Editorial and other publishing services

Manuscript appraisal and editing for self-publishing

Are you an author in search of someone to cast an experienced and impartial eye over your article or book manuscript before submission to an agent or publisher? Or are you looking to self-publish your own work? Either way, I can help!

Getting your manuscript into optimum shape before you submit it is becoming more important than ever in today's competitive environment. If you have opted to go down the self-publishing route, then you will need to be sure that your text is as perfect as it can possibly be before you launch it into the marketplace.

Everyone’s read 'Eats, Shoots and Leaves', but it can still be hard to put all its advice into practice when actually engaged in the writing process.

Having your work reviewed by a fresh pair of eyes can be invaluable – you will feel more confident knowing that your text is accurate and consistent in its spelling, grammar, typography, heading structure, etc.

I can offer suggestions for enhancing sense and readability and, if desired, will double-check your facts and bibliographical and web references. Where necessary, and with prior consultation, I can re-write or rearrange your text to improve sense, structure and flow. Contact me to discuss exactly what it is that you require, and obtain a custom quote based on the level of appraisal and editorial intervention needed.

Copy editing

Specialising in academic non-fiction, I have copy edited countless student and practitioner legal and other textbooks, as well as looseleaf works, journals and law reports, and, most recently, online learning materials for students.

Whether making judicious use of a red pen on traditional hard-copy manuscript, or working on-screen on single-source or xml-coded Word files, I have established a reputation for turning the most ‘difficult’ of manuscripts into viable books, in a timely fashion.

Corporate clients include LexisNexis Butterworths, Cambridge University Press, Pearson Education, Bloomsbury Professional, Hodder, Etica Press, University of Wales Press and HK-Übersetzungen, Kiel – a list of recent titles is available on request.

Project management

I can provide a comprehensive project management service for publishers, and in recent years averaged some 30,000 pages per year, ranging from 4,000-page multi-volume looseleafs to short eight-page bulletins.

From submission of manuscript, through all the pre-press editorial stages (copy editing, proofreading, indexing, tabling) to typesetting (whether traditional, DTP or xml-based) and up to the preparation of print-ready files (including print buying where necessary), my long experience allows publishers to outsource with confidence.

Drawing on a wide network of established freelance copy editors, proofreaders, tablers, indexers and other proven contacts within the industry, many proven skill are brought together in my project management services. Effective and friendly author liaison, close monitoring of freelancers, regular reporting to clients and a commitment to maintaining agreed schedules are all integral to the package.

Flexibility is the key, however, and I can and will work with any combination of arrangements to get the client publisher what they want – namely, the book published on time and on budget.

Clients for project management include LexisNexis Butterworths, Tottel Ltd and Etica Press Ltd – a list of recent titles is available on request.

Typesetting

Although this is not such a high-profile aspect of my work as it once was, I still typeset a number of textbooks, law reports and journals, using Pagemaker 6.5. Current clients include Resolution.

Tabling services

I can prepare tables of legislation and cases for law textbooks, and checking cases cited in law reports – either in conjunction with other editorial work or as a stand-alone service. I have access to up-to-date online citators and a large range of other resources. Clients include LexisNexis Butterworths, Tottel Ltd, Cambridge University Press, Etica Press Ltd and Pearson Education.

Proofreading

I offer proofreading myself and also have access to a network of other experienced readers.

Effective proofreading is a key element in the publishing process, and is provided by me both as part of the range of services offered to publishers, and working directly with writers who want the added confidence of knowing that another pair of eyes has read through their text once it has been typeset.

Your proofreader will check and correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, errors and inconsistencies in the typography and layout, and any specific matters which require double-checking.

Abstracting and rewriting for web content and other media

If you need a precis, summary or shortened re-write of an existing text – whether for web content, promotional purposes or simply in order to publish a more easy-to-digest version of the original, then please get in touch and discuss exactly what it is you need. If necessary, I can provide you with a short sample of my suggested approach before coming up with a final quote.