Mrs Lois Ware

Featured

I’m an experienced editor with over sixteen years' expertise within the Financial Services and Insurance industries. I've worked on a variety of material from study texts, e-books and magazines to websites and novels. Whilst the majority of my projects have been centred around editing non-fiction and educational texts for students, I also have experience of proofreading children’s fiction and non-fiction, with recent projects for Welbeck Publishing Group including Woodwitch, The After School Detective Club Series, the Luma series and non-fiction projects including Around the World in 80 Endangered Animals​ and The No-Dig Children's Gardening Book.

My services

I offer a wide range of editorial services, including the following:

Proofreading - Once you're happy with the content of your document, I will proofread your text in its entirety and iron out any problems with spelling or grammar.

Copy-editing - Should you require a more comprehensive edit, I can re-work problematic sections of text, ensuring consistency of language and terminology throughout. This will also include taking a close look at the overall flow of a piece of writing and how it scans for the reader. I will provide a thorough proof read and check through tables of contents and figures, running heads, references, images and diagrams and add queries and suggestions to tie up any loose ends.

Structural/developmental editing - Over the years I have completed extensive developmental and structural edits of multi-author study texts, ensuring that any concerns surrounding the structure and tone are ironed out before turning my attention to preserving each individual author's voice. I can add suggestions and flag up how best to re-structure text, or make the amendments for you while I edit.

Translated text - I have worked on a number of translated texts, re-structuring both text and layout within the chapters and re-writing and anglicising problematic language and phrasing. My focus is on overcoming language barriers when working on international study texts through substantive editing and re-writing of drafts to ensure text is appropriate for an international audience.

Which media do I work with?

Freelance projects in my portfolio include, but are not limited to:
-  a range of 100-500-page multi-author textbooks and training materials;
- children's fiction and non-fiction;
- company reports;
- essays and dissertations;
- exam papers;
- eBooks;
- journals;
- key fact booklets (summarising study materials into more concise documents);
- magazine content (both online and in print); and
- websites (editing translated texts, articles and blog posts).

I work with a number of programmes including Word, PDF mark up, DITA/DocZone content management software and Google Docs and I’d be happy to discuss how I can help with your specific project requirements and needs.

With a degree in English Literature and Classical Studies, I have a passion for reading that extends beyond paid work and I'm always looking for ways to challenge myself and incorporate this into other aspects of my life. If you feel my services could be of use to you please don't hesitate to contact me.    

Media

Multi-Author Books
Books
Educational Materials
Online Materials
Illustrated Books
Company Literature
Websites/Blogs
eBooks

Experience

Freelance since 2016 

The Chartered Insurance Institute 2008-2016
Job titles: Courseware Editor (2009-2016), Editorial Assistant (2008-2009)

Omnipress Publishing Ltd 2005-2008
Job titles: Copy-writer, copy-editor, proofreader

Training

Introduction to Fiction (CIEP): 2022 
How to Mark-Up PDF Page Proofs: 2022
Re-writing and Substantive Editing for Non-Native English Writers: 2012
Working with Authors: 2011
InDesign for Beginners: 2010
Introduction to Indexing (Society of Indexers): 2010
Copy-editing by Distance Learning (Merit awarded): 2010

Clients

Association of Chartered Certified Accountants

(Spring 2024)
Copy-edit of 150 articles to be transposed into audio files.

The Insurance Institute of London

(Autumn 2021-Spring 2024)
Construction Insurance supplementary text update - 2024 edition
Business Interruption Policy Wordings 2024 edition - full editorial review
266 Cyber Insurance Research Findings - proofread
265B Delay in Start-Up Insurance Research Study - full editorial review
265 InsurTech Digital Disruption and Innovation in Insurance Research Study - full editorial review
The London Journal - copy-edit and proofread of 25 articles for the Insititute's annual eMagazine publication (2022 and 2023 editions)

Dorling Kindersley
An Anthology of Exquisite Birds (Spring 2024)

Head of Zeus 

Shyla's Wood Wide Web (Spring 2024)
The Voyage of Sam Singh (Spring 2024)
The Destiny of Minou Moonshine (Spring 2023)

Accounting for Sustainability

Top Tips booklet (Autumn 2023)

The Directory for Social Change

The Charity Treasurer's Handbook (360pp) - proofread (Summer 2023) 

Trustnet

(Spring 2023)
Proofread of monthly Trustnet magazine 

Welbeck Publishing Group

The Trip to the Moon (Summer 2023)
The Mona Lisa Mystery (Spring 2023)

Woodwitch (Autumn 2022)
Luma and the Grumpy Dragon (Autumn 2022)
Tangletree Mysteries (Autumn 2022)
The Mystery in the Marshes (Autumn 2022)
Breaking Down the Wall (Summer 2022)
My Mum is a Spy (Summer 2022)
The Asparagus Bunch (Spring 2022)
The Secret of Ragnar's Gold (Spring 2022)
Luma and the Hiccuping Dragon (Spring 2022)

