Jo Mortimer – Editor

I am a writer, proofreader and copyeditor living at the foot of the South Downs, UK.

I hold a BA in English and Creative Writing, as well as an MA in Paris Studies, focusing on history and culture.

I was raised on a farm and am a published author of both fiction and non-fiction. A few years ago, I founded our village library.

My editing style is collaborative and human-focused – I aim to preserve voice while ensuring clarity. Whether it’s a journal article, a manuscript, or a programme booklet, I help clients say what they mean.

I proofread and copyedit books, magazines, academic papers, PhD theses, reports, course materials, websites, guides and articles. I work with major publishers in the UK and the US.

⛏️ Archaeology finds assistant

📚 Library founder

👣 Keen walker

📚 Published author

"Jo was a crucial part of the team, alongside the publisher. Jo is clear-eyed, focused and thoughtful. Her knowledge of style, grammar, phrasing, and the importance of all this at sentence level helped define the 'voice' of the book. I'd work with Jo again without hesitation. She's up there with the best." – Jeff Young, 2025

"Expert, insightful proofreading against a tight deadline. Working on an article for peer review with a prestigious scientific journal, Jo not only caught mistakes and improved grammar, but she also tightened up contributions from co-authors writing in English as their second language. Our work was specialist and technical, so having Jo ensure it was readable and accessible was hugely valuable." – 2025

"As I read through Jo's comments and queries, everything fell into place. A narrative that often skipped out of pace started to flow with every tweak and correction she suggested. Jo read this as a proofreader first, but also as a person of knowledge and compassion, who understands my narrative voice and what I want to get across in my writing. I'm so happy that my publisher agreed for her to proofread my new book. As Jo said to me, little changes make a big difference!" – Joe Harkness, 2025