Contact Me

Together with a remote yet close-knit team of authors, designers and editors, I deliver end-to-end project management of print books, e-books and digital learning systems for a wide range of clients.

On a one-to-one basis, I edit, copy-edit and proofread a wide range of literature, from blogs to news articles to fiction novels. Read about my experience on LinkedIn.

All editorial projects considered.

Do get in touch (whatever your story).

T +44 (0) 7736 927567
E alison@alison
howardservices
.com
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Reedsy

Editorial Project Manager

An Editorial Project Manager coordinates teams and manages risk, seeing projects through from start to finish. I handle talent, time and tools, from sourcing freelancers, briefing designers and reporting to department heads. No day is ever the same! Budgets are mission critical, as are schedules, and a touch of realism helps deliverables when pulling tasks together. Business needs can quickly turn into fast-paced content development, requiring cross-team coordination, planning, accuracy and a cool head. Editorial workloads involve editing and copy editing, proofreading and plot structure, facts and figures, language and diction, not to mention narrative and prose. I see first, second and third drafts. I meet seasoned agents and start-up writers. With wide experience in developmental editing for young readers, I appraise novice authors’ writing and have co-tutored a children’s book home study writing course. I’ve gained many years of insight from working at large publishing houses and self-publishers to providing indie author support. In that time, I have learnt the art of self-discipline and trusting my instincts for fact checking – if a truth is stated, check it! Using software such as MS Office, Asana, Basecamp, Adobe InDesign and Google Docs/Drive/Hangouts, etc. is par for the course, and I easily grasp collaborative methods to align content from global satellite workers. Goals and objectives are always in sight. As a problem solver on a one-to-one level, I take a manuscript and work alongside authors to make sure the publisher gets what was promised but without detracting from the voice of the novelist – the client is king. If self-publishing, I endeavour to realise a vision from start to finish. Call me: +44 (0) 7736 927567. Using a project manager helps to save time and money in the long run.

How I can help

If you think I’m a good fit for your project, get in touch. I will happily discuss costs and workloads to confirm you’re getting value for money.

Need more for your budget? Not a problem – fill in the contact form with a bit of scope insight and I’ll quote. Or email alison@alisonhowardservices.com.

Thanks for visiting my page. Keep scribbling – without writers, we editors wouldn’t exist!

Contact Me

Companies I've worked with

EHRC_Logo
EVG
Thomas Cook Publishing
Writers' Advice Centre
Cambridge Publishing Management
incognate_logo
Insight-Guides
Reedsy-510x286
OUP-logo
Parragon
Cicerone Press
Rough-Guides
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Whitefox Publishing Services
Michelin Apa Publications
freelance-alliance
Cambridge University Press
HEPI-Logo-for-Posts-HD-5

The Alison Howard Services team offers the following services:

  • Editorial project management of print and digital content
  • Manuscript appraisal and analysis
  • Developmental editing
  • Copy-editing
  • Proofreading
  • Adapting content to suit different markets across print and digital
  • Rewriting
  • Americanization/Anglicisation
  • Technical writing

GENRES include but are not limited to:

  • Non-Fiction Trade (Travel, Nutrition/Cookery, Health, Baby care)
  • Adult Fiction (Sci-Fi, Romance, Adventure)
  • Children’s Fiction (Educational, Picture Books, YA)
  • Business management
  • Academic/Education
  • Reference
  • Philosophy/Religion
  • Biography/Autobiography
  • ELT (English Language Teaching)
Ask a question

Services

Project management

  • Overseeing and managing book or content creation from start to finish
  • Setting schedules
  • Monitoring budgets
  • Recruiting and supervising teams of freelance editors, writers, translators, proofreaders, designers, etc.
  • Quality control
  • Scheduling and running testing for digital products
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Developmental Editing

  • Plot development and pace (fiction)
  • Characterisation (fiction)
  • Consistency of voice
  • Coherency - does it make sense?
  • Rewriting for clarity
  • Structure – does it flow?
  • Suggesting paragraph moves
  • Writing style appropriateness
  • Assessing suitability for intended audience
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Copy
-editing

