Anya Hastwell
Advanced Professional Member| Location | Based in London, UK – working fully remote |
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| Website | Languawitchery Wordcraft |
UK-based human with two decades' experience in publishing and editorial ⏃ "A pleasure to work with"
Do you need a reliable, yet insightful editor for your text?
Someone with extensive experience in non-fiction areas such as medicine, health & well-being, history and technology?
Well hello – my name is Anya, and I provide copy-editing, proofreading and writing to publishers, businesses and individuals who want their text to be as good as it can and should be.
With two decades’ experience in publishing and an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP; formerly the SfEP), I have had the pleasure of working on a myriad of different materials: books and journal manuscripts; B2B magazines and press releases; website copy; and even high-profile events invitations for a variety of clients – please see below for what some of them have to say.
But that’s not to say I’m a Jack (or should that be Jacqueline?) of all trades: it would be fair to say that I’ve developed a specialism for texts on medicine, health and well-being. Portfolio can be provided upon request.
Copyediting ⏃ Proofreading ⏃ Writing Support
I typically work with:
- Publishers of research-driven and peer-reviewed texts that enlighten and command progress in the fields of medicine, health, and well-being.
- Forward-thinking businesses with innovation – and integrity – at heart.
- Organisations that empower people to make informed choices regarding their own health and well-being.
- People who aren’t afraid to make a change or speak out when they know that things (i.e. their writing, or the world!) could be better.
You can read what they have to say about me in 'Testimonials', if you scroll further down this page.
Science • Technology • Medical (allopathic and holistic) • STM • Memoir • Biography • Autobiography • Creative non-fiction • Health and well-being • Bioethics • History • Architecture • Arts • Culture
Skills and expertise
- Copyediting (on-screen)
- Proofreading (on-screen using Acrobat’s in-built mark-up tools)
- Creative content writing and communications – a few examples here
- WordPress CMS
- MS Word styles, templates and macros
- UK and US English (Anglicising or Americanizing)
- Most well-known style guides
- Fact-checking, if the project requires
Software
I use both Mac and Windows 10 operating systems with up-to-date, reputable anti-virus scanning programs and robust back-up systems that are used regularly, and use the following software:
- Word V.16 for on-screen copyediting; I also use PerfectIt and various macros to optimise efficiency
- MS Office 365 suite (including the latest versions of Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).
- Acrobat Reader DC for proofreading, using its in-built mark-up comment tools
- Google Docs, depending on the project + requirements
- Trello
- ClickUp
- Toggl Track
Experience & clients
Who I've worked with:
Oxford University Press • Taylor & Francis • Routledge • Open City • Cats Protection • Class Professional Publishing • WhiteFox • Quota Books • Hodder • Quintessence Publishing • Copernicus Publications • Oemus Media • Itad • Tomorrow’s Company
Relevant past-life in-house experiences:
- Desk Editor, Quintessence Publishing, 2010–14
- Assistant Editor, UK and International Press, 2010
- Production Assistant, Auto Trader, 2008–09
- Editorial Assistant, Immediate Network, 2006–07
- Editorial Assistant, Cava Media, 2005–06
Academic qualifications
- Master of Arts (MA) degree, Creative Writing, University of Hull Online (2021–2023) – Merit
- Bachelor of Arts (BA) Honours degree, English Literature, University of Roehampton (2003)
Training & professional development
- Plain English for Editors (CIEP) 2022
- Copyright: How to get what you want in the digital age (Publishing Training Centre) 2019
- Medical Editing (CIEP, then SfEP) 2017
- Brush Up Your Grammar (CIEP, then SfEP) 2017
- Copyediting 2: Headway (CIEP, then SfEP) 2017
- Efficient Editing: Strategies and tactics (CIEP, then SfEP) 2016
- Editing with Word (CIEP, then SfEP) 2016
- Proofreading 2: Progress (CIEP, then SfEP) 2016
- Advanced Copyediting (Publishing Training Centre) 2011
- Subediting and Design – Distinction (London School of Journalism) 2006
- NCTJ Certificate in Periodical Journalism (NCTJ) 2003
- Freelance Feature Writing – Honours Diploma (London School of Journalism) 1997
PLUS: Attendance at the CIEP annual conference, either in person or online, since 2017.
Subjects
Science • Technology • Medical (allopathic and holistic) • STM • Memoir • Biography • Autobiography • Creative non-fiction • Health and well-being • Bioethics • History • Architecture • Arts • Culture
Testimonials
Anya is a highly accomplished scientific editor. She worked for us for four years editing our dental books and journals to a high standard and, since leaving us to go freelance, she has continued to edit our books in an accurate and timely manner.
General Manager, Quintessence Publishing
Thank you so much for this excellent edit of the document. I was very impressed by your eye for detail and consistency, as well as your clear give with eloquence.
Author, Shakespeare and the Afterlife
Anya was a pleasure to work with. Timely, detail-oriented and responsive which made the entire process smooth and efficient. I highly recommend Anya and would work with her again.
Indie author, anon
What a pleasure it has been to work with Anya. She took on a very tricky scientific title at short notice and carried out an efficient, high-quality copyedit to the tightest of deadlines, sending regular updates and doing her utmost to make the whole process as smooth as possible. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again and will be recommending her to any of my publishing clients who are looking to expand their list of excellent contributors.
Anna Stevenson, Freelance Publishing Professional
I approached Anya because of a backlog we had at the scientific publisher I work for. She was very willing to help and took on a number of manuscripts. In addition to her core copyediting skills, she also possesses solid computer skills, which is essential because we work with LaTeX. In open-access publishing, we also have strict deadlines that we have to adhere to, but she had no problems meeting them. My experience with Anya has been a pleasant one, and I would recommend her services to other publishing houses.
Copy-Editing Team Coordinator, Copernicus GmbH
Your amends are brilliant and very helpful, so thank you very much for taking the time to work on this.
Project Manager, Open City (for Open House festival guide 2019 + other Open City documents)
Anya has provided us with excellent copy to help promote the work of Cats Protection and is a pleasure to work with.
Media Officer, Cats Protection