ABOUT
I have been providing in-depth support to individuals and organisations throughout my freelance career, which began just over 20 years ago, following around 15 years' employment in different publishing settings. Over the years I have contributed to thousands of documents and books, and have been an Advanced Professional member of the internationally significant CIEP (former SfEP) from Day One. Nowadays, I wear many hats. Although I started off in employment as a Desk Editor, I worked my way up to senior level and I'm also a time-served and trained (as appropriate) Project Manager, Copy Writer, Typesetter, Designer, Indexer, Publishing Consultant, Book Author/Editor and Independent Publisher. I call myself an Editor Plus.
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My career began in medical science, but my love of literature was established many years before that. Combining my language skills and biomedical knowledge, I first became a Medical Writer, then an Academic STM Editor (Taylor & Francis), shifting into more diverse and more clinical roles with Adis, Adelphi, and ISI Thomson Reuters, while taking on more management responsibility at each point. But I missed working directly with authors and their raw content, so I decided to go freelance in 2000, initially providing biomedical content services as Shoreline BioMedical, while indulging my more creative side by extending my craft to the actual 'making' of books. I loved this new way of working, and my clients loved it too. After increasing demand for my services from fiction and non-fiction clients, I was approached by the NHS to publish their new coursebooks on patient safety. I eagerly took on the challenge, set up Swan & Horn, and incrementally widened my net to become a 'specialist' in all aspects of publishing. Find out more about my experiences, qualifications and training here. And see what some of my clients have to say about me (without being asked).
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MY PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS OVER THE LAST 5 YEARS
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MY WONDERFUL CORE SUPPORT TEAM
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I am supported at particularly busy times by a small but fantastic team of reliable professionals from established organisations, but my core team are always there to assist with other aspects of the business, as described below. Note that there is no disruption of continuity for my clients or authors, as I continue to liaise with them directly.
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European Association
of Science Editors
EUROPEAN MEDICAL WRITERS ASSOCIATION
HUGH CHARRIER CARTER
Hugh is my full-time office manager (and husband) with responsibility for logistics, order fulfilment and stock control, and support for bookseller visits, book festivals and launch events. He is a busy songwriter and musician who spent his entire career in the music industry. Before being diagnosed with terminal cancer, he ran music-therapy classes for adults with additional needs.
ROBIN J. GREEN
Robin is my new assistant publisher, who brings great energy and creativity to the daily business of running the company. A student of journalism, he is also a fiction writer and part-time philosopher, and will gradually take on all aspects of the publishing life cycle, from dealing with manuscripts to paying royalties, from print buying and distribution to promotion, marketing and beyond.
HANNAH PHILIPS
Hannah's career has been spent in book publishing, primarily children's literature, and is now the editor of a heavyweight community magazine. She is always ready, willing and extremely able to help me out with 'first-pass' typesetting and proofreading of texts I've edited, and is undaunted by some very unusual information-based tasks for which I give her first refusal.
WHERE THEY ARE NOW? Former team members
SOPHIE HAMPSHIRE - Health Outcomes Researcher
Sophie helped me with proofreading, editing, typesetting, design and illustration, preparing books for digital publication, and social media and promotion. Because of her clinical degree in Speech and Language Pathology and linguistics background from St Andrews University, her many skills were perfect for analysing patient feedback and machine learning.
ARIANNA CARONI - Comic/Graphic Book Editor
Arianna supported me on the marketing side of Swan & Horn and website development, with extra help at bookseller pitches and book launches. After obtaining a masters degree in Publishing, she went on to join BHP Comics.
KELLY HIGGINS - Finance Director
Kelly applied her expert financial eyes to running the accounts for both of my businesses (Swan & Horn and Shoreline BioMedical), saving me a lot of angst and bringing order where there was chaos. She was snapped up as a fulltime Finance Director.
