Ms Susannah Lawson
- Website
- https://kleioeditorial.com/
- Organisation
- Kleio Editorial
- Job title
- Editorial Consultant
- Membership Grade
- Advanced Professional Member
About Susannah
A highly experienced publishing professional with a proven track record of working collaboratively with museums and heritage organisations to deliver bestselling books, guidebooks and exhibition catalogues.
I set up Kleio Editorial in 2021, offering freelance editorial services to arts publishers and museum and heritage organisations. I have over 30 years' in-house experience in arts publishing as an editor, project manager and managing editor and I have worked on both sides of the museum fence – both for partner publishers and in house for museum and heritage organisations.
I have extensive experience of complex editorial project management work, including managing simultaneous foreign-language editions. I have worked with world-class museums such as the National Gallery, the V&A, the British Museum, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Royal Academy and M+ in Hong Kong and can oversee books from initial concept to finished copies, liaising with key stakeholders, designers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, repro houses and printers. I also have experience of commissioning and content development. I am equally happy to undertake individual editorial tasks, such as proofreading and editing – both books and exhibition panels.
I do not proofread academic theses.
I have a strong academic background in Classics and Art History and have a keen interest in the visual arts, heritage and the classical world.
Media
- illustrated books
- guidebooks
- multi-author books
- exhibition panels
- museum labels
Experience
Before setting up my own freelance editorial consultancy in 2021, I was:
- Managing Editor of the museum list at Thames & Hudson (2016–2021)
- Commissioning Editor for Guidebooks and Managing Editor at English Heritage (1997–2016)
- Editor at Phaidon Press (1992–1996)
Training
- Word for practical editing (CIEP): 2022
- InDesign for editors: 2018
- InDesign style sheets: 2019
Clients
Recent clients include:
- National Gallery
- Royal Academy
- Fitzwilliam Museum
- English Heritage
- National Galleries of Scotland
- Thames & Hudson
- Heni Publishing
- Yale University Press
- Grade Design
Qualifications
- MA Classics and History of Art (Cantab.)
- MA Early Sienese Painting (The Courtauld)
Specialised software
- Adobe Acrobat Pro
- InDesign
- Photoshop
Testimonials
'Susannah project managed the After Impressionism catalogue for the National Gallery. She was a pleasure to work with – calm, organised and meticulous. I wouldn't hesitate to work with her again on another project.'
Laura Lappin, Publisher, National Gallery Global
'Susannah is a highly experienced publishing professional with outstanding project-management skills. She has … a wealth of publishing experience that has focused on books for cultural, heritage and arts organizations. Her project-management skills are faultless and she is a clear communicator who gets on well with everyone she meets.'
Julian Honer, Editorial Director, Thames & Hudson
'Susannah was instrumental in setting up M+'s international publishing programme and getting its launch list of books out the gate. Thanks to her diligent, methodical and scrupulous manner, these titles are selling extremely well and will stand the test of time. Susannah's pleasant demeanor and calm attitude make working with her a great pleasure and I look forward to having her on board for many more projects to come!'
Dustin Cosentino, Senior Manager, Publishing, M+, Hong Kong
'I've worked with Susannah for a number of years on many titles for clients which include world-class museums, art galleries and publishers and on a range of subjects. Not only has Susannah been a joy to work with, despite the many challenges that can materialise in creating a book, her professionalism, knowledge and project management skills are really second to none and I can highly recommend Susannah for any editorial and publishing projects.'
Peter Dawson, Founder and Creative Director, Grade Design
Service
Specialisms
Associated skills
Disclaimer note
The CIEP Directory of Editorial Services should be considered a point of first contact and prospective clients must satisfy themselves that members are capable of the work on offer. The Institute cannot be held responsible for the quality of work provided by any member listed in the directory. The members themselves are responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of their entries in the Directory and the CIEP has not made any attempt to vet them. The institute cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies in the Directory. Inclusion in the Directory as a freelance does not necessarily mean that the member is self-employed as defined by HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.
