I’m Charlie Wilson, a professional writer and editor with 20 years’ experience, gained both in-house and as a freelancer.
I began freelancing in 2005, after building a career in publishing and corporate communications in Nottingham, Basingstoke and London. Five years later, my business had grown to the point where I was advising others on how to freelance: I gave talks for the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and the Society of Young Publishers, and I co-authored the book How to Succeed as a Freelancer in Publishing (How To Books, a Little, Brown imprint).
Over the course of my editorial career, I’ve written and edited content for all kinds of clients: charities like FARM-Africa and the Scout Association; companies like James Villas and Associated British Ports; educational establishments like the University of Surrey and the University of Brighton; government bodies like the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation and the National Assessment Agency; and cultural organisations like the Imperial War Museums.
But my passion lies in editing books.
I’ve worked on both sides of the fence for publishers and authors. One of my main publishing clients has been John Wiley & Sons; I’ve developed, edited or proofread more than 70 For Dummies titles. One of my main author clients is a novelist for whom I’ve edited and ghostwritten on a weekly basis since 2011.
These days, I specialise in providing editorial services to authors all over the world. I work with authors who’ve been signed by publishing houses like Quercus; Simon & Schuster; Little, Brown; Hodder; and Routledge, Taylor & Francis. And I work with indie authors, from the debut novelist to the seasoned writer on the Wall Street Journal bestsellers list.
I consider it a privilege and a pleasure to work with all of my clients, and to use my skills and experience to help them write effectively and elegantly.