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Robert Doran - Editor
Dublin, Ireland
Professional editor, copy-editor and proofreader with extensive experience in trade fiction and non-fiction publishing.
Overview
I am a freelance professional editor, copy-editor and proofreader with nearly twenty years’ experience in bringing books to market. I have worked extensively with publishers in Ireland and in the UK, including Mercier Press, The O’Brien Press, Pearson Education, Merlin Books and Y Books. I now spend most of my time working with authors who are planning to either self-publish or to submit their manuscripts to agents or publishers – all those years spent working on the inside have given me a pretty good idea of what the dreaded gatekeepers are looking for! I’d love to help you bring out the best in your manuscript, whether it’s through improving structure with a development edit, getting everything clear and correct with a copy-edit, or just a plain old proofread.
Services
Languages
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Work experience
Freelance Editor
Robert Edits
Editor, copy-editor and proofreader working in all areas of trade fiction and non-fiction. I work extensively with self-publishers who want to produce books to a professional standard.
Editorial Director
Y Books
Responsible for overseeing the book publishing process from commissioning to publication.
Commissioning Editor
Merlin Books
Responsible for overseeing the book publishing process from commissioning to publication.
Sales Manager
Merlin Books
Responsible for all home and export sales for Merlin Books and a range of publishers we represented.
Sales Executive
O'Brien Press
Responsible for driving sales in Ireland. Member of the O'Brien Press editorial board.
Sales Executive
Mercier Press
Responsible for all sales activity in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, including national accounts.
Sales Executive
Pearson Education
Responsible for the London territory for Pearson Education's professional division.
Book Buyer
Fred Hanna's Bookshop
Responsible for the purchase and management of stock in the largest independent bookshop in Ireland.
Portfolio (41 selected works)
Can You Keep a Secret?
Katie Collins
'He planted his big arms on the bed on either side of me, and I wanted him to take control – I wanted him to be the boss…'Katie Collins went from being a shy, excluded teenager to the youngest, naughtiest and most popular woman on the Dublin sex scene. Her journey began before she was even 16, stripping on a webcam for an audience of strangers. By her late teens she was exploring the thrill of... read more
'He planted his big arms on the bed on either side of me, and I wanted him to take control – I wanted him to be the boss…'Katie Collins went from being a shy, excluded teenager to the youngest, naughtiest and most popular woman on the Dublin sex scene. Her journey began before she was even 16, stripping on a webcam for an audience of strangers. By her late teens she was exploring the thrill of... read more
France, the Soul of a Journey
R J ODonnell
France, the Soul of a Journey is a travel memoir that really gets into the veins of France's lush ambience. R J ODonnell recounts a holiday there with three travelling companions, proving with humour and literary flourish why France is the most visited country in the world. From the chain of spires in medieval Normandy, south to the Loire Valley where Renaissance France and the ideas of the gr... read more
France, the Soul of a Journey is a travel memoir that really gets into the veins of France's lush ambience. R J ODonnell recounts a holiday there with three travelling companions, proving with humour and literary flourish why France is the most visited country in the world. From the chain of spires in medieval Normandy, south to the Loire Valley where Renaissance France and the ideas of the gr... read more
Who needs extreme sports when you
Going Solo on Lake Como
Ciara O'Toole
Sometimes flying by the seat of your pants is the best thing you can do …When Ciara O’Toole and her husband move to Lake Como, Italy, they make plans – to run their own businesses, to learn the language and to immerse themselves in the Italian way of life. But just a few months into the adventure Ciara’s marriage ends and she finds herself alone in a country where she doesn’t speak the languag... read more
Sometimes flying by the seat of your pants is the best thing you can do …When Ciara O’Toole and her husband move to Lake Como, Italy, they make plans – to run their own businesses, to learn the language and to immerse themselves in the Italian way of life. But just a few months into the adventure Ciara’s marriage ends and she finds herself alone in a country where she doesn’t speak the languag... read more
Jack & Jill: The Story of Jonathan Irwin
Jonathan Irwin
The book gives full details of the struggles to establish and maintain the Jack & Jill Foundation and its ongoing fund-raising efforts.
