What I’ve done
I’m a multi-skilled publishing professional. Since 2005 I’ve worked on hundreds of projects for publishers. As well as copy-editing and proofreading all kinds of material—everything from advanced computer science textbooks and research papers in mathematics to children’s novels—I have used my skills with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to typeset illustrated books. I’ve designed several full-colour book covers. In 2007 I also wrote a book myself.
My clients
A lot of publishing jobs are one-offs, of course, but some relationships with clients go on for years and years. Among my most faithful have been Sunrise Setting and Girls Gone By.
A few editorial projects
I edited some of these in Microsoft Word (or OpenOffice), and for some I used LaTeX. I’m happy working in either. Some were written in British and some in American English—again, I can do both.
Some books I’ve typeset
Professional membership
I was an Advanced member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders from 2007 to 2017 (when I took a break from editorial work to focus on my software career). Advanced membership meant that in the view of the Society’s Admissions Panel I demonstrated a ‘high degree of competence and substantial experience’. (Since I left, the SfEP has received its Royal Charter and is now the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading; its membership grade system has also changed.)
Training for publishing
| year | provider | course |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | SfEP | Introduction to proofreading |
| 2004 | PTC | Basic proofreading by distance learning: obtained a Distinction |
| 2004 | SfEP | Proofreading problems |
| 2004 | SfEP | Working for non-publishers |
| 2005 | SfEP | Mentoring scheme |
| 2006 | SfEP | On-screen editing 1 |
| 2008 | SfEP | Professional copy-editing |
| 2009 | Society of Indexers | Introduction to indexing |
Education
1977–1981: Girton College, Cambridge
- 1980: BA Hons in Mathematics, Class II
- 1981: Diploma in Computer Science