Overview
I specialize in proofreading: the final step once your book has been typeset into pages (designed/formatted for publishing). I'll check your text carefully for any errors in spelling, grammar or punctuation and I'll also identify any layout issues. I'll work with the style sheet provided by your copy editor and check that your book follows a consistent style.
Normally, I work the PDF file provided by your typesetter/designer/formatter and provide my suggested changes and any queries using the electronic commenting tools in Adobe. Then, you can decide on each change.
I'm proud that publishers in the UK and US trust me to check their non-fiction and academic books. Let's give your book the same treatment!
Testimonials: "Peter, the proofreader, deserves a special mention for his unrivalled diligence, consistency, understanding for the substance and respect for the author." Marco Sassòli, Professor of International Law, University of Geneva, in the acknowledgements of International Humanitarian Law: Rules, Controversies, and Solutions to Problems Arising in Warfare, 2nd edition (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2024)
"Peter has worked with Bourchier for several years on proofreading jobs for a range of clients, including Cambridge University Press, Bristol University Press and UCL Press. His work is always meticulous, thorough and delivered on schedule. We were delighted to work with him on one of our recent high-profile projects, Thomas Cranmer’s Register by Paul Ayris for UCL Press. This long and complex publication required a highly competent proofreader who could meet the demands of the client’s brief. Peter is one of our most reliable freelance colleagues, and we would recommend his services unreservedly." Polly Chester, Desk Editor, Bourchier.
I do not work on AI-generated or AI-assisted books.
Services
Non-Fiction
History
Sociology
Sports & Outdoors
Travel
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Certifications
- Publishing Training Centre: Basic Proofreading: Merit Pass
- Bachelor of Arts (Honours) English Literature with Creative Writing
- Professional Member of the CIEP
Work experience
Self-employed
Feb, 2018 —
Present
Providing publishers, packagers and authors with careful, timely proofreading services.
I can work with clients’ own style guides or New Oxford Style Guide and CMOS 18.
LEGO
Jan, 2016 —
Feb, 2018
(about 2 years)
Responsible for editorial, design and illustration approval for a range of children’s fiction books, non-fiction books, activity books and magazines.
Point of contact for publishing partners Scholastic, Dorling Kindersley, Blue Ocean Entertainment and AMEET to develop licensed publishing products for LEGO.
Coordinating with external and internal stakeholders to support THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE and THE LEGO NINJAGO MOVIE with publishing products.
Project management of books and magazines which included physical LEGO components (covermounts).
Cambridge University Press
Mar, 2012 —
Jan, 2016
(almost 4 years)
Responsible for the production process for a list of twenty academic journals. Project-managing each journal issue: acceptance of papers, manuscripts to copy-editing, proofs, revises, through to publication, print and distribution.
Coordinating with service providers: typesetters, printers,
freelance copyeditors, indexers and proofreaders.
Collating corrections from journal editors and authors. Checking corrections on final proofs, proofreading front and back matter.
Primary point of contact for authors and journal editors.
Portfolio
A newly uncovered window onto a critical moment of early Tudor history. Thomas Cranmer's Register records the turbulent change in England between 1533 and 1553. It is a key Reformation documen... read more
Proofreading
From the workings of financial markets to our response to the ecological crisis, economic theory shapes the world. But where do these ideas come from? Ricardo’s Dream tells the fascinating sto... read more
Proofreading
In Made in NuYoRico, Marisol Negrón tells the cultural history of salsa, tracing the music’s Nuyorican meanings over a fifty-year period that begins with the establishment of Fania Records in ... read more
Proofreading
The gripping account of the U.S. Navy’s fast carrier force—and how its Central Pacific campaign in 1944 marked the achievement of American naval supremacy Task Force 58 was World War II’s most... read more
Proofreading
Folkestone resident and globe-trotting travel writer Simon Richmond turns the spotlight on his home county in this brand-new title, part of Bradt's award-winning series of Slow travel guides t... read more
Proofreading
History and heritage are among Britain’s greatest passions. Travel writers and historians Helen and Neil Matthews have selected 52 places that are wonderful examples of natural, architectural,... read more
Proofreading
This new, fully revised seventh edition of Bradt's Albania remains the most authoritative standalone guide to what is still a relatively little known part of Europe. Coverage is comprehensive,... read more
Proofreading
Written by two Croatia experts, this new, thoroughly updated third edition of Bradt’s Croatia: Istria, with Rijeka and the Slovenian Adriatic remains the only full-length guide to this well-he... read more
