Tanya Simmons, Editor in Toulouse, France

Overview

I’m a book editor with 20+ years of experience specialising in non-fiction and educational publishing.

I’ve worked in-house and freelance with major publishers including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Pearson and Macmillan, editing textbooks, professional titles and trade non-fiction. My work focuses on structure, clarity, tone and consistency, helping authors produce content that is accurate, readable and fit for purpose.

Alongside publishing, I’ve worked as in principal communications specialist positions with several Australian government departments, editing complex material for clarity, accessibility and audience understanding. This experience translates directly to non-fiction authors who need their ideas expressed clearly and effectively.

I offer copyediting and proofreading across a wide range of non-fiction projects, including educational texts, professional books and general non-fiction.

Clients value a clear, thorough and collaborative approach. I provide direct, practical feedback and meet deadlines reliably.

I also have extensive experience editing Buddhist philosophy because of my work as an editor for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Currently I am a book editor for the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, and I am in the third year of the FPMT Master's Program at Nalanda Monastery, a seven-year course in esoteric Mahayana Buddhist philosophy.

Services

Developmental Editing

Copy Editing

Proofreading

Non-Fiction

Buddhism Education & Reference Humanities & Social Sciences Writing & Publishing

Languages

English (AUS) English (NZ) English (UK)

Work experience

Learning Designer and Content Developer

Pearson

Jan, 2020 — Apr, 2023 (about 3 years)

• Developed and refined digital educational content with a focus on clarity and structure. • Applied editorial judgment to improve readability and user understanding.

Senior Project Editor

Cengage Learning

Nov, 2007 — May, 2017 (over 9 years)

• Managed development and delivery of higher education titles. • Edited and coordinated authors and production teams to ensure quality and consistency.

Editor and proofreader

Self-employed

Jan, 2007 — Present

• Book editing and proofreading across non-fiction and educational titles. • Clients include Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, Pearson and Macmillan.

Principal Adviser, Accessible Communication

Department of Premier and Cabinet

Dec, 2022 — Apr, 2023 (4 months)

• Led editorial and communications work to improve clarity, accuracy and accessibility of public information across the Victorian Government. • Developed whole‑of‑government standards and guidance endorsed by senior executives to strengthen inclusivity of public information.

Principal Communications Outbreak Officer

Department of Families, Fairness and Housing

Jan, 2022 — Dec, 2022 (11 months)

• Fast editorial work for the COVID-19 emergency response, synthesising rapidly changing legal, policy and operational information. • Redesigned information architecture, reducing more than 65,000 words to approximately 3,000 while improving comprehension and compliance.

Senior Communication Advisor

Essential Services Commission

Sep, 2020 — Jan, 2021 (4 months)

• Managed publications and design outputs. • Edited and reviewed internal briefing and public-facing content for consistency, tone and audience comprehension.