  • House style
  • Consistency
  • Readability
  • Fact checking
  • Word styling
  • Sentence structure and complexity, including rewriting where necessary
  • Appropriate paragraph and section breaks
  • Clarity of meaning
  • Avoiding repetition
  • Highlighting jargon relating to the intended audience
  • Word choice
  • Consistency in presentation
  • Chapter sequencing
  • Consistency in minor plot, timeline or character details (fiction)
  • Correctly punctuated dialogue
  • Spelling and grammar
Learn More

Proofreading

  • Spelling and grammar
  • PDF markup
  • BSI symbols
  • Checking references
  • Widows and orphans
  • House style
  • Word docs, PDFs or hard copy
Learn More

Case Study 1

Issue: Small publisher required translation of Spanish encyclopaedia into English with limited budget, short turnaround time and fixed layout. Solution: Alison Howard Services recruited and managed three translators, two authors, an editor and a proofreader to deliver high quality translation with consistent voice and fitting the fixed layout on time and to budget.

Case Study 2

Issue: International travel organisation required project management for translation/localisation of 4,500 hotel and restaurant reviews. Solution: Alison Howard Services managed assembly and integration of micro content management system using Google Docs/Drive/Hangouts to align content from global satellite workers. Delivered on time and to budget. Success led to repeat project for two more global travel companies.

Case Study 3

Issue: Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) required end-to-end project management of accessible legal guidance for higher education governors and students’ union bodies. Solution: Alison Howard Services acted as client-facing project lead, leveraging a copy-editor and designer to produce proofs ahead of schedule for legal team and in-house project manager.

Case Study 4

Issue: Medical marketing agency in need of technical content writing for 5 major dental manufacturers. Solution: Alison Howard Services created social media presence, wrote press releases, articles and performed in-depth research analysis.

Case Study 5

Issue: Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI) required short-notice proofreading of government-led literature and policy guidance. Solution: Alison Howard Services oversaw all proofreading and fact-checking.

Case Study 6

Issue: First-time author required developmental edit of Sci-Fi novel. Solution: Alison Howard Services provided detailed manuscript appraisal then worked hand-in-hand with the author to refine plot, rule out inconsistencies, adapt writing style to better suit intended readership and work on character development.

Rest assured, I am well versed in:

Adobe InDesign

Google Drive

Hootsuite

Adobe InCopy

Microsoft Office

Adobe Photoshop

Proofreading

Skype

Trello

Basecamp

HubSpot

Asana

Get in Contact

Fill in the following form to send me a message or:

Call +44 (0) 7736 927567 Email alison@alisonhowardservices.com





					


 
    

    

    








    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    				
    
			
    
		
    

					
    
				
    
					
    
													
    
								
    ‘I couldn’t be more pleased with Alison’s work. Her structural reports are always fair, but firm, and I know our authors find her advice invaluable. I now have a ‘waiting list’ of authors who have specifically requested her again and that has to be the best recommendation for any editor.’Louise Jordan, Manager, Writers’ Advice Centre
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘I had the pleasure of working with Allie Howard at the Oxford University Press’s English Language Teaching Department. Allie was responsible for overseeing and managing the work of authors and content developers (my team), collecting feedback, ensuring quality and managing day-to-day communication. Over the course of the project, Allie proved to be a proactive, motivated and detail-orientated professional who has no problem working hard. I am confident that anybody who has or will work with Allie will share this opinion.’Grzegorz Aperliński, iOS Developer at Fandom
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘We regularly use Alison for proofreading a range of sales and marketing collateral for our business and clients. We always find Alison to be diligent in her approach and also timely in the delivery of work.’John Bancroft, Incognate
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘Alison is well organised and carries out her work quickly and efficiently. She is highly knowledgeable in her field and I would have no hesitation in recommending her services.’Robert Coram James, MRICS
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘Alison was very helpful throughout the entire process! It was a true partnership effort. She was thorough in the editing process, but first sought to understand the purpose to keep the tone appropriate.’Anwar Taylor, Youth Mentor and indie author
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘Alison was very thorough and helpful – not only spotting spelling and grammar errors, but also providing critical analysis about consistency and logic.’Bo Blackstar, indie author
    
							
    
													
    
								
    ‘I want to thank you for the excellent work you have done over the past couple of weeks. The final product looks brilliant and that’s testament to your attention and determination to deliver a superlative product.’Rebecca Thomas, Equality Human Rights Commission