The book gives full details of the struggles to establish and maintain the Jack & Jill Foundation and its ongoing fund-raising efforts.
Paperboy: An Enchanting True Story of a Belfast Paperboy Coming to Terms with the Troubles
Tony Macaulay
It’s Belfast, 1975. The city lies under the dark cloud of the Troubles, and hatred fills the air like smoke. But Tony Macaulay has just turned twelve and he’s got a new job. He’s going to be a paperboy. And come rain or shine – or bombs and mortar – he will deliver…Paperboy lives in Upper Shankill, Belfast, in the heart of the conflict between Loyalists and Republicans. Bombings are on the eve... read more
It’s Belfast, 1975. The city lies under the dark cloud of the Troubles, and hatred fills the air like smoke. But Tony Macaulay has just turned twelve and he’s got a new job. He’s going to be a paperboy. And come rain or shine – or bombs and mortar – he will deliver…Paperboy lives in Upper Shankill, Belfast, in the heart of the conflict between Loyalists and Republicans. Bombings are on the eve... read more
Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter
Melissa Moore, M. Bridget Cook
Throughout her life, Melissa Jesperson Moore had to hide her true identity. She had pretended that life was perfect after her parents divorced and she was suddenly uprooted from everything familiar and loving. She had to be silent, and to pretend not to be disturbed or upset by her father's actions. Those experiences prepared Melissa to hide the deepest, darkest secret of all. As she began mak... read more
Throughout her life, Melissa Jesperson Moore had to hide her true identity. She had pretended that life was perfect after her parents divorced and she was suddenly uprooted from everything familiar and loving. She had to be silent, and to pretend not to be disturbed or upset by her father's actions. Those experiences prepared Melissa to hide the deepest, darkest secret of all. As she began mak... read more
Voyage of Terror: The True Story of the Sole Survivor of a Massacre at Sea
Tere Duperrault Fassbender, Richard Logan
The Secrets of Grindlewood (The Grindlewood) (Volume 1)
Jackie Burke
With Wanda the good witch defeated, all that stands between Worfeus the warlock and ultimate power is just one spell. That is, until the Grindles arrive on the scene. The children and their pets move into an old rambling house and discover a collection of enchanted animals in their garden. Now Jamie, Jemima, Timber and Teddy must take up the witch's quest and succeed where all others have fail... read more
With Wanda the good witch defeated, all that stands between Worfeus the warlock and ultimate power is just one spell. That is, until the Grindles arrive on the scene. The children and their pets move into an old rambling house and discover a collection of enchanted animals in their garden. Now Jamie, Jemima, Timber and Teddy must take up the witch's quest and succeed where all others have fail... read more
The Secrets of Grindlewood: The Secret Scroll Book 2
Jackie Burke
Timber the brave malamute leads the enchanted animals of Grindlewood garden as they continue their perilous quest to defeat the wicked warlock Worfeus and save their home from destruction. The determined friends have finally found the secret scroll, but they struggle to understand the ancient super-spell written inside. The race is on to crack the code before Worfeus can escape his forest pris... read more
Timber the brave malamute leads the enchanted animals of Grindlewood garden as they continue their perilous quest to defeat the wicked warlock Worfeus and save their home from destruction. The determined friends have finally found the secret scroll, but they struggle to understand the ancient super-spell written inside. The race is on to crack the code before Worfeus can escape his forest pris... read more
Cocaine Wars
Mick McCaffrey
When best friends become arch enemies - it's murder! In March 2000, police raided a central Dublin hotel and uncovered a GBP1.7 million drug-mixing factory. Of the three men arrested at the scene, just two were charged. The third, Declan Gavin, was labelled a 'rat'. Within eighteen months he was dead, and a deadly gangland feud was born. Over the course of ten years, sixteen young men have bee... read more
