Structural edits, copyediting, proofreading | Literary fiction, narrative nonfiction, memoir | HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Hachette
"Lottie was the copyeditor for my third novel, and I was delighted with the professional care and attention she gave the manuscript. She has fantastic attention to detail and her work on my novel really polished it. She looked at time and plot inconsistencies as well as grammar etc, going far beyond what I expected. She was particularly good at making sure there were no repetitions of words and the story felt tighter and clearer after her edit. She’s warm, approachable and diplomatic and has a great way of making suggestions without imposing her ideas. We had a really useful Zoom meeting to discuss everything. In my experience, she really helps the author’s style and story shine through and I highly recommend her." Liz Treacher, author of UNRAVELLING ELLA, THE WRONG ENVELOPE and THE WRONG DIRECTION
About me:
I'm a confident, approachable editor with 7 years’ experience, both freelance and at global trade publishing houses, including HarperCollins, Hachette and Penguin Random House, and I've edited authors including David Mitchell, Melvyn Bragg, Simon Callow, Yomi Adegoke & Elizabeth Uviebinené, Laline Paull, Ben Fogle, Bella Mackie and Cathy Newman. I have formal training in copyediting and proofreading from the industry-standard Publishing Training Centre in London, I'm fully professionally insured, and I'm used to working with writers of all levels of experience, from first-timers to experienced self-published authors to high-profile award-winners, so no matter what stage you're at, you'll be in safe hands.
Why choose me?
I take great pride and pleasure in working with authors to fine-tune their work at any stage of the process. I can help you tighten up your writing, addressing issues with structure, timeline, plot, characterisation and repetition - the idea is not to interfere with your style, but to help you perfect and enhance it so your voice really shines. Alternatively, I can add the finishing touches to your proofs to make them as perfect as they possibly can be: spelling, grammar and typo-spotting come as second nature, and I also have a keen eye for layout and design.
I specialise in literary & crossover fiction, narrative nonfiction, natural history and memoir - and below is an outline of the services I offer - but I'm happy to stray outside these boundaries for the right project. If you have something you think is suitable that doesn't fit neatly into a category, drop me a line to see if we'd be a good fit.
Structural/development editing:
Copyediting:
A thorough read of your edited manuscript to pick up on errors or possible improvements in spelling, grammar, punctuation and style. The copyedit will also highlight any residual narrative inconsistencies, structural issues, repetition or awkward phrasing. Usually done onscreen using word-processing software.
Proofreading:
The final stage! A close read of your typeset page proofs for typesetting, spelling and grammar errors, design issues and any other leftover imperfections. I can work onscreen or on hard copy – whichever you prefer.
Other:
I have extensive experience of writing and editing book blurb copy and web copy, and am delighted to offer these services on request. In addition, I have fluent German and am available for sample translations (DE-EN), reader reports, projects that require a level of sensitivity to German language, history and culture, or working with German-speaking authors on translated projects.
Copy-editing
Proofreading
Editorial project management
Writing and editing book cover copy and web description copy
Reader reports and sample translations
Managing editorial progress for fiction, non-fiction and illustrated titles
Copy-editing, proofreading, collating proofs, liaising with authors
Writing cover and web copy, checking cover artwork
Signing off books for press
Project editing a range of fiction and non-fiction titles
Collating and checking proofs
Copy-editing and proofreading
Writing and editing cover and web copy
Reading and assessing manuscripts
Preparing manuscripts for production
Collating and checking proofs
Writing cover copy, proofreading cover artwork
Collating and checking proofs
Liaising with authors to resolve editorial queries
Signing off books for press
Commissioning freelance readers
Handling translation grant application process
Proofreading typeset texts for errors and scanning issues
Tabitha Lasley
A candid examination of the life of North Sea oil riggers, and an explosive portrayal of masculinity, loneliness and female desire. In her mid-30s and sprung out of a terrible relationship, Tabitha quit her job at a women’s magazine, left London and put her savings into a six-month lease on a flat in a dodgy neighbourhood in Aberdeen – she was going to make good on a long-deferred idea for a b... read more
