Cath Harris | Proofreading and copyediting. Environment and sports specialist

Professional Member
Location Herts | Beds | Bucks
Website www.wordsforkeeps.co.uk
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Phone 07876 303135
LinkedIn Cath Harris

Have words with style and staying power

Environment, wildlife and sports specialist working on books, reports, policy papers, articles, websites and project/campaign materials.

Clients are publishers, businesses, NGOs, conservation bodies and magazines. Recent project topics include ornithology, the climate crisis, animal welfare, art and sports science.

My background is with conservation and sports organisations as an editor and writer. I have worked closely with scientists and other specialists, often helping make their writing suitable for non-experts.

I have a good understanding of environmental topics including wildlife conservation, climate concerns and research, am familiar with many sports and have a sports science degree. My experience has given me a good awareness of many of the project topics on which I work, enabling me to contribute constructively.

I'm also a copywriter of news, features, website and R&D copy, and LinkedIn posts.

Services

  • Report and article proofreading and editing
  • Technical editing for non-experts
  • Quick-turnaround proofreading for businesses
  • Book and academic proofreading and editing
  • Website proofreading and copywriting
  • Magazine proofreading
  • Plain-English editing and writing
  • Helping international authors write more fluently

Media

  • Reports and proposals
  • Campaign/project materials
  • Web copy, blogs, LinkedIn posts
  • Company literature
  • Books
  • Journal papers, theses, dissertations
  • Magazines
  • Manuals

Experience

  • Freelance proofreader and copyeditor since 2016 and copywriter since 2010. 
  • Previously a charity and university communications specialist.
  • A freelance writer for the Guardian, Sunday Telegraph, UK Press Association, Yorkshire PostLandScape Magazine, BBC Countryfile, Bird WatchingRunner's World

Training

  • 2023: Mastering Styles and Templates (Using Office)
  • 2020: CIEP Conference
  • 2019: PerfectIt (Hilary Cadman Training)
  • 2018: Proofreading mentoring (full marks, SfEP (now CIEP)) 
  • 2017: Editing with Word, Practical mark-up of PDFs, Copy-editing 1 (SfEP)
  • 2016: Basic Proofreading (Merit, Publishing Training Centre)

Recent clients

  • UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
  • Arts Council England
  • Whittles Publishing
  • Newgen Publishing
  • Pitch Publishing
  • Grosvenor House Publishing
  • British University in Dubai
  • DixonBaxi agency
  • World Animal Protection
  • Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust
  • Book Aid International

Subjects

  • Environment (conservation, wildlife, birds, birdwatching, ornithology, nature)
  • Natural history; ecology
  • Climate change; environmental science
  • Renewable energy
  • Countryside and rural affairs
  • Art
  • Animals
  • Agriculture/farming
  • Green travel
  • Activity holidays
  • Outdoor pursuits (walking, hiking, trekking, hill walking, cycling, cycle touring)
  • Sport (hockey, netball, tennis, cricket, athletics, triathlon, running, swimming, outdoor fitness)
  • Sports science (physiology, fitness, fitness training, sports nutrition, personal training)
  • Public relations
  • Newspapers

Qualifications

BSc Sports Science

Testimonials

We had a great experience working with Cath on our wildlife farming report. She was flexible, efficient and reliable, and adhered to both the brief and timeline we provided. She was also quick to respond to all communication. Professional and high-quality service all round.

Jennah Green, Wildlife Research Manager, World Animal Protection

It is surprising how many things you miss when you think you have the perfect manuscript! Hence it is always useful to have someone go through it with an impartial eye, commenting on comprehension, inconsistencies, grammar and punctuation. Cath did an excellent job for me and her suggestions have significantly improved my book.

James Fenton, author, Landscape Change in the Scottish Highlands

We greatly value the detailed and thorough copyediting and proofreading Cath has done on several strategic documents. Her fresh eyes and professional approach have tightened up and refined language, grammar, punctuation and flow, enabling us to publish the documents with confidence. We would highly recommend Cath's editing services.

Emma Faure, Marketing Executive, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

One of the things I have learned in a life-time of writing hundreds of scientific papers, popular articles and several academic books is that even an experienced author makes mistakes, and that a good copyeditor is worth their weight in gold. Cath did a great job on my manuscript, picking up errors I should have spotted and meticulously going through the hundreds of notes and references linked to the text. I was very impressed. And she did it quickly and courteously, as well as thoroughly.

Professor Sir John Lawton CBE FRS, author, Inn Search of Birds

Cath is a wonderful copyeditor. She helped me refine my PhD thesis in Media and Communications. I would especially recommend her to international students who are submitting their dissertations. Thank you again for your help with my work.

Juliana Holanda, doctoral candidate

This is the first time I have used a professional proofreader and I must say it has been a very pleasurable and worthwhile experience. I admire your great attention to detail and I love the style sheet – so helpful to be alerted to some of my idiosyncrasies. I’m sure I will be in touch with further work in the future.

Deborah Southwell, master's student

Absolutely super job by Cath. Very high quality work. I would definitely recommend Cath for any proofreading work.

Sarah Juggins, co-author, Under an Orange Sky

Cath is perhaps the most painstaking and brilliant copyeditor I have worked with.

Dr Chucks Okereke, Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, University of Oxford

Cath Harris is the ultimate professional. Her suggestions have improved my book immensely and her eye for detail was invaluable. I can’t thank her enough.

Phillip Vine, author, Visionary

Cath undertook a high-level review item which I was incredibly pleased with. Professional, courteous and incredibly skilled at her craft.

Clare Kelly, Chief of Staff, Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Bedfordshire