Richard Sheehan

Richard Sheehan – Editor

Copy-editor and proofreader of over 300 novels. Genres include literary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, thrillers, horror and historical fiction.

Overview

I am a writer and a qualified copy-editor and proofreader. As a trained freelance copy-editor and proofreader and Professional Member of the CIEP, I am meticulous and flexible and I offer an editorial service covering all areas of written material and publications. I have copy-edited and proofread over 300 novels, non-fiction books, memoirs, essays and newsletters as well as many other types of documentation.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs History Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Fantasy Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Basic Proofreading (Passed with Merit - Publishing Training Centre - 2011
  • Introduction to Copy-editing - SfEP - 2012
  • Copy-editing Skills - Publishing Training Centre - 2012
  • Introduction to Adobe InDesign CS6 - Certitec - 2014
  • Brush Up Your Grammar - SfEP - 2017
  • Content, SEO and Editing - Copyediting.com - 2018

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present

I am a qualified copy-editor and proofreader, and I have worked on over 300 books, specialising in fiction and general non-fiction. I have also worked on hundreds of other projects, including commercial reports, catalogues, brochures and newsletters and many other types of documentation.

I can work on paper or on-screen, proofread 'blind' or against copy, and can use the 2005 BSI mark-up symbols.

Most recent clients: Pan MacMillan/Tor Books, Wellcome Collection, Endava PEG, The Literary Consultancy, Arvon Foundation, Dahlia Publishing, Ebury Publishing, The School of Life, Stork Press, Troubador Publishing, Hodder & Stoughton, Alliance Publishing Press, The History Press, Biteback Publishing, Robson Press, Roman Books, Black Library, as well as a large number of self-publishing clients.

Subjects: fiction (general, literary, thrillers, historical, sci-fi/fantasy/horror, short stories), non-fiction (history, memoir, biography), computer technology/software/hardware, literary studies, sport.

Portfolio

Roman Mask

Thomas M D Brooke

It is Rome AD 9 and Augustus Caesar rules Imperial Rome at the height of its power, as the Roman Empire stretches across the known world. Cassius, son of one of her most powerful families, is the personification of Rome's imperial strength: wealthy, popular, a... read more
What reviewers are saying about the Ash Carter series: "Expect the unexpected” “Full of action and atmosphere” “Kept me guessing” “Perfect for an on-screen thriller” “Intriguing page-turner” “Twists and turns to keep you entertained”UNDERCOVER AGENTAsh Carter ... read more
Anthology of short stories revealing the untold tales of the Underworld War.The Heresy came to Calth without warning. In just a few hours of betrayal and bloodshed, the proud warriors of the XIIIth Legion – Guilliman’s own Ultramarines – were laid low by the t... read more
On a spring day in 1954 young Oxford medical student Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. In this frank memoir, Sir Roger tells the full story of the talent and dedication that made him not just one of the most celebrated a... read more
Rula Lenska's is an extraordinary life. Born in Britain to Polish aristocrats, refugees from the Nazis and then the Soviets, Rula found fame in the 1970s as 'Q' in the TV series Rock Follies. Shortly afterwards, she accidentally conquered America with the infa... read more
Old rivalries - new friendships - dangerous decisions. Set in 16th Century Scotland Munro owes allegiance to the Cunninghames and to the Earl of Glencairn. Trapped in the 150-year-old feud between the Cunninghames and the Montgomeries, he escapes the bloody af... read more
So who is Louis Van Gaal? An inflexible ex-PE teacher who only knows how to act like a dictator or a footballing visionary that has made him one of the greatest ever European managers? Wherever he has gone, Van Gaal has been accused of being a domineering disc... read more
With his masterful first collection, multiple-award-winning author Ted Chiang deftly blends human emotion and scientific rationalism in eight remarkably diverse stories, all told in his trademark precise and evocative prose. From a soaring Babylonian tower tha... read more
Pleasing Mr Pepys