When I had a Little Sister by Catherine Simpson is a searingly honest and heartbreaking account of growing up in a farming family, and of Catherine’s search for understanding into what led her younger sister to kill herself at 46. It’s a story of sisters and sacrifice, grief and reclamation, and of the need to speak the unspeakable. When did she decide to die? Was it before midnight on Friday ... read more
Alice Tarbuck
'These enchanting words make the world feel less broken' - Emma Mitchell, author of The Wild Remedy'Part-primer, part-chronicle; a fresh and personal account of a contemporary witch's year told with lucidity and verve' - Eley Williams, author of The Liar's Dictionary'Witches occupy a clear place in contemporary imagination. We can see them, emerging shadowy, from the corners of the past: mad, ... read more
‘A litany of fresh heroes to make the embattled heart sing’ Caitlin Moran ‘Newman is a brilliant writer’ Observer A fresh, opinionated history of all the brilliant women you should have learned about in school but didn’t. For hundreds of years we have heard about the great men of history, but what about herstory? In this freewheeling history of modern Britain, Cathy Newman writes about the pio... read more
Ben Smith
‘The Road meets Waiting for Godot: powerful, unforgettable, unique’ Melissa Harrison, author of At Hawthorn Time. Doggerland is a superbly gripping debut novel about loneliness and hope, nature and survival – set on an off-shore windfarm in the not-so-distant future. ‘His father’s breath had been loud in the small room. It had smelled smoky, or maybe more like dust. He had knotted and unknotte... read more
David Mitchell
Turn down Slade Alley - narrow, dank and easy to miss, even when you're looking for it. Find the small black iron door set into the right-hand wall. No handle, no keyhole, but at your touch it swings open. Enter the sunlit garden of an old house that doesn't quite make sense; too grand for the shabby neighbourhood, too large for the space it occupies. A stranger greets you and invites you insi... read more
Jenny McCartney
A powerful debut set in Belfast and London in the latter years of the twentieth century. The Troubles turned Northern Ireland into a ghost factory: as the manufacturing industry withered, the death business boomed. In trying to come to terms with his father’s sudden death, and the attack on his harmless best friend Titch, Jacky is forced to face the bullies who still menace a city scarred by c... read more
Melvyn Bragg
In this gripping novel, Melvyn Bragg brings an extraordinary episode in English history to fresh, urgent life.At the end of May 1381, the fourteen-year-old King of England had reason to be fearful: the plague had returned, the royal coffers were empty and a draconian poll tax was being widely evaded. Yet Richard, bolstered by his powerful, admired mother, felt secure in his God-given right to ... read more
Helen Young
Bogotá, 1947. British architect Luke Vosey has left his past behind to undertake a commission for Anglo-Colombian Oil in South America. For Luke, this new venture seems to offer the chance to start again. But grieving and ashamed of his role in the war, he cannot run from the past or from his nightmares.Luke finds distraction with the whores of Las Cruces and in the friendship of a young newsp... read more
Alan McMonagle
'A cracker' Patrick McCabe'An irresistible comedy' Luke KennardLaura Cassidy is going all the way. Hollywood. Starry lights. The Walk of Fame. It’s her destiny. At least, that’s what her movie-obsessed father used to tell her. That was always the plan.Sure, it’s been a bit slow-going, but the stars have finally aligned. The long-awaited new theatre is about to open, and their first production ... read more
Laline Paull
An electrifying story of friendship, power and betrayal by the bestselling, Baileys-prize shortlisted author of The Bees. ‘A memorable eco-thriller. This is a world of arms dealers, heroic arctic adventurers and power crazed captains of industry. And that’s just the ladies’ The Times A frozen corpse emerges from a melting glacier and after three years of uncertainty, Sean Cawson can finally pu... read more
Ian Sansom
‘Beautifully crafted by Sansom, Professor Morley promises to become a little gem of English crime writing; sample him now’ Daily Mail October 1937. Swanton Morley, the People’s Professor, sets off to Essex to continue his history of England, The County Guides. Morley’s daughter Miriam continues to cause chaos and his assistant Stephen Sefton continues to slide deeper into depression and despai... read more
Isabelle Boutin, August 2020
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English editor, native to the UK, with 30 years + in publishing. I'm meticulous, but gentle, and always let your unique voice shine through.
Mayenne, France
I am an experienced editor who has worked for five years in digital publishing. Particularly love crime, women's & historical fiction.
London, United Kingdom