Sectors & Services

SECTORS & SERVICES

After 30 years in the publishing industry, I mainly work for publishers of non-fiction books. However, my editorial skills and experience are transferable to any business sector and apply to digital media as well as print. I can also provide help to authors hoping to be published or planning to self-publish.

Publishers

Specialising in illustrated reference books, I offer a collaborative and integrated approach to editing, working closely with in-house teams and creative professionals to communicate information in a clear and visually exciting way.

 

Copy-editing

Depending on what is required, I can provide edited text as a Word document or work directly on page using the latest version of InDesign. Given that most authors I work with are experts in their field rather than writers, the editing process often involves rewriting or, in some cases, writing from scratch.

 

Project managing

I have an excellent track record managing projects from concept to print, delivering on time and to budget. This role involves liaising with authors, designers and photographers (briefing and providing editorial input at photo shoots), as well as expert authenticators, proofreaders and indexers. It can also include researching, writing synopses, book planning, and devising and monitoring achievable schedules.

 

Proofreading

I am happy to take on proofreading between editorial projects and can return marked-up hard copy or take in corrections in Indesign if preferred.

 

Anglicising

With an Anglo-American background and decades of experience in international publishing, I can provide an Anglicisation service for US or Canadian publications.

 

See the portfolio

Businesses

If you’re producing text for a website, brochure or newsletter, I can ensure that your message is communicated clearly and accurately to your target audience and provide you with a professional, polished product that will be a credit to your business.

 

Proofreading

Even if you write well, know your grammar and have a good eye for detail, you’ll often be too close to your own work to spot mistakes. Once you have finalised your text, I will read through it carefully to identify and eliminate grammar, punctuation and spelling/ typographical errors. If the text would benefit from further work, I may suggest a copy-edit (see below).

 

Copy-editing and writing

As well as correcting grammar, punctuation and spelling/typographical errors, I will focus on the structure, content and style of your text. The editing process may involve making a few minor tweaks and fine-tuning, fairly extensive restructuring and rewriting, or anything in between. Here are just some of the things I may do when copy-editing, depending on the level of work required:

 

  • • Improve the structure, organising material and information logically for clarity, flow and maximum impact.

 

  • • Make sure that the level of knowledge, the language and the tone are appropriate for the target audience.

 

  • • Query anything that is unclear and rewrite when necessary, without compromising your voice and approach.

 

  • • Reword awkward sentences and make the text more concise.

 

  • • Remove ambiguity and duplication, flag up inconsistencies and check facts for accuracy.

 

  • Where relevant, suggest images or infographics to aid the reader’s comprehension or to add interest.

 

Website consultation

A company website should be simple to navigate and communicate its message clearly to its target market. However, many sites are poorly structured or written, or riddled with mistakes, all of which give an impression of sloppiness, frustrate the user, and reflect badly on the business. If you’re creating a new website, I can help with your text and ensure your site is well structured and user-friendly. Alternatively, I can undertake a thorough check of your current site, offering suggestions for improvements, including restructuring, rewriting and proofreading.

 

Translations

Many people around the world have a high standard of English and feel confident enough to translate a company website or brochure from their native tongue into English. However, even a C2-level bilingual can miss subtle distinctions and nuances in a language that is not their mother tongue.

 

Whatever your level of English, I can check your translation and ensure it reflects your message clearly in content and tone, flows naturally as though a native speaker had written it, and is free of errors. With a BA Hons in German (and having successfully completed the C2-level German language course in Berlin’s Goethe Institute in 2020), I can also provide help with translating from German into perfect English.

 

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Authors

Have you written a book that you hope to have published or publish yourself? By now you’ve probably read it over and over again, have edited and re-edited it, and can’t see the wood for the trees any more. Perhaps you’ve struggled with the structure or particular sentences and need help, or would like someone who isn’t a friend or relative to read it through. Before you send your creation out into the world, you do need to have your work edited, or at the very least have it proofread by a professional. Being as close to the work as you are, there’s a very strong likelihood you’ll have missed some typographical errors and inconsistencies.

 

Whether you would like a structural edit, detailed copy-edit or simple proofread, please get in touch as I can help.

 

See the portfolio

See the portfolio

Get in touch

Please tell me a bit about your project, timeframe and budget, and we can take it from there.
Clients include: