Proofreading & Editing
I am a freelance editor, proofreader and writing coach and I also provide a ghostwriting and manuscript critique service. I am a Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and the Glasgow Editors’ Network. I have edited and proofread over 200 novels in a wide variety of genres for traditionally published, indie, self-published and debut authors and a well-known publishing house, Bloodhound Books. I also have experience in editing and proofreading memoirs and non-fiction in both UK and US English styles. This gallery shows just a small sample of the books I have worked on. Many of these books have gone on to become bestsellers, won awards and been translated into different languages. If you would like me to take a look at your manuscript then please get in touch via the Contact form below.
Testimonials
“Ian is a diligent, hard-working editor and proofreader, with a keen eye to detail. I would highly recommend his excellent services.”
Betsy Reavley, co-founder and director of Bloodhound Books.
“I've engaged Ian Skewis as editor for both my novels. He’s a highly diligent and consummate professional, who understands detail and provides the highest quality across the full range of editorial services. Whether you’re looking for a structural edit, copy-edit or proofread, I’m happy to recommend Ian Skewis to any author or aspiring writer seeking publication.”
John Harkin, author of The Fear of Falling and A Fear of Dark Places, published by Bloodhound Books.
“When I first started taking my writing seriously with the hope of eventually securing a publishing deal, I knew I had a long way to go. I also understood that I would need professional guidance and input. I had completed my first manuscript, which was a book entitled Whittingham. I asked a trusted friend if she could recommend an editor to go through the manuscript for me. She quickly came back to me and suggested I contact Ian Skewis and I am so grateful to her for the recommendation and of course to Ian for doing such a thorough job.
I honestly don’t think I would be where I am now if it hadn’t been for that stage of my learning/writing development. Ian went through the manuscript and found and corrected my typos, grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors. Ian was great at helping me to get a sense of what my story needed to really make it pop, he helped me to understand myself as an author and to gain confidence in my ability to bring a story from concept to completion. We worked collaboratively in a way that was perfect for me as an author to get Whittingham to the stage at which I was able to secure mentorships from bestselling authors Harriet Tyce and Nadine Matheson and a course with award-winning author Awais Khan, which was sponsored by Red Dog Press.
With Whittingham I was able to gain representation from Northbank Talent Management.
I also won the inaugural Joffe Books Prize for Crime Writers of Colour with my second book The Raven’s Mark. I believe the reason I was able to win the competition with only the second draft of The Raven’s Mark is that I was able to utilise all I had learned from Ian to write the book confidently from the start.
I now understand myself as a writer and know what I want for my career going forward. Ian Skewis helped greatly in these areas and remains a good friend and loyal supporter. I would highly recommend his services as an editor to anyone.”
Christie J Newport, author of Whittingham and The Raven’s Mark, the latter published by Joffe Books.
I engaged Ian to proofread the Sturmtaucher Trilogy with no small amount of apprehension – the word count for the three books is 1.1 million – but Ian took it all in his stride. His proofreading was quick, efficient and very thorough – he checked an incredible amount of historical information as well as the usual grammar, spelling and punctuation that I was expecting, and even pointed out errors in dates, characters’ stated ages and characters with similar names that could have caused confusion (there are a lot of characters). Not only that, but he also suggested edits for readability including flagging up and clarifying the character points of view issues in the trilogy too.
Ian was always available for advice and clarification. In fact, he gave nothing but encouragement and support, and was a calming influence despite the whirlwind of tasks he needed to wade through in order to get the books out there in time.
I would thoroughly recommend Ian’s proofreading and editing services – I’ve had no comments or complaints about the books with regards to proofreading errors, which for a trilogy of that size is remarkable.
Alan Jones, author of the Sturmtaucher Trilogy, published by Ailsa Publishing.
Contact
Ian Skewis is an editor, proofreader and author. If you want to contact him about these or any other projects, then please use the form below. Thank you.
contact@ianskewis.com
‘Nothing ever ends, not really. Everything is a prelude, a prologue to something else…’
From A Murder of Crows by Ian Skewis, 2017
meet the author
As well as being an editor and proofreader, I am also a writer of crime thrillers, science fiction, horror and literary fiction.
You can Enter The Bookshop below where you will find all my works. The Amazon/Audible link is here.
I am also available for Events and I am listed on the Live Literature/Scottish Book Trust programme. Again, just fill in the Contact form.
Thank you.
enter the bookshop
Below are my short stories. These are available worldwide in signed paperback. If you would like a copy then please make a donation (see box below) and send your postal address via the Contact form.
The Dark Side of the Moon is literary fiction. A Man of Many Parts and A Trick of the Light are horror stories. Inkling, The Lonely Cyclist and Borrowed Time are science-fiction stories, so something for everyone I hope! And there’s more to come...
A growing number of my readers have offered to contribute a little something in order to help me produce more books like these in the future so if you would like to make a donation, even if it’s just to cover the cost of postage and packaging for your book then please click on the Donate button below. Thank you.
This short story is available to read FREE at the Bay Tales website. This is the link here.
Here is my two-part novella, The Awakening. This is a horror story with a hint of crime and science fiction, a real scary hybrid of a book! If you would like a copy then please make a donation and send me your postal address via the Contact form.
This is my award-winning, best-selling novel A Murder Of Crows which is available at all the usual outlets in e-book, paperback, audiobook and audio CD. I narrated the audiobook too, which also became a best-seller. This is the link to Amazon here.
‘An impressive thriller.’ Sunday Herald (A Murder of Crows, 2017)
‘Skewis creates an atmosphere of foreboding and doesn’t let go until you reach the last page.’ Michael J Malone (A Murder of Crows, 2017)
Events
As an author I have appeared at many events including Bloody Scotland, Newcastle Noir, Noir at the Bar (Edinburgh, Newcastle & Harrogate), European Championships (Glasgow), Waterstones (London & Glasgow), Aye Write! and Book Week Scotland, appearing with other authors including Ian Rankin and Ramsey Campbell.
I have also chaired many events in Waterstones and Newcastle Noir for the following authors: SJI Holliday, Anna Mazzola, William Ryan, Lesley Kelly, Tana Collins, Jackie McLean, Natalie Fergie and Shona Kinsella.
If you wish to get in touch regarding any of the above then please send me an email via the Contact form above.
