Mrs Gale Winskill

Web
http://www.winskilleditorial.co.uk

About me

Hello. I’m Gale Winskill, of Winskill Editorial. I specialise in fiction (adult and children’s), but also edit general adult non-fiction.

I work with independent and debut authors, as well as trade publishers, and can provide all the professional TLC you need, including book coaching and book doctoring, to enable you to present your narrative in the best way possible, by means of constructive advice, collaboration and a good sense of humour.

I have over 30 years of experience in the UK and abroad, both in-house and as a freelancer.

I also create and deliver training courses and workshops for authors and editors, and tutor for the HarperCollins Author Academy (fiction stream), the CIEP and other publishing bodies.

Take a look at my website (www.winskilleditorial.co.uk) for more details, or drop me an email. All questions and projects considered.

Services

• Structural/developmental editing
• Copy-/line-editing
• Critiques
• Proofreading
• Book doctoring
• Coaching (authors and editors)
• Mentoring (editors)

See https://www.winskilleditorial.co.uk/services or https://www.winskilleditorial.co.uk/coaching-and-training to find out more.

Professional qualifications and affiliations

• Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute for Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
• Partner Member, Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi)
• Tutor, HarperCollins Author Academy, (fiction stream) 
• Judge, Page Turner Awards
• Tutor, project manager and co-author, CIEP's Introduction to Fiction Editing online course
• Network Director of Publishing Scotland (2012–2014)

Recent CPD and other skills

• Editorial Toolkit: Coaching Writers (Club Ed)
• Editorial Toolkit: Book Doctoring and Ghostwriting (Club Ed)
• Advanced Practice: Point-of-View and Perspective (Club Ed) 
• How to improve your Google Rankings (Business Gateway)
• Blogging for Business (Business Gateway)
• MA (Hons) English Literature and Italian
• I speak Italian fluently, and have a good working knowledge of both French and German

For more information please visit my website: https://www.winskilleditorial.co.uk/professional-qualifications

Professional success

Some of my authors have won or been shortlisted for various prizes, including the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award, the Owned Voices Novel Award, the Creative Future Award, London Library Emerging Writers’ Award, the Leeds Literary Prize, Best Indie Book Awards and the Scottish Children’s Book Awards.

testimonials

Gale is such a joy to work with, and I always look forward to giving her one of our manuscripts. When I give Gale one of our books I know it’s in good hands and together we have had a couple of chart-hitters at HarperCollins!

What I most appreciate about Gale’s approach to editing is her ability to ask the questions on a manuscript that most editors and proofreaders will not ask. She has an incredible eye for detail when it comes to the context and presentation of a written piece of work, but most importantly she has the audience in mind and can cross over well from a fiction work and then tackle a non-fiction one just as easily.

I really value Gale’s insight when it comes to the nuances of language and style, and her incredible and joyful sense of humour.

Rose Sandy, author & Publishing Director, HarperCollins UK

Gale Winskill is a kind, clear, gifted editor who took me from a so-called ‘vomit draft’ to a nomination for a major Australian unpublished-manuscript prize in one challenging, but precise, hop. I’m very grateful for her input and would access her guidance again in a heartbeat.

Verity Laughton, playwright & author

Gale is a pleasure to work with. Her expertise ensures that everything we write is held to the highest possible standard. From grammatical accuracy to consistent character portrayal, her keen eye has caught even the smallest errors and inconsistencies, resulting in a polished and professional final product. Her thoroughness has been invaluable, ensuring that each book is a joy to read and a delight for young minds.

Philip Bowne, award-winning author & Head of Books, The Wombles

Gale was the first professional editor I'd worked with and she set the bar very high indeed. Her knowledge of the publishing industry, her ability to whittle away until my novel had a punchy opening, her brilliant solution to signalling the time shifts in my book and her forensic approach to the smallest detail were all amazing. I can't recommend her enough, and I'm so looking forward to working with her again.

Kathy Hopewell, author

Gale is an excellent editor who has proven that she can spot a potential best-seller. She has a good eye for detail and offers sound advice to her authors.

Lucy Juckes, literary agent, Jenny Brown Associates

Gale worked on two of my books, The Storytelling Entrepreneur and Merchandise for Authors, while I was Writer in Residence for the British Library. I had very tight deadlines which Gale was great about meeting and I really valued her feedback and professional eye on my work. Her insight allowed me to think more clearly about how the books were structured and improved my writing overall. I always recommend Gale when I run creative writing workshops for other writers.

Melissa Addey, author, writing coach & ALLi Campaigns Manager  

I am grateful to Gale in ways I could never adequately express, not simply for her care and thoroughness with my manuscript, but also for her wisdom, keen eye, attention to detail and obvious brilliance as an editor. She is that rare brand of person who is gifted at constructive criticism and compliment, formatting and content, the minutiae and the big picture. Her professionalism and insight are matched by her humour and warmth. All of which is to say that if you’re thinking of hiring Gale, you should have done it yesterday. 

Sarah Dickinson Little, author

• Editor