Editorial project management for complex non-fiction projects

Keep your publication on schedule and your team calm.

‘Hazel has worked as Project Manager on a number of large, multi-volume, print and online reference works produced by my team. She works closely to the brief, whilst also being unafraid to suggest intelligent improvements to processes and solutions to problems.’

Louise Barnetson
Production Manager, Wiley Blackwell

Your publication has many moving parts

Drafts arrive from different people. Design needs decisions that affect the text. Proofreaders raise questions. And you’re expected to hold it together and still meet a deadline that cannot slip.

You need one accountable lead

Someone with a deep understanding of the editing process, the production journey and the people involved. And joined-up management that keeps style decisions consistent, coordinates suppliers, and protects relationships with authors and stakeholders.

You receive regular check-ins, clear emails and thoughtful recommendations. I flag choices that affect design, permissions or suitability for your intended readers, and keep decisions aligned.

At the end, you get clean files, tracked changes and a style sheet that supports future work.

How we work together

1

We confirm goals, audience, scope, budget and deadlines. I review a sample, map stakeholders and note decisions that must remain consistent. You get a draft schedule, an initial content control plan, and an overview of roles and responsibilities.

2

I set the sequence through developmental editing (if required), copyediting, design or typesetting, proof rounds and sign-off. I define file structures, version names, delivery formats and who approves what. I prepare brief packs for suppliers and agree on the query and change-control process.

3

I coordinate authors, editors, designers and other suppliers. You receive short status updates on dates, dependencies and any problems. I keep a decision log, reconcile style and terminology, manage queries, track references and captions, and resolve clashes before they ripple into layout or timelines.

‘Hazel is one of the best project managers I have worked with in over 30 years of freelancing. She provides thorough, detailed briefs, and I am always confident at the start of a project that she has taken its measure and anticipated most of the problems that are likely to arise.’

Jacqueline Harvey
Freelance copyeditor

Where this helps most

My editorial project management service is designed for multi-author reports, museum and art-history publications, books of any length, and large reference works such as encyclopaedias or catalogues raisonnés. I also support programmes and series that need consistent decisions across titles.

I offer particular expertise spanning art and art history, history and genealogy, UK charities, climate and ethical business, and peace and security.