Overview
Whether you're after a detailed copy edit, a proofread of your finished manuscript, or help seeing a book through from development to publication, I'll approach your project with tact, dedication and a firm commitment to excellence. I've worked with a wide range of debut and seasoned authors and pride myself on offering an outstanding service regardless of your prior experience with publishing; I'll happily explain its mysteries to a first-timer! As an occasional writer myself, I sympathise with the challenges authors face and will always take time to explain my decisions or talk over options with my clients.
I've edited books about contemporary culture, social and medical history, all that's curious and arcane, and a number that are best described as cross-genre. See below for a selection of titles I've worked on (NB: these are pulled automatically from Amazon – the marketing copy there is not written by me, nor can I edit it).
I'm also a Cordon-Bleu trained chef with several years' professional kitchen experience, and would consider combining my cuisine and editorial skillsets to work on recipe books, food memoirs, or similar titles. If that would be of interest to you, please feel free to get in touch.
Services
Non-Fiction
Languages
Work experience
Self-employed
Reading submissions, researching, writing, copy editing, proofreading and project editing for independent authors, publishers and literary agents. Past clients have included Wide Eyed Editions, Thames and Hudson, Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, and The Hotspur (a parish magazine reviewed in the Independent on Sunday). This began as a sideline in 2014 while I was employed full-time, and I'm delighted to finally be able to dedicate all my time to providing top-notch editorial services on a freelance basis.
Thames & Hudson
I formed an integral part of the small, close-knit Illustrated Reference team at Thames and Hudson, helping to manage Tristan de Lancey's list of popular, profitable illustrated non-fiction titles throughout the production process. I took responsibility for all aspects of the editorial workflow, including research; sales and book fair presentations; development and copy editing; writing captions and other content; proofreading; managing workflow; briefing freelancers; coordinating information; and cleaning up metadata.
I contributed to over thirty published books, including the award-winning Bitten By Witch Fever; cult medical trilogy The Sick Rose, Crucial Interventions, and The Smile Stealers; and pop-culture blockbusters Sinatra 100, Hip Hop Raised Me, and The Jacksons Legacy. As part of my job, I regularly worked with high-profile institutions and individuals including Universal Music, EMI Archive Trust, Frank Sinatra Enterprises, DJ Semtex, Aubrey Powell, The Jacksons, Wellcome Collection, The National Archives, and London School of Economics.
I was proud to be a key member of the development team for the groundbreaking The Big Idea series, contributing title and concept ideas that carried through to the final product; managing the first four series titles to completion; and carrying out a partial rewrite and detailed structural edit that prevented one title from being dropped.
I wrote original text for several projects, including an extra chapter for one book, and full captions with magazine titles in ten different Asian scripts for another. I also worked in part as a picture editor, including clearing images with copyright holders in 18 different countries for comics title Mangasia.
The Green Economics Institute
I collated articles and images to form coherent books for this independent publisher and academic institute, taking a lead role in two. I commissioned work from others, contributed my own writing, and negotiated rights for text and images. I worked on all aspects of the editorial process, from copy editing/proofreading to image placement and final layout. I also presented a paper from The Greening of Food, Farming and Agriculture and promoted the Institute at the 2013 Green Economics Institute conference at Worcester College, Oxford.
Portfolio
