Anya Hastwell

Advanced Professional Member

Location	LONDON NW10
LinkedIn	Anya Hastwell
Web	Languawitchery (coming soon, I promise!)
Email	.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Hello! My name is Anya, and I offer copy-editing, proofreading and writing to publishers, businesses and authors who want their text to be as good as it can and should be.

In my one and a half decades’+ working in editorial (9 years of which were in-house), I have had the pleasure of working on a wide variety of both print and digital media. This has included STM books and journal manuscripts, B2B magazines and press releases, website copy, and even memoirs. I thrive on helping my clients make the most of their writing, and in the diversity of material I'm lucky enough to work on. Please see below for some of the kind things they've said about me.

My experience covers a wide range of largely non-fiction subjects for books, essays and articles — from all the gory details of Medicine and Dentistry, to the wonders of History, Literature, Spirituality, Quantum Mechanics and Schrödinger’s cat. But I have been known to proofread fiction, too.

When I'm not working, you might find me on a yoga mat or talking to a cat.

I'm also a former director of what is now the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (2017–2019), and in 2020 was a mentor for the charity Arts Emergency.

Please do feel free to get in touch to find out more about how I can help.

Subjects

Non-fiction for publishers: Memoir, biography, and creative non-fiction
Meaningful communications for businesses and organisations
Health and well-being, STM, bioethics, history and culture

Academic qualifications

MA (part-time) in Creative Writing – University of Hull: 2021–23 (ongoing)
BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature – University of Roehampton: 2000–03

Skills and expertise

Copy-editing (on screen) and proofreading (on screen using Acrobat’s in-built mark-up tools)
MS Word styles, templates and macros
UK and US English (Anglicising or Americanizing)
Style guides including New Hart's Rules, Butcher's, Chicago, APA and plain English
In-house company style guides
Fact-checking, if project requires

Training & professional development

Copyright: How to get what you want in the digital age (Publishing Training Centre) 2019
Medical Editing (SfEP) 2017
Brush Up Your Grammar (SfEP) 2017
Copy-editing 2: Headway [pass] (SfEP) 2017
Efficient Editing: Strategies and tactics (SfEP) 2016
Editing with Word (SfEP) 2016
Proofreading 2: Progress (SfEP) 2016
Advanced Copy-editing (Publishing Training Centre) 2011
Subediting and Design – Distinction (London School of Journalism) 2006
NCTJ Certificate in Periodical Journalism (NCTJ) 2003
Freelance Feature Writing – Honours Diploma (London School of Journalism) 1997

Experience & clients

Freelance experience since 2014:
- publishing – Oxford University Press, Taylor & Francis, Straive, Cambridge University Press, Hodder Education, Whitefox, Quintessence Publishing, Copernicus Publications
- media, business, and non-profit – Open City, Tomorrow's Company, Runwild Media, Velvet Apple Media, Itad
- indie authors & publishers – Quota Books, Erick Drake, and others
In-house experience:
- Desk Editor, Quintessence Publishing, 2010–14
- Assistant Editor, UK and International Press, 2010
- Production Assistant, Auto Trader, 2008–09
- Editorial Assistant, Immediate Network, 2006–07
- Editorial Assistant, Cava Media, 2005–06

Software

I work on a Mac, can run Windows 10 via Parallels when/if needed, and use the following software:

Word V.16 as part of MS Office 365 suite (including the latest versions of Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). I also use PerfectIt and various macros to aid consistency
Acrobat Reader DC, and mark-up comment tools
Google Drive and Google Docs; Dropbox

Testimonials

Anya is a highly accomplished scientific editor. She worked for us for four years editing our dental books and journals to a high standard and, since leaving us to go freelance, she has continued to edit our books in an accurate and timely manner.

Sue Newbury, General Manager, Quintessence Publishing

What a pleasure it has been to work with Anya. She took on a very tricky scientific title at short notice and carried out an efficient, high-quality copy-edit to the tightest of deadlines, sending regular updates and doing her utmost to make the whole process as smooth as possible. I would welcome the opportunity to work with her again and will be recommending her to any of my publishing clients who are looking to expand their list of excellent contributors.

Anna Stevenson, Freelance Publishing Professional

I approached Anya because of a backlog we had at the scientific publisher I work for. She was very willing to help and took on a number of manuscripts. In addition to her core copy-editing skills, she also possesses solid computer skills, which is essential because we work with LaTeX. In open-access publishing, we also have strict deadlines that we have to adhere to, but she had no problems meeting deadlines. My experience with Anya has been a pleasant one, and I would recommend her services to other publishing houses.

Meredith Gunnells, Copy-Editing Team Coordinator, Copernicus GmbH

Anya has provided us with excellent copy to help promote the work of Cats Protection and is a pleasure to work with.

Catherine Jarvis, Media Officer, Cats Protection