I am Maria Carter, a highly experienced and highly qualified Senior Editor and a true Publishing Professional. I have spent my entire career in the industry - around 35 years in total, the first 15 of which were spent in employment in diverse publishing environments, and the subsequent 20 as a freelance with my own companies. During this long career, I gradually expanded my skillset to meet my clients' growing needs, and can now support them in every aspect of publishing, from first draft to publication and beyond into marketing. Together with my extensive industry knowledge, I set up as a publisher in my own right in 2011 as Swan & Horn, with a focus on healthcare. I carry out all editorial and production processes myself, thus offering my authors (and clients) absolute continuity.I share my time between helping self-publishing authors and businesses, and publishing my own books. It's an exciting and rewarding mix - possibly the best job in the world!
If you want to work with me, check out my Professional Promises below.
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Swan & Horn's titles,
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CLIENT SERVICES
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Who do I work with?
I work with authors of fiction and non-fiction who intend to self-publish or submit their manuscripts to mainstream publishers, and with businesses who need help with internal, external and online documentation, including promotional materials.
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Why work with me?
Primarily because all my clients feel editorially and professionally safe with me. That's because they can trust my unusually broad industry knowledge and publishing skillset and my high editorial standards. They appreciate that I can make their lives much easier by seeing their projects through every stage of the publishing process, should they wish, with guaranteed continuity, and produce documents of a standard that rivals the very best mainstream publishers. They can opt for a single service or several services, all at the same basic hourly rate, and there are no restrictions on when they do this, or on opting out at a later date.
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What can I do for you?
Through me, you can access the full suite of editorial, design and production services required for making books and other documents from inside out, from front to back, and from first draft to final publication on one or more platforms (eg digital and print). I remove uncertainty and confusion, inspire and motivate, and endeavour always to make a commonly stressful experience enjoyable. My clients also benefit from the realistic and honest publishing advice I give freely along the way, and at all times feel involved in the process.
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If you want to delve into my qualifications, background, experience and professional affiliations, look at my About page, and explore how I can help you on my Services page.
PUBLISHING WITH S&H
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What do Swan & Horn publish?
IIt's all about Education Education Education! We commission a handful of titles each year on health-related topics for adults and children and for medical and educational professionals.. The aim is to inspire fresh thinking about challenges that we all face, particularly tricky subjects and those that are still viewed as 'taboo'. Our illustrated children's books convey gentle wellness messages through relatable tales and lovable characters.
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Do Swan & Horn make good books?
Our books are top notch! They are known for their high quality, both in terms of their content and design, and their production. Because we are independent and want to deliver the best reader experience, we even produce unusual formats with bespoke sizes (such as the Ellie's Adventures book) and bespoke covers (such as the Humanitarian Surgery book).
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What is it like to publish with Swan & Horn?
It is a uniquely rewarding experience - you won't get anything like it with a mainstream publisher. Having worked on both sides of the publishing fence, I know how authors (and books) are usually handled. But I also know what authors want - the levels of connection, continuity and flexibility they need. And this is what I deliver! Some of our authors were published before with mainstream publishing houses, and are quick to point out the enormous difference between Swan & Horn and these organisations, where the publisher, editors (various types), typesetters, indexers, designers and marketeers are all separate people. At Swan & Horn, they deal with me alone, and because I carry out every task, even the design and indexing, the book benefits from my knowledge of it across the board, increasing quality and efficienty. To find out more about Swan & Horn's publishing scope, look here.
