Children’s Book Editor

& Publishing Consultant

Helping publishers create fun and inclusive children’s books, because books should be for everyone.

I help publishers and organisations create authentically inclusive children's books. I'm experienced in editing books for ages 0-12, and specialise in illustrated books. I work with:

  • Publishing houses and agents who need an experienced editor with a focus on inclusivity

  • International publishing houses and rights agents who need support on English language translations

  • Charities and other organisations interested in finding a publishing partner to create a children’s book

Services

  • For children’s publishers and literary agents who want to make their books as inclusive as possible.

    An inclusivity read checks a manuscript for anything that could have slipped in due to unconscious bias.

    Everyone has biases and it takes a lot of work to challenge them. I have several years' experience examining books for inclusivity, so can help you make your book more authentically inclusive.

    It's important to have books checked for inclusivity at an early stage. An inclusivity read will highlight misrepresentation of marginalised characters, comments or phrases that perpetuate stereotypes, and language that can be harmful to certain groups. It looks at specific words and phrases in granular detail and recommends replacements where applicable, but it will also look at the bigger picture and how numerous facets of diversity are represented across a work, including in illustrations and design.

    The process not only helps make books more inclusive, but provides a learning opportunity for authors, editors and publishers.

  • For publishers and literary agents who have a great book that needs a bit of extra support.

    I’m an experienced developmental editor for children’s fiction when a manuscript needs structural work. I have a particular strength with illustrated titles, especially picture books, and also work on young fiction and middle grade novels.

  • For publishing houses who want a detail-oriented editor who focuses on inclusive language.

    I offer proofreading for fiction and illustrated non-fiction for ages 0-12, including picture books, young fiction and middle grade novels.

    Editing can be completed directly on a PDF or tracked in Word.

  • For charities and organisations interested in publishing a children's book.

    Publishing a children's book can be a great way to support your charitable mission and find new ways to reach an audience. It can also help educate and engage children in topics that align with your values.

    I provide a free initial consultation to charities and organisations to understand your needs and advise what process would work best for you. Most organisations benefit from finding a publishing partner, which is something I can support you with.

    If having a children's book published to further your charitable cause or organisation's mission is something you're interested in, please get in touch to schedule a free 30-minute consultation call to discuss how we might work together.

All my editing focuses on inclusivity, whether it's helping you create a brief for a new series, developmental editing a picture book or proofreading final layouts of a title.

​Having worked across editorial, rights, production and as a buyer at a national level, I have a unique set of skills that can help you develop and publish children’s books. While I focus on making books as inclusive and accessible as possible, I also aim to make them commercially viable. Because what good is an inclusive book that doesn't sell? 

With over ten years of experience in the industry, including at some of the Big Five and small independent publishers, I'm flexible in my approach and able to tailor my services to your needs.

My rate varies based on the work involved (some examples are listed below). Please contact me with details of your project so I can provide you with a quote.

“The inclusivity work Lisa undertook with We Are Family was transformational. We have learned so much through working with Lisa and cannot recommend highly enough her clear advice, far-reaching experience and profound belief in creating inclusive and sensitive children’s books for all.”

– Lucy Reynolds, Doodles & Scribbles

Book cover of We Are Family by Lucy Reynolds and Jenna Herman

I also offer inclusivity edits partnered with Beth Cox, Inclusion and Equality Consultant.

Having two editors is always better than one!

By working on an inclusivity audit together, we bring different experience and expertise to a book while providing publishers with clear feedback on how to make your book (and future books) more inclusive.

“Beth and Lisa were fantastic to work with and delivered a very clear, thorough and thought-provoking inclusion read. There were some real eye-openers for me and certain things that I was completely unaware of, especially with regard to terminology. It’s been a fascinating process and I have learnt so much that I can take forwards as an editor on other titles.”

– Isabel Otter, Senior Editor, Little Tiger

Rates

My rates vary by project (considering type of work, budget and level of editing needed), but here are some recent rates I’ve agreed to give you a rough idea of what to expect:

  • £800 for an inclusivity read of a 47,000-word non-fiction book (November 2023)

  • £100 for an inclusivity read of a 32-page picture book (October 2023)

  • £500 for an inclusivity read of a 14,000-word illustrated non-fiction book (September 2023)

  • £350 for an inclusivity read of an 8,000-word illustrated non-fiction book (September 2023)

  • £500 for a copy edit of a 48,000-word middle grade novel (August 2023)

  • £1,500 for developmental editing and project management of a 32-page picture book (August 2023)

  • £420 for an inclusivity read of a 60,000-word middle grade novel (June 2023)

  • £250 for a proofread of a 24,000-word illustrated non-fiction book (June 2023)