When best friends become arch enemies - it's murder! In March 2000, police raided a central Dublin hotel and uncovered a GBP1.7 million drug-mixing factory. Of the three men arrested at the scene, just two were charged. The third, Declan Gavin, was labelled a 'rat'. Within eighteen months he was dead, and a deadly gangland feud was born. Over the course of ten years, sixteen young men have bee... read more
Crime Ink: Interviews with Notorious Criminals and Other Notes from the Irish Underground
Jason O'Toole
Jason O Toole has tracked down and interviewed many of the country s most notorious criminals. Crime Ink is an explosive collection of the most controversial interviews with some of the most infamous figures from Ireland s underworld. O Toole caused major controversy when he visited John Gilligan at Portlaoise Prison and published the first major in-depth interview with the infamous drug traff... read more
Jason O Toole has tracked down and interviewed many of the country s most notorious criminals. Crime Ink is an explosive collection of the most controversial interviews with some of the most infamous figures from Ireland s underworld. O Toole caused major controversy when he visited John Gilligan at Portlaoise Prison and published the first major in-depth interview with the infamous drug traff... read more
Dead Man Talking: How One Man Brought Down the Limerick Mob
Mark Heffernan, Darren Boyle
The Irish Scissor Sisters
Mick McCaffrey
The Viper: The Life and Crimes of Martin Foley
Mick McCaffrey
An Argument for Sin
Michael Feeney Callan
Michael Feeney Callan’s love of poetry began at an early age, when he became fascinated by the mystery of its effect on him. As a child he was captivated by the lulling magic of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses, and later the symbolism and mysticism of Yeats and Poe became key influences. “To me poetry is the ultimate workman’s tool,” he says, “full of power and flexibility.... read more
Michael Feeney Callan’s love of poetry began at an early age, when he became fascinated by the mystery of its effect on him. As a child he was captivated by the lulling magic of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses, and later the symbolism and mysticism of Yeats and Poe became key influences. “To me poetry is the ultimate workman’s tool,” he says, “full of power and flexibility.... read more
The Calling of John Fitzcanty
Declan Jones
On the day before his sixth birthday John Fitzcanty meets Gerry, a man whose actions will haunt John for the rest of his life. As he grows into a young man, John struggles to understand his feelings of guilt and shame. Unable to talk to his taciturn father, he is drawn instead to the comfort and isolation of Faircliff Hall Seminary. There, he takes refuge in his faith and throws himself into h... read more
On the day before his sixth birthday John Fitzcanty meets Gerry, a man whose actions will haunt John for the rest of his life. As he grows into a young man, John struggles to understand his feelings of guilt and shame. Unable to talk to his taciturn father, he is drawn instead to the comfort and isolation of Faircliff Hall Seminary. There, he takes refuge in his faith and throws himself into h... read more
THE EIGHTY-FIVE BILLION EURO MAN (A humourous look at Ireland, the EU-IMF bailout and the Eurozone crisis Book 1)
Donal Conaty
The Eighty-Five Billion Euro Man is a hard-hitting satire of Ireland's EU IMF bailout and the Eurozone crisis by former Irish Times London Correspondent Donal Conaty. It takes a scathing swipe at the people untouched by austerity Ireland. The politicians, the senior civil servants, the bankers and the trade union officials.Walk into the Department of Finance in Dublin with €85 billion and you ... read more
The Eighty-Five Billion Euro Man is a hard-hitting satire of Ireland's EU IMF bailout and the Eurozone crisis by former Irish Times London Correspondent Donal Conaty. It takes a scathing swipe at the people untouched by austerity Ireland. The politicians, the senior civil servants, the bankers and the trade union officials.Walk into the Department of Finance in Dublin with €85 billion and you ... read more
Incitement
David Graham
WINNER THE JOHN MURRAY SHOW / RTE GUIDE / KAZOO COMPETITION A brutal conflict unleashed. Who stands to win? A bloody massacre at a Mexican heroin refinery; a Miami-bound freight ship hijacked for its cargo of illegal narcotics; the ruthless assassination of a Kosovar drug lord - a war has erupted between two drugs superpowers. As DEA Agent Diane Mesi investigates she becomes convinced that the... read more
