiction children's books myself. I also write poetry and have had some of my work published in anthologies.

I started my publishing career in Australia in the 1980s, working for Heinemann and then Penguin Books in Melbourne. When I returned to the UK, I worked in-house for Longman Publishers and later BBC Books. At BBC Books, I worked on several TV tie-in titles, including illustrated books on cookery, history and travel. I have been freelance since 1990 and have worked for many different publishers, including Bloomsbury, Piatkus Books, Hachette, HarperCollins, Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. In recent years, I have worked with self-publishing authors on memoirs, novels, children's books and poetry.

I believe in the importance of the authorial voice and I will adjust my editing to the level required. In other words, I won't make changes unnecessarily. Some manuscripts only require light editing, while others need more work. I always aim to help the author communicate with the reader clearly and effectively. A professionally edited, polished manuscript will stand a better chance of being selected for publication; and if you plan to self-publish, your readers will enjoy your book more, and they will be more likely to recommend it to others.