A friendly and versatile copyeditor, proofreader and copywriter | NGO, B2B & public sector

Rush hour in the office? Help is at hand!

Copyediting: You've already written something, but know it’s not up to scratch. Let's finesse what you've got. It's a given that I'll check the basics such as grammar and spelling, but I'll also ensure concision, assess the concept, meaning and overall structure. Let's get ready to publish!

Copywriting: You may be struggling to find the time to write or your editorial team is under pressure. Panic over. I’ve spent my career working with words, so I’ll cherry-pick just the right ones to communicate your message. 

Proofreading: Everyone makes mistakes. Let me find them for you. I'll give your project a once-over before it’s immortalised in print or online. We all know that perfection requires teamwork.

Whatever your project type, let's take the stress out of your deadline.

Subject knowledge (feel free to throw me a curve ball)

• Global development issues: the climate and environmental crisis, healthcare, sustainable livelihoods, trade, economics, campaigns and policy, poverty, disaster emergency and relief, civil conflict, human rights, gender equality, religious oppression, ethnic minorities, community rights-based development, science and technology, corruption and transparency, counterterrorism education.
• Charity and philanthropy in the UK: issues affecting older people, social exclusion, disability, child protection and welfare, young people, refugees, religious persecution.
• Property and lifestyle: retail, commercial and residential architecture and design, awards, art, parklands, festivals, sports and community engagement, international travel, hotels and spas.
• Business: fintech, investment and innovation funding, human resources management, small- and medium-sized businesses and start-ups, construction, and education (mainly post-graduate level).
• Medical/healthcare: pharmaceuticals (marketing consultancy for patient experience and engagement resources), public health information, antenatal and postnatal healthcare, epidemics/diseases, water and sanitation.

My type of client (I particularly like the ones that pay well)

I write and edit for an eclectic mix of organisations and businesses. This is what I love about my job and what keeps me on my tippy-toes. A snapshot of clients: 

• Charity and NGOs: Transparency International, Global Witness, Syria Resilience Consortium, Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
• Public sector: Essex County Council, Social Mobility Commission, The Olympic Park (with a design agency), The Brandon Centre.
• B2B: International Property Media, Guildprime Specialist Contracts, Lundi, Harvey Nash Group.

For more, click here. 

My skills (NB: can't tap dance)

• Copyediting
• Proofreading
• Copywriting
• Editing non-native English
• Developmental/substantive editing
• Creative or editorial project management
• Website writing and editing
• Marketing consultancy
• Interviewing beneficiaries/customers for publication and research
• Photojournalism and international story-gathering
• Film and animation scriptwriting.

Media

• Research reports and analysis
• White papers/briefing papers
• Long-form thought leadership content
• Websites/microsites
• Blogs/social media
• Lifestyle and chartity magazines
• Corporate literature such as brochures, leaflets and internal comms
• Non-fiction books
• Educational courses and materials
• Annual reports (digital and print)
• Direct marketing literature, including fundraising and campaigning multimedia resources
• Scriptwriting, animation.

Qualifications and training (never stop learning!)

Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading: 

• Plain English for Editors
• Word for Practical Editing
• References
• Annual Conference 2020.

National Council for the Training of Journalists: ​​​​

• Writing for the Periodical Press
• Basics of Subediting
• Interviewing Skills
• Sharpening your English.

Communications, Advertising and Marketing Foundation: Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing.

City University: Advanced Features Writing, tutored by Guardian journalist Melissa Benn.

Educare/NSPCC: Child Protection Awareness; Somewhere to Turn to: Safeguarding Children and Young People.

BBC Training. Production Team Workshop. 

Aberystwyth University: BA Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft.

• I was a professional member of the The Professional Copywriters’ Network from 2016-2021 – the UK's largest association for commercial copywriters.
• Life before freelancing... I have 12 years' experience working in-house in marketing and communications for global NGOs.
• At the start of my career, I worked in scheduling and transmissions for BBC Programme Acquisition and as an assistant to three executive producers in BBC Single Drama and Films, including Gareth Neame and Simon Curtis.
• A highlight was standing behind Doctor Who in a queue in the BBC canteen. ;-)

Portfolio (need hard evidence?)

It's not all talk – take a look at my print and online portfolio here.

Let's talk bees and honey (money)

What does a copyeditor, proofreader or copywriter charge?

My day rate starts from £290. 

Get in touch and I'll get a wriggle on!

Tech stuff

Software and CMS experience includes: 

• Windows 10/Microsoft Office 2019
• Adobe Acrobat
• Past edited work in SharePoint, Tridion, Squarespace, WordPress, Wix, Moonfruit
• Basic and often daily use of project management and collaboration software: MS Teams, Google Workspace (previously G Suite), Trello, Dropbox, Asana, Slack
• Social media and apps: Hootsuite, Twitter, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Telegram.