Debbie Chapman – Editor

Hello! I'm Debbie, a freelance editor and proofreader with 15 years' experience commissioning, editing, project managing and proofreading all kinds of non-fiction. My main passion is travel writing, but I've also worked on hundreds of other narrative non-fiction books – everything from running books to medical memoirs to true stories about heroic cats. I've had the great pleasure to work with some incredibly talented authors at all stages of their careers, and I love nothing more than getting stuck in to a great manuscript, helping the author hone their words and achieve their vision.

I pride myself on creating positive and professional working relationships with authors – editing is serious business, but it can also be seriously fun! I take care to maintain an author's voice throughout a project. After all, your story is unique, and my job is just to help you make it the best it can possibly be. As a development editor, I will help you make your manuscript clear, cohesive and compelling, focusing on character development, narrative arcs, structure and pacing, to make sure your future readers are in for a treat. As a proofreader, I will make sure your book is free from mistakes, inconsistencies and grammatical/punctuation errors, as well as focusing on the typesetting and layout to make sure it looks perfect. I have a keen eye for detail and believe there's no better feeling than fixing a typo. Yes, you could say I'm a word geek.

If this sounds like what you're after, get in touch to see how I can help! I can't wait to hear from you.

Testimonials:

"As as editor with 30-plus years' experience, and having worked with a number of editors over seven different books, I can assure you that I have never met anyone more talented, dedicated and conscientious than you. What's more, even though you create an awful lot of work for your authors (!!!) through your insightful questions, it's always a fun process, and I'm always sad when our collaboration ends." - Lisa Jackson, author of Your Pace or Mine?

"Bloody lucky authors to get to work with you. Happy to provide a testamonial to what it's like to work with the best non-fiction editor in the UK. Not an editor really, more of a co-pilot." - Laura Coffey, author of Enchanted Islands

"Rare you get to work with someone where it is just unalloyed pleasure." - Peter Salmon, author of The Little Book of Ethics

"Any author would be very lucky to have you." - Amy Baker, author of Miss-Adventures

"All these new publishers and authors will be lucky to have you!" - James Briggs

"Debbie is everything you’d want an editor to be — sharp, incisive, meticulous, attentive, patient and nurturing. Beyond that, she brings enthusiasm and positive energy to every project, making her a total joy to work with. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend working with her — I’m certain you’ll be glad that you did!" - Hannah Adams