WINNER THE JOHN MURRAY SHOW / RTE GUIDE / KAZOO COMPETITION A brutal conflict unleashed. Who stands to win? A bloody massacre at a Mexican heroin refinery; a Miami-bound freight ship hijacked for its cargo of illegal narcotics; the ruthless assassination of a Kosovar drug lord - a war has erupted between two drugs superpowers. As DEA Agent Diane Mesi investigates she becomes convinced that the... read more
Music for Valentine
Gregory Raftery
1954. The South Connemara coast. Idyllic summer days. Then a tragedy. Valentine, a young lad from Dublin lies dead, splayed on a rock at the cross. There are three young witnesses: Sally, Wally and Deirdre.Questions surrounding the tragic death and the identity of his friend preoccupy Wally both then and later, as he works his way through life in different European cities and landscapes.To pen... read more
1954. The South Connemara coast. Idyllic summer days. Then a tragedy. Valentine, a young lad from Dublin lies dead, splayed on a rock at the cross. There are three young witnesses: Sally, Wally and Deirdre.Questions surrounding the tragic death and the identity of his friend preoccupy Wally both then and later, as he works his way through life in different European cities and landscapes.To pen... read more
No Bother: New Writing by Dundalk Writers
Dundalk Writers
No Bother is a collection of new creative writing from Dundalk writers, compiled and edited by 2012/13 DkIT writer in residence, Ferdia Mac Anna. This book rocks!
No Bother is a collection of new creative writing from Dundalk writers, compiled and edited by 2012/13 DkIT writer in residence, Ferdia Mac Anna. This book rocks!
Nothing Simple
Lia Mills
Ray didn’t want to leave Ireland for America, but when her husband Dermot found work there she went with him. They settled in a hot and murky Texas suburb where nothing was quite what it seemed. Now, ten years and four children later, recession has hit Texas. Dermot’s career – like their marriage – has stalled, and he says it’s time to go back to Dublin. But Ray’s not so sure she can trust his... read more
Ray didn’t want to leave Ireland for America, but when her husband Dermot found work there she went with him. They settled in a hot and murky Texas suburb where nothing was quite what it seemed. Now, ten years and four children later, recession has hit Texas. Dermot’s career – like their marriage – has stalled, and he says it’s time to go back to Dublin. But Ray’s not so sure she can trust his... read more
Off the Rails: Love Your Look
Sonya Lennon, Brendan Courtney
Self-Printed: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing (3rd Edition)
Catherine Ryan Howard
The fully-revised and updated third edition of Catherine Ryan Howard's pragmatic 'how to' self-publishing guide Do you think that no one has the right to stand between you and your published writer dreams? That the publishing industry is going down in flames and self-publishers are going to rise like a 99c phoenix from the ashes? That all literary agents are interested in doing is blogging sar... read more
The fully-revised and updated third edition of Catherine Ryan Howard's pragmatic 'how to' self-publishing guide Do you think that no one has the right to stand between you and your published writer dreams? That the publishing industry is going down in flames and self-publishers are going to rise like a 99c phoenix from the ashes? That all literary agents are interested in doing is blogging sar... read more
Split: True Stories of Relationship Breakdown in Ireland
Rachel Fehily
Anorexia and other Eating Disorders: how to help your child eat well and be well: Practical solutions, compassionate communication tools and emotional support for parents of children and teenagers
Eva Musby
(Release date: by 6 November 2014. Price reduced by 25% till 9 November)Parents are best placed to help their teenager or young child beat an eating disorder, yet most struggle to know what to do and how to do it. In Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders, Eva Musby draws on her family's successful use of evidence-based treatment to empower you to support your child through recovery. Learn practi... read more
(Release date: by 6 November 2014. Price reduced by 25% till 9 November)Parents are best placed to help their teenager or young child beat an eating disorder, yet most struggle to know what to do and how to do it. In Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders, Eva Musby draws on her family's successful use of evidence-based treatment to empower you to support your child through recovery. Learn practi... read more