Deborah Swift

'Deb Willet, Elizabeth Pepys's maid and the object of Samuel Pepys's attentions, is finally given centre-stage after 350 years, and her tale was worth waiting for. This is exceptional story-telling.' L. C. TylerSelling other people's secrets is a dangerous gam... read more
The eagerly awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Munro Scottish Saga trilogy‘…fast-paced … a hugely satisfying read.’ Undiscovered Scotland.1598. The French Wars of Religion are drawing to an end, the Edict of Nantes establishing religious freedom in all but Pa... read more
The woman at Luther’s side.It is very shameful that children, especially defenceless young girls, are pushed into the nunneries. Shame on the unmerciful parents who treat their own so cruelly.’ Martin LutherGermany 1505Following the death of her mother and her... read more
A GIRL DISAPPEARS One night, Jade Bridger takes a dead-end path by the creek, and vanishes. SECRETS AND LIES Eighteen months after being wrongly accused of her murder, Dan Searle returns to Cornwall to rebuild his life and forget. A MYSTERIOUS PAST But others ... read more
The gripping Egyptian mystery-thriller"A page turner, blending historical accuracy with thrilling and imaginative plot twist and turns" Maggie Pagano, The Times"Up there with the best of Wilbur Smith. A gripping read from modern day to ancient Egypt." Jet Uppa... read more
Simply gripping! Perfect for an on-screen thriller - Alex Morgan, Sky News;Tense, full of action, more than one puzzle to solve - Amazon Reviewer;Think Jack Reacher with a dash of James Bond - Maggie Pagano, The TimesA GRISLY DISCOVERYA headless body, found on... read more
Knock 'Em Cold, Kid

Elaine Morgan

Knock ’em Cold, Kid is the autobiography of award-winning Welsh writer Elaine Morgan. Born in the Rhondda Valley in 1920, Elaine vividly describes the relationship between her father and mother as they coped with life on the dole. Her grammar school decided to... read more
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished . . .After saving a human child, Coal is not only exiled from the fey realm, but he is sentenced to six months in a juvenile detention center in the human realm. They think he kidnapped Elizabeth instead of rescuing her. He can't e... read more
Everything looked bleak until......the situation took a turn for the worseIn the realm of the fey, humans are hated.And Coal is a human in love with an elf who is about to become Queen. Princess Chalcedony may not be as set on tradition as he thinks.Before Coa... read more
Take an up-for-anything reporter. Add a world-weary photo-journalist. Put them together . . . light the blue touch paper and stand well back! Posing as a bride-to-be, Charlee Montague goes undercover at a boot camp for brides in order to photograph supermodel ... read more
Achilles and Ajax are dead and the hope of the Greeks has died with them, leaving the army restless for their homes and threatening rebellion. Then a series of oracles appears, utterances from the gods that must be fulfilled if Troy is to be defeated and the w... read more
The first book to draw upon new files from the British National Archives, it also features interviews with veterans from both sides of the conflict to expose the truth behind the Batang Kali massacreThe Malayan Emergency (1948-1960) was the longest war fought ... read more
Prepare yourself for a journey into the unexpected. Two strangers share an illicit passion following a chance encounter in a coffee shop; an aeroplane cabin sets the scene for an unlikely redemption; a demonic conspiracy complicates the familiar story of the f... read more
From honeymoon to heart transplant. One week after their wedding, on a remote honeymoon island, Lauren was told her husband Andrew had suffered six heart attacks and had hours to live. The local medical centre lacked the equipment to keep him alive and there w... read more
Ama

Daniel MacKillican

Death is not the end for Jason Drake. Because of the murder he committed in life, hell awaits him. But Jason is not concerned about his own soul, he wants a chance to save his daughter, and give her back the life that was taken away too soon. A demon offers hi... read more
“I wanted to write a book that helps the PMO professional understand where their knowledge levels are, how to become the best they can be in their current role and also demonstrate what is required to reach the next stage of the PMO career path.” - Mark Readma... read more
‘When you must face Maxwell, give evidence before the King. Have you thought on that?’ ‘If I do not face Maxwell, I will not be able to face myself.’ Clan feuds, skullduggery and medieval warfare, in this turbulent tale of 16th century Scotland and France. Ayr... read more
Three lives. Two women. One last chance for happiness. Catherine has a high-flying medical career, a doting husband and a beautiful home in London. Yet none of these things matter without the baby that she is desperately longing for. Five thousand miles away i... read more
If you live your whole life being who everybody else wants you to be, how do you know who you really are?Nineteen-year-old Aaron Rutherford is already reeling from the loss of his mother, when the unexpected revelation of a dark secret from her past changes hi... read more
Violets & Vines

