editorial
editing
I'm an experienced and passionate editor of commercial non-fiction who loves working closely with authors to deliver new and exciting books they can be proud of for the rest of their lives.
I will not rest until a book is as good as it can possibly be.
I have over a decade of editorial experience working with bestselling authors and major brands and I'm a safe and collaborative pair of editorial hands who's just as comfortable coming up with awesome new book propositions as I am editing manuscripts.
I'm available for:
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workshopping and developing book ideas with authors, agents and/or editors
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writing, editing or tidying up proposals and covering notes
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structural, developmental and line editing or book doctor work
<< some of the books and authors I've commissioned and edited
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Some projects I've been working on:
1/ In January 2024, I ghosted a women's lifestyle proposal for the next book from a well-known bestselling author and TV presenter resulting in a strong 5-figure pre-empt from one of the Big Three
2/ Before the birth of my second child in November 2022, I worked on three wonderful edits:
i/ A compelling motivational thought leadership title by bestselling author, MIT alum and former planetary physicist, and Johns-Hopkins award-winning strategic growth advisor Don Schminke.
ii/ A timely and original earth-based therapeutic handbook by environmental arts therapist Sarah West.
iii/ An ambitious cross-genre manifesto bringing together philosophy, technology and social science to tackle humanity's big questions, by female technologist, business leader and management consultant Surya Ramkumar.
3/ I also played a pivotal role in securing a Big Three publishing deal, following a hotly contested bidding war, for Nova Gibson, an Australian counsellor specialising in narcissistic abuse, who'd I'd been approached by via Reedsy for my editorial services:
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Saw potential in her manuscript when no other editors did
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Advised creating a proposal to secure an agent instead of editing the full manuscript as requested
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Developed stand-out proposal with the author, advised agents to approach, & made approaches on her behalf
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This saw her secure a literary agent, followed by a significant deal with HarperCollins Australia. Fake Love was published Aug '23 and became Australia's bestselling practical self-help book of 2023.
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Rights sold in the US, UK and New Zealand
I had the pleasure of working with psychotherapist Owen O'Kane on the manuscript for his third book, How to Be Your Own Therapist which HarperCollins published in June 2022. HTBYOT became a Sunday Times bestseller, an Irish bestseller and an Amazon No.1 bestseller across all Books.
Having been Owen's editor for his second book Ten Times Happier when I was in-house, I was so pleased to be asked by Owen to work with him again almost as soon as I went freelance, both on developing the concept and structure, and on the edit itself.
He is such a joy to work with and his third book is his best yet.
Image © Nicky Johnston
I spent a good portion of 2022 working with the inimitable powerhouse that is Jennifer Loyall, CEO of leading Texas-based medical insurance brokerage Loyall Group, editing and project-managing her first book: The New Dentist's Playbook: The Path to a Purpose-Filled Career, Without Burnout.
Jennifer approached me via Reedsy, and her manuscript read as a fresh take on The White Coat Investor.
Having worked with US medical professionals for many years, and had a work/life epiphany of her own that led to her taking up flower- and Christmas tree-farming, hiking and campaigning against human trafficking alongside her role as CEO, Jennifer was motivated to help young dentists avoid the pitfalls she'd seen many a talented dentist fall foul of.
Together, we undertook a full edit of her manuscript, linked Jen up with trusted UK-based publishers whitefox, who I knew from my experience with Gary (see below) could produce the high-spec book Jen was envisioning and publish it well, we figured out a brilliant title and I put Jen in touch with the Couper St Type Company, who worked up a strong cover design.
Then, once the manuscript had been edited, Jen narrated her own audiobook in a studio in Texas - all managed from whitefox's offices in London.
The New Dentist's Playbook was published in April 2023, and, as of the end of 2023, continues to be in the Top 5 Endodontics books on Amazon.com, and has attracted unanimous 5* reviews.
Images © OWLSTUDIO London 2021
Winner of Coaching Book of the Year 2022
awarded by Henley Business School
I spent much of 2021 working closely with Dr Gary Crotaz PhD on every aspect of his independently published thought leadership book The IDEA Mindset: Figure Out What You Want from Work and How to Get It, in 6 Weeks, which was released by whitefox in January 2022.
Gary's a really impressive guy. A Cambridge-educated doctor and scientist turned consultant, professional ballroom dancer and Group Strategy Director to two global retail giants, now leading executive and mindset coach to global executives, entrepreneurs and UHNWIs, he wanted the autonomy of self-publishing combined with the quality of a traditional publishing house.
Together we assembled a crack team of experts in marketing, PR, design who would help Gary realise his ambitious vision.
Having edited the manuscript so it inspired readers while allowing Gary's incredible career journey to sing, we created a trade edition incorporating cool and functional text design and illustrations, a beautiful exclusive special edition of the print book, complete with jacket, gold foil, and super thick cream paper that positively begged to be written on (The IDEA Mindset is as much a workbook as it is narrative) for Gary's most high-profile clients.
We created a studio-recorded audiobook (with exclusive bonus Q&A with Hollywood actress Marietta Melrose), and finally, of course, an eBook - also with its own exclusive content.
The results speak for themselves:
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Won Henley Business School's Coaching Book of the Year 2022 award
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Stack of unanimous 5* reviews across Amazon and Audible
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pieces in the Telegraph, the Metro, The Sunday Times, an appearance on talkRADIO and multiple podcast guest appearances
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stand-out quotes from retired Harvard professor Vicki Sato PhD (a member of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology), Chairman of the Women of the Future Pinky Lilani CBE DL, Google's Senior Counsel David Shanks, Chief Exec of Business in the Community Amanda Mackenzie OBE and author of Fear of Missing Out Patrick McGinnis, among others
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Gary's book sales plus business resulting directly from the book meant he broke even on the full publication and print cost within just a month of release
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Sales exceeding many of our closest traditionally published competitors
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Mandarin translation deal & publication in Taiwan
I was approached by Hannah Powell, a student of Michael Heppell's Write That Book Masterclass, and Comms and PR Director at an award-winning family-owned garden centre, to help her refine her proposal and first 10,000 words before sending it out to agents.
Her memoir, The Cactus Surgeon, was about using nature to fix a faulty brain, and her proposal was already strong, but I gave Hannah comprehensive feedback both on the market for nature memoirs, and how she could improve the text.
Hannah ultimately decided to self-publish, and her book subsequently won the inaugural Selfies Award 2022 for best memoir.
Hannah talked about working with me, her writing process and her decision to self-publish in an interview she gave to Bookbrunch.
writing
Any good editor will tell you they've done their fair share of writing and I'm no exception. I really enjoy getting stuck in with this side of things and will happily write anything from pitches to cover copy.
I also ghost non-fiction proposals and cookery (on which note, I love a good cookbook and have amassed a pretty decent collection that are read before bed in the same way other people read thrillers. Anna Jones is my muse but I'm partial to a bit of Joe Wicks when the mood takes me).
I'm available for:
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writing pitches (author-to-agent, agent-to-publisher, or publisher-to-author...I'm flexible!)
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writing back and flap cover copy, and book product description copy
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ghostwriting non-fiction proposals and cookbooks
reading
Whether you need someone to speed read submissions pre-Frankfurt, get to grips with your burgeoning slush pile, whittle down award entries or you need a quick reader's report on a manuscript before you go out with it, I'm here to help.
Always happy to write reports with useful, actionable feedback as well as personalised and sensitive responses suitable for simply copying, pasting and sending.