Change a Little to Change a Lot: Simple Ways to Bring Balance to Your Busy Lifestyle
Karen Ward
If Your Body is Trying to Tell You Something.... Listen! Change a Little to Change a Lot is a hands-on guide to restoring balance to your busy lifestyle. Karen shows how the holistic approach to improving your life is easy to achieve. Packed with easy to follow tips, the book reveals how to assess and improve all aspects of your life, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. By changing one ... read more
If Your Body is Trying to Tell You Something.... Listen! Change a Little to Change a Lot is a hands-on guide to restoring balance to your busy lifestyle. Karen shows how the holistic approach to improving your life is easy to achieve. Packed with easy to follow tips, the book reveals how to assess and improve all aspects of your life, physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. By changing one ... read more
The Fertility Code
Dermot O'Connor
Open, How Learning to Live From the Heart Changed Everything, and Can for You Too
Eoin McCabe
‘Our own life has to be our message’ – Thich Nhat HanhOpen is for those who are tired of trying to be happy, of trying to succeed or change, and want to let go of old ways of thinking and being. From being cynical and living in his head,Eoin McCabe describes how he was broken open by life experiences such as a broken marriage, the loss of loved ones and feelings of isolation and depression, an... read more
‘Our own life has to be our message’ – Thich Nhat HanhOpen is for those who are tired of trying to be happy, of trying to succeed or change, and want to let go of old ways of thinking and being. From being cynical and living in his head,Eoin McCabe describes how he was broken open by life experiences such as a broken marriage, the loss of loved ones and feelings of isolation and depression, an... read more
Stop Feeding Your Cancer: One Doctor's Journey
Dr John Kelly
The link between animal protein and cancer became global news with the publication of an international lab study a decade ago. The facts were startling: a diet rich in animal and dairy products was shown to stimulate cancer cell growth. But conventional medical institutions apparently overlooked the obvious. Counteracting the disease by promoting an animal protein free diet could be a revoluti... read more
The link between animal protein and cancer became global news with the publication of an international lab study a decade ago. The facts were startling: a diet rich in animal and dairy products was shown to stimulate cancer cell growth. But conventional medical institutions apparently overlooked the obvious. Counteracting the disease by promoting an animal protein free diet could be a revoluti... read more
Word of Mouth: Coping with and Surviving, Mouth, Head and Neck Cancers
Every year 300–400 people are diagnosed with mouth, head and neck cancers in Ireland. It can be a difficult and challenging time for patients and the people who care about them. If you’ve recently been diagnosed, you might be feeling overwhelmed. You’re meeting a bewildering number of medical staff, many in areas completely new to you, and you’re hearing a lot of unfamiliar medical terms. You ... read more
Every year 300–400 people are diagnosed with mouth, head and neck cancers in Ireland. It can be a difficult and challenging time for patients and the people who care about them. If you’ve recently been diagnosed, you might be feeling overwhelmed. You’re meeting a bewildering number of medical staff, many in areas completely new to you, and you’re hearing a lot of unfamiliar medical terms. You ... read more
16 Dead Men: The Easter Rising Executions
Anne-Marie Ryan
Sixteen men were executed in the aftermath of the Easter Rising in Ireland, 1916: fifteen were shot and one was hanged. Their deaths changed the course of Irish history. But who were these leaders who set in motion events that would lead to the creation of an independent Ireland? Teachers, poets, trade unionists, a shopkeeper, and a farmer, the executed leaders of the Easter Rising were a dive... read more