Deborah Marshall

Violets & Vines has been written alongside Deborah’s evolving relationship with God, and a growing understanding that though the situations written about are not always considered extreme, they are more common than realised. The love she found with God through... read more
As the crusade reaches its apex, Lord Solar Macharius is drawn by a prophecy to the world of Demetrius in search of an ancient artefact - the Fist of Demetrius. Rumours and legends abound of the artefact's providence as a weapon of a primarch, the lords of the... read more
Inequality in Britain is on the rise. Does this matter? Should we be bothered that the rich give proportionately much less than the poor? And that only a small minority of the very wealthy are giving generously? Ninety per cent of NHS trusts are restricting ro... read more
Maeve Binchy meets Jackie Collins' in this unputdownable rollercoaster read, filled with action, adventure and romance. Escaping to a remote Irish isle, journalist Marianne Coltrane had not bargained for a tumultuous affair with movie star Ryan O'Gorman. When ... read more
A historian and sailor describes how 16th-century voyages from England to the Americas were made When a ship set out for the Americas in the 16th century, the crew faced a long voyage and a host of difficulties along the way. Ship-building, navigation, and pro... read more
Dick Taverne

Dick Taverne

In 1973, Labour MP Dick Taverne caused a national sensation when he stood against his own party as an independent to win a historic by-election in Lincoln. Demonstrating tIn 1973, Labour MP Dick Taverne caused a national sensation when he stood against his own... read more
House of the Missing

Martin Llewellyn

Klop Ustinov was Britain's most ingenious secret agent, but he wasn't authorised to kill. Instead, he was authorised to tell tall tales, bemusing and beguiling his enemies into revealing their deepest, darkest secrets. From the Russian Revolution to the Cold W... read more
A complete and accurate picture of the seige of Liège, using both Belgian and German sources In August 1914 the German main attack was conducted by the 2nd Army. It had the missions of taking the vital fortresses of Liège and Namur, and then defeating the Angl... read more
The Bomb Makers

Marcus Case

A fugitive bomb maker dies in a police ambush in Marseille… A global terrorist collective meets in Paris to plan an attack on a European target… The terror cells have been activated and elite bombers from ETA and the Real IRA are already making their move, int... read more
Black Shoes

Michael Obiora

Meet successful London property developer Daniel Martins. He has everything a man could want: his own booming business, the luxury pad, the expensive sports car... all at the tender age of 25. But should he appreciate this more because he is black? Daniel does... read more
The best collection of military, espionage, and adventure stories ever told. The Dialogue Espionage Classics series began in 2010 with the purpose of bringing back classic out-of-print spying and espionage tales. From WWI and WWII to the Cold War, D-Day to the... read more
October 'Pick of the Month' winner, Donovan's Bookshelf.Contains the prizewinning story: 'The Receptionist' (Spinetinglers). The mysterious Mr Prite introduces us to thirteen more tales. He leads us through ghostly encounters, supernatural events and rather un... read more
The Bitter Trade

Piers Alexander

In 1688, torn by rebellions, England lives under the threat of a Dutch invasion. Redheaded Calumny Spinks is the lowliest man in an Essex backwater: half-French and still unapprenticed at seventeen, yet he dreams of wealth and title. When his father’s violent ... read more

Richard has 3 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Daniel B.

Daniel B.

Jun, 2024

Richard is an amazing editor. I’ve gone back to work with him repeatedly because of his excellent quality and professionalism. I am extremely disabled and he has adapted his style to work better with my disabilities. He has done amazing quality work while also adapting round the situation with my disabilities. He is an amazing editor and I would highly recommend him to anyone. his critiques are...
Read more
Arthur B.

Arthur B.

Oct, 2023

Was a pleasure to work with!
Glen O.

Glen O.

Mar, 2022

Richard did an excellent Job. He is a master of grammar and detail. His work will definitely make your book better.

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