My qualifications and experience
CURRENT EMPLOYMENT (2000 to present day)
Founded and run two editorial companies:
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Shoreline Biomedical, providing expert biomedical content services for individuals and organisations worldwide
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Swan & Horn, providing the full range of editorial services for fiction and nonfiction authors and organisations (and publishing health-related books for adults and children).
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
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Thomson Reuters/Derwent/Elsevier (1991–2000): editorial manager of medical database content, responsible for output of both inhouse and remote teams of editors, indexers and production staff.
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ICI/Zeneca (1990–91): cardiac representative and medical/surgical meeting organiser for doctors and healthcare staff in hospitals, pharmacies and general practice.
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Adis International (1989–90): project manager of peer-reviewed journal articles and reviews, promotional material, clinical documents, patient information and medical events for Northern European pharmaceutical companies.
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Taylor & Frances (1988–89): production/desk/copy editor of group of biomedical journals, editorial board liaison, promotion and event organiser.
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MediCine/Adelphi (1987): writer and editor of training books and audiovisuals for US and Canadian doctors.
Core skills learnt during employment include project management, copyediting, technical editing, content editing, structural editing, development editing, sensitivity editing, indexing, copywriting, writing and events management.
INDEPENDENT TRAINING & SKILLS UPDATES
Part of my success is that I always stay on top of developments in the publishing industry, plus I am totally committed to keeping my existing skills up to date and taking on new skills as required by attending relevant training courses.
FIRST PROFESSIONAL EDITING COURSE (1980s)
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PTC/Bookhouse (1988): original inhouse three-day course "Foundations of Copyediting".
PROFESSIONAL COURSES FROM 2000 ONWARDS
Some of these were full-day courses, some half-day and/or online. A few were workshops at conferences (e.g. the CIEP) . Many of the broader-perspective publishing coursers were attended on Publishing Scotland's (PS) wonderful Accelerate Course , which lasted for a whole a year.
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On-Screen Editing I (CIEP)
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On-Screen Editing II (advanced) (CIEP)
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Advanced Editing (PS)
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Editing Illustrations (CIEP)
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Web Editing (CIEP)
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Medical Editing (CIEP)
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Book Indexing (Society of Indexers)
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Copy Writing (PS)
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Editorial Project Management (PS)
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AGILE Principles Project Management (Book Machine)
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Print and Production (PS)
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Typesetting with InDesign (NUJ)
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Cover Design (PS)
- Book Covers that Work (PS)
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Effective Book Marketing (PS)
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Integrated Social Media (PS)
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Social Media at Work (Congenta)
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Search-Engine Optimization (PS)
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Liaising with Journalists (PS)
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Meet the Journalists (PS)
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Social Media Supercharge (Tech Pixies)
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Copyright and Libel (PS)
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Author Royalties and Rights (PS)
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Psycholinguistics: The Science Behind Plain Language, and Why you Should Use it (ACES)
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Author Contracts and Legal Aspects of Publishing (PS)
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Publishing Finances (PS)
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Promotion and Selling (PS)
- Training for Trainers (CIEP)
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Working for Non-Publishers (CIEP)
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Sensitivity Reading and Beyond: Empowering Editors to Talk About Conscious Language and Representation (ACES)
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS
I am a current member of the:
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Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP, Advanced Professional Member since 2000)
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Publishing Scotland (PS, Publisher Member since 2015)
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James Lind Alliance (JLA, since 2013)
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Book Machine (since 2020)
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Glasgow Editors Network (GEN, since 2010)
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Society of Editors (ACES, since 2019)
- Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLI, since 2020)
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Other specialist editorial and publishing groups on social media
I am also a former member of the:
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European Association of Science Editors (EASE)
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European Medical Writers Association (EMWA)
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Society of Indexers
PUBLISHED CHAPTERS
I have published chapters in books covering a wide range of health-related topics.
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Amniocentesis: Monitoring the unborn bump (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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Childbirth drug, scopolamine: Declared to be truth serum (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD). In: CR Martin et al. Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Learning and Teaching Environment. Swan & Horn.
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Howard Taylor Ricketts: One dies so that millions may live (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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Nora Volkow: Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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Plasma transfusions: “Blood for Britain!” (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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Practising positive silence (2016). In: CR Martin et al. Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Learning and Teaching Environment. Swan & Horn.
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Roslyn Yalow: An unlikely medic (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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South America hit by first cholera academic for a century (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
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The urine pregnancy test (2008). In: Defining Moments in Science. Hatchette Livre/Cassell.
CURRENT WRITING PROJECTS
I barely get the time to write my own books, but here are a few that are on the go right now!
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Hung Out To Dry: Stories by Reluctant Members of the Lyme Community (co-editor and chapter author)
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Why Are You Scared of That? (author – for primary school children)
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Cauda Equina: The Sting in the Tail (author - adult non-fiction)
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Blunt Books Series: Various titles (series editor and chapter author - for secondary school children)
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This is How it Starts (author - adult non-fiction)
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Unmasked - An Expose (author - adult non-fiction)
MY YOUNGER YEARS
I started off wanting to be a vet, but gradually became interested in human health too.
EDUCATION / ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
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MSc Neuropharmacology (towards PhD, Department of Ophthalmology, London University, St Thomas/Guys Medical School, 1987-1988) on the therapeutic use of levodopa in blindness disease, retinitis pigmentosa (whereby ophthalmology blends with pharmacology and neurology)
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BSc (Hons) BioMedical Sciences (Westminster University, London, 1983–86) including immunology, biochemistry, endocrinology, neurochemistry, pharmacology, physiology, psychology, quantitative/analytical methods and statistics. Final year project on the pharmacology of opiate receptors.
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10 GSE O’levels including English Language and English Literature
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3 GSE A’levels in Biology, Chemistry and Physics
PART-TIME AND VOLUNTARY WORK EXPERIENCE (1975–1986)
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Animal carer at wildlife rescue centre (1976–82)
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Teacher support at school for disabled adolescents (1982)
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Assistant at riding-for-disabled centre (1982)
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Fund-raising and public relations at events for Motability (1983)
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Clinical assistant in two veterinary surgeries (1980)