Sixteen men were executed in the aftermath of the Easter Rising in Ireland, 1916: fifteen were shot and one was hanged. Their deaths changed the course of Irish history. But who were these leaders who set in motion events that would lead to the creation of an independent Ireland? Teachers, poets, trade unionists, a shopkeeper, and a farmer, the executed leaders of the Easter Rising were a dive... read more
The Gpo: Two Hundred Years of History
Stephen Ferguson
Work began on constructing a new General Post Office building in what was then Sackville Street in 1814. In the 200 years that have passed since then the building has been witness to, and in many cases host to, some of the most dramatic events this country has ever seen. Ferguson details the story of the building and the evolution of the postal service in Ireland, the great upheaval of the 191... read more
Work began on constructing a new General Post Office building in what was then Sackville Street in 1814. In the 200 years that have passed since then the building has been witness to, and in many cases host to, some of the most dramatic events this country has ever seen. Ferguson details the story of the building and the evolution of the postal service in Ireland, the great upheaval of the 191... read more
Slim with Tina: The Easy Way to Lose Weight and Keep It Off
Tina Murphy
This book is a complete lifestyle guide by Tina Murphy, founder and creator or the popular Run with Tina and Slim with Tina programs that have helped thousands of people to transform their lives. Tina's easy to follow plan will teach you everything you need to know about nutrition and healthy eating, show you how to see food and your health in a new way so that you can lose weight easily, with... read more
This book is a complete lifestyle guide by Tina Murphy, founder and creator or the popular Run with Tina and Slim with Tina programs that have helped thousands of people to transform their lives. Tina's easy to follow plan will teach you everything you need to know about nutrition and healthy eating, show you how to see food and your health in a new way so that you can lose weight easily, with... read more
Entertaining with Andrew Rudd: Mouthwatering Recipes and Inspiring Party Ideas
Andrew Rudd
Andrew Rudd shares his passion for delicious food and stylish entertaining in this beautifully illustrated cookbook that draws on his years of experience as a top chef. Divided into seven chapters, each crammed full of scrumptious and easy-to-follow recipes, Entertaining with Andrew Rudd contains great ideas for every party occasion. Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner for two, an al fre... read more
Andrew Rudd shares his passion for delicious food and stylish entertaining in this beautifully illustrated cookbook that draws on his years of experience as a top chef. Divided into seven chapters, each crammed full of scrumptious and easy-to-follow recipes, Entertaining with Andrew Rudd contains great ideas for every party occasion. Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner for two, an al fre... read more
Passionate Crusaders: How Members of the U.S. War Refugee Board Saved Jews and Altered American Foreign Policy during World War II
Heather Voight
Passionate Crusaders tells the gripping story of a few righteous Americans who sought to do what many thought impossible in 1944—save Jews who had not yet been murdered in the Holocaust. By January 1944, Treasury Department officials Henry Morgenthau, John Pehle, and Josiah DuBois had already convinced President Franklin Roosevelt to create the War Refugee Board, an agency with the authority t... read more
Passionate Crusaders tells the gripping story of a few righteous Americans who sought to do what many thought impossible in 1944—save Jews who had not yet been murdered in the Holocaust. By January 1944, Treasury Department officials Henry Morgenthau, John Pehle, and Josiah DuBois had already convinced President Franklin Roosevelt to create the War Refugee Board, an agency with the authority t... read more
Boiling Point: My Adventures in the Restaurant Game
Nick Munier, Esther McCarthy
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Allister Thompson
An editor of award-winning fiction and nonfiction with twenty years of devoted experience helping authors bring their projects to fruition.
North Bay, ON, Canada
Michelle Mariano
PhD creative writer and editor for general, trade, and academic content. I edit in Chicago, MLA, APA, AP, and GPO. Chicago is my favorite.
Baltimore, MD, United States