Proofreading
If you've ever been interested in the rich culture and epic history of Ancient Rome, dive into this whirlwind tour and discover the highlights of this mighty civilizationWithin these pages, yo... read more
Proofreading
How did Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s divorce become the centre of the anti-#MeToo backlash? Why have so many teen boys fallen under the thrall of Andrew Tate, a failed reality show contestant... read more
Proofreading
Billionaires are an ultra-elite social class whose numbers are growing alongside their obscene wealth while others struggle, suffer or even die. They represent a scourge of economic inequality... read more
Proofreading
An exploration of 20th century fashion featuring archival documents, personal insights, and practical advice that guides readers in incorporating vintage pieces into modern wardrobes while deb... read more
Proofreading
Why might an orangutan care which toothpaste you choose? What does your mobile phone have to do with wind turbines? And can your morning coffee really power a bus? Economics affects every aspe... read more
Proofreading
The child sexual abuse scandal in the English county of Cleveland in the 1980s was a defining moment but not the scandal we were led to believe it was. Acclaimed journalist Beatrix Campbell ha... read more
Proofreading
For centuries, Palestinian women wrote the stories of their lives and land with a needle and thread. Their embroidery, or tatreez, inspired hundreds of artists who reinterpreted and transforme... read more
Proofreading
This cutting-edge Handbook goes beyond discourses of equity, inclusion, and diversity, carving a space for critical discussions about the relationships between Black, Indigenous, People of Col... read more
Proofreading
Rethinking the Pavilion investigates one unique project in detail, the Vajrasana Buddhist Retreat Centre in rural Suffolk, completed by Walters and Cohen Architects in 2018. The result was an ... read more
Proofreading
In a world where writing by hand is disappearing, Laura Vermeeren studies why calligraphy in China is not just surviving, but evolving in surprising ways. As handwriting fades in the digital a... read more
Proofreading
The second edition of this best-selling book provides an essential guide to best practice in adult safeguarding. It has been updated to include recent legislative, guidance and research-based ... read more
Proofreading
International humanitarian law (IHL) protects persons and property affected by armed conflicts. Focusing on the controversies that impact IHL in practice, this much-anticipated book from leadi... read more
Proofreading
"In Forms of Worship, Ayodeji Ogunnaike analyzes how the worship of Yoruba deities became a modern "religion"; but was previously understood and practiced very differently. A growing body of r... read more
Proofreading
The growth of documentaries and their role in culture, activism, and social impact. The Intellect Handbook of Documentary is an important go-to resource for practitioners, scholars, and studen... read more
Proofreading
Set in a London secondary modern school and televised between 1968 and 1972, the situation comedy Please Sir! was produced for the Independent Television (ITV) network by the newly-formed comp... read more
Proofreading
In Performances of Spiral Time, famed Afro-Brazilian thinker Leda Maria Martins theorizes forms of African and African diasporic temporality, corporeality, and space that exist apart from and ... read more
Proofreading
Emphasising the social, critical and situated dimensions of the urban, this comprehensive Research Handbook presents a unique collection of theoretical and empirical perspectives on urban soci... read more
Proofreading
In Dyeing with the Earth, Charlotte Linton explores the intersection of small-scale traditional craft production with contemporary sustainability practices. Focusing on natural textile dyeing ... read more
Proofreading
Constricting styles and limited clothing choices can restrict a person with a disability from fully participating in social communities, employment and gatherings that have an unspoken dress c... read more
Proofreading
Whereas previous books have explored how literature depicts or discusses scientific concepts, this book argues that literature is a technology. It shows how literature has been shaped by techn... read more
Proofreading
Adopting a holistic and multidisciplinary approach, this expertly crafted book comprehensively maps out the complex multi-jurisdictional legal landscape pertaining to the EU’s circular energy ... read more
Proofreading
Leonora Bernardi (1559-1616), a gentlewoman of Lucca, was a highly regarded poet, dramatist and singer. She was active in the brilliant courts of Ferrara and Florence at a time when creative w... read more
Proofreading
In Land of Famished Beings, Sophie Chao examines how Indigenous Marind communities understand and theorize hunger in lowland West Papua, a place where industrial plantation expansion and settl... read more
Proofreading
Though queer critics and queer theory tend to frame queer identities as marginal, this edited volume draws attention to a dynamic field in which a wide variety of queer identities can be put o... read more
Proofreading
