Sarah Busby

Sarah Busby – Editor

Innovative editor and coach with 18 years' experience in publishing, specialising in business, career guides, psychology and self-help.

Overview

After 18 years in the publishing industry, I understand what the audience is looking for and the importance of shaping content for the market segment. With a background as a dedicated development editor before becoming a commissioning editor, I specialise in nurturing authors, their ideas and their manuscripts to ensure they reach their potential. I will ensure your book is polished, fit for market and will catch the reader's eye.

I have experience in a wide variety of topic areas including business and marketing, career guides, self-help and psychology, health and nursing, sociology, design, architecture, politics and criminology. I have also worked across many book types and audience levels including general readership and professional titles, pedagogically-rich textbooks, research titles and edited collections. More importantly, I have a proven track record with esteemed publishers such as Pearson Education, HarperCollins and Palgrave Macmillan as well as in smaller, institutional publishers such as the Royal Institute of British Architects.

I can provide tailor-made services from a high-level critique of your manuscript and its path to publication, to a 'deep', line-by-line development edit, tackling structure, style and scope and including a list of key recommendations. Alternatively, you may just need a consultation on how to approach publishers.

Most importantly, I will be there to guide you through the stresses and strains of writing your first book! It can be a tough but incredibly rewarding and unique experience and I'd like to be there every step of the way to make sure you achieve your goals.

Services
Non-Fiction
Business & Management Career Guides Design Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences Life Sciences Political Science & Current Affairs Psychology Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (SA) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Aug, 2015 — Present
As a freelancer, I have worked regularly with the top publishers including Pearson Education, Palgrave Macmillan and HarperCollins as a commissioning editor and development editor.

Royal Institute of British Architects

Apr, 2013 — Jul, 2015 (over 2 years)
As commissioning editor, I was responsible for titles in architectural history, architectural technology, career guides, health and safety and project management. I brought new authors to the press and helped to nurture and develop their ideas into fully fledged book projects.

Facet Publishing

May, 2010 — Dec, 2011 (over 1 year)
I was responsible for commissioning and developing titles in information and library science for a professional audience. This included a wide variety of topics including teaching methods, digital preservation, legal issues, design, museums and heritage, management and information literacy.

Pearson Education

Feb, 2008 — Apr, 2010 (about 2 years)
As a development editor, I worked on prestige titles across a wide variety of topics including business, marketing, psychology, law and health. I worked closely with authors to define their concept and aims and develop each chapter for their intended audience with an eye on marketability and accessibility.

Pearson Education

Sep, 2005 — Jan, 2008 (over 2 years)

Portfolio

The 5 Pillars of Amazon Wholesale

Ganim, Corey

Independently published

Practice your product design and UX skills. Prepare for your next job interview. Redesign the NYC metrocard system. Design a dashboard for a general practitioner. Redesign an ATM. Learn how to solve and present exercises like these, that top startups use to in... read more
This Toolkit provides you with everything you need to successfully market any library. As libraries continue to fight for their survival amid growing expectations, competition from online sources and wavering public perceptions, effective marketing is increasi... read more
Title: Marketing Binding: Paperback Author: Michael Solomon & Greg Marshall Publisher: Pearson Higher Education
Temporary architecture is flourishing in our urban public spaces. Branded 'pop-ups' and follies to provide a moment of light entertainment they are in fact borne of a long history of more holistic architecture that is subtly suggesting how we could live, work ... read more
What are the most important things a 21st-century library should do with its space? Each chapter in this cutting-edge text addresses this critical question, capturing the insights and practical ideas of leading international librarians, educators and designers... read more
This practical, hands on introduction guides you through the basics of undertaking research in day-to-day architectural practice helping you to exploit the growing opportunities on offer. It explores how developing a research specialism can improve the quality... read more
This is the designer's essential guide to implementing the new CDM 2015 regulations. It provides both a straightforward overview of the key changes and new duty holders, including the Principal Designer, as well as full colour diagrams and annotated plans whic... read more
used very good condition
Bim Management Handbook

Sarah has 61 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Tarja S.

Tarja S.

Jun, 2025

Working with Sarah has been one of the best decisions I made during my publishing journey. She took the editing process to the next level with her professionalism and attention to detail. Her ability to elevate the writing while preserving my voice was remarkable. Sarah’s thoughtful feedback and ...
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Sarah B.
Thanks so much Tarja! That's very kind. It was such a pleasure working with you.
Tina L.

Tina L.

Apr, 2025

Sarah Busby was absolutely wonderful to work with! She is organized, timely, thoughtful, thorough, and direct but kind in her feedback. I really appreciated all of her guidance as a first time author. I couldn't have done this without her.
Sarah B.
Thanks so much Tina!
Greg G.

Greg G.

Apr, 2025

Working with Sara was like having a secret weapon in my corner. She did the copy editing for my book From Dropout to CEO, and while I felt like I was back in 11th grade English with how many corrections she made — every single one was spot-on and made the book better. Her attention to detail was ...
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Sarah B.
Thanks so much Greg! I really enjoyed working with you.
Suzana W.

Suzana W.

Dec, 2024

Sarah Busby’s copyediting services exceeded my expectations in every way. I was prepared for a few minor edits, but she provided a remarkable range of improvements that genuinely surprised me. The quality of her work is unparalleled. Beyond her professional skills, Sarah’s cheerful demeanor, wit,...
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Shauna B.

Shauna B.

Nov, 2024

Sarah is magnificent. Her talent as an editor is unparalleled and her professionalism unrivaled. She delivered my manuscript well before deadline and exceeded all of my expectations. Her notes were clear and thorough and she took it upon herself to make specific, concrete suggestions. She support...
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Sarah B.
Thanks so much Shauna! I'd love to work with you again.

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