The Case of the Smuggler's Curse (Autumn 2021)
Luma and the Pet Dragon (Autumn 2021)

Welbeck Editions

Around the World in 80 Endangered Animals (Autumn 2023)
An Invitation to the Botanic Gardens (Autumn 2023)
The World of Studio Ghibli (Spring 2023)
Land of Hunters (Spring 2023)
Hidden World Magical Creatures (Spring 2023)
Alice in Wonderland/Alice Through the Looking Glass (Spring 2023)
The Jungle Book (Spring 2023)
No-Dig Children's Gardening (Summer 2022)
High (Summer 2022)

Tate & Lyle Sugars

Sustainably Refined website - pre-launch proofread (Spring 2023)

Cengage Learning Limited (National Geographic Learning)
(Summer/Autumn 2022)

Business Finance - Saudi Pathways System Second Year Study Text - developmental edit

Henry Stewart Publications

Applied Marketing Analytics (peer-reviewed vocational journal articles) - copy-edit for nine articles (May 2022)

The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

Annual editorial review of around 100 examination papers per session, including the following topics:
- Actuarial Statistics
- Business Finance Core Principles, Business Economics Core Principles
- Communications Practice
- Financial Derivatives Principles
- General Insurance, General Insurance Pricing and Specialist Principles and General Insurance Reserving and Capital Modelling Specialist Principles
- Health and Care Specialist Principles
- Investment and Finance and Investment Finance Specialist Principles
- Loss Reserving and Financial Engineering

Learning review and extensive edit of eight separate titles including:

- Actuarial Mathematics, Actuarial Practice
- General Insurance Pricing Specialist Principles
- Investment and Finance Specialist Principles
- Pensions and Other Benefits Specialist Principles

The Chartered Insurance Institute (freelance)

New editions:

- IMU (Motor Insurance Claims and Underwriting (India))
- I10 (Insurance Broking Fundamentals)

Updates to study texts:

- CF1 (Financial Services, Regulation and Ethics), FA1 and FA2 (Award in Financial Administration), LF1 (Award in Life and Pensions Foundations), LM1 (London Market Insurance Essentials)

Wisper (Innovative software provider)

Post-translation editorial review for the English language roll-out of this French software platform - web edit and blog posts.

Subjects

Children's (fiction, non-fiction)
Classics (mythology)
Cookery
Education (e-learning)
English literature (early/medieval, modern, Renaissance, Shakespeare, travel)
Financial services (accounting, actuarial, banking, investing, mortgages, pensions, personal finances)
History (archaeology, Greek, medieval, Roman, Tudor England)
Insurance (broking, ethics, life, London Market, motor, regulation, technology)
Lifestyle and fitness
SMEs
Translated materials
Travel
Websites (articles, blog posts, editing)

Specialised software

DocZone CMS
DITA CMS

testimonials

When I was looking for a new person to take over the editing of my Institute’s prestigious research study books, I needed to find someone:

- with experience in working on technical insurance publications;
- who worked speedily and diligently; and
- who would work diplomatically with my volunteer authors and graphic design team. 

Lois Ware was recommended to me by colleagues in the business, and now I understand why she earned such high praise.  It has been a pleasure to work with Lois.  Over the last year, she has edited three substantial technical insurance books for us.  Working closely with our volunteer authors and design team Lois has cultivated excellent relationships, which are essential and integral to delivering our publishing projects.  Lois then turned her considerable talents to editing the Institute’s annual Journal and Annual Report – working swiftly and accurately.  As a result, I am pleased to recommend Lois.

Allison Potts, Institute Secretary (CEO), Insurance Institute of London

"We have worked with Lois for a number of years. She has great attention to detail, is efficient (even with our tight timescales) and communicates well throughout the project lifecycle. I have personally found her very easy to work with and have appreciated her patience and adaptability when it comes to the different processes and systems she has had to get to grips with over the years. We would definitely recommend her for other projects."

Sultana Miah, Programme Manager, The Chartered Insurance Institute

"I heartily recommend working with Lois. She is highly professional with a great eye for detail and readily adapts to different kinds of projects - and ever-shifting schedules. She proofread two different illustrated fiction titles for me, both on very tight timelines, and her work was fantastic - thorough and efficient and very sympathetic to the voice and style of each author."

Felicity Alexander, Associate Publisher of Children’s Fiction, Welbeck Publishing 
 

"Lois is a delight to work with. Always accommodating and works tirelessly to meet our tight deadlines. You can count on her to spot the details."

A-J Smith, Curriculum Standards Executive, The Institute and Faculty of Actuaries

I would happily recommend Lois. She proofread our website on screen, providing me with very clear markups and explanations of suggested amendments on a tight timescale. She was a pleasure to work with, and we will certainly be using her services again.

Claire Crill, Head of Corporate Affairs, Tate & Lyle Sugars

Lois is a thorough and speedy proofreader. I would recommend her without hesitation.

Anthony Luzio, Editor, Trustnet Magazine

• Editor