About the Team at The Book Refinery

Alexa—Book coach, typesetter extraordinaire, cover designer & Publisher

There really is no better feeling than holding your finished book in your hands.

I’m Alexa Whitten and I work with ambitious driven people who want to become authors. Helping people on this journey is an honour and when I get feedback such as “you’ve made my dream come true”  –  well, that is what my purpose is.

My coaching story started over ten years ago when I found myself coaching a great friend to get his book finally finished.

I truly believe everyone has a book inside of them, and if I can help people realise their dream, no matter what form of book that takes, then I’m happy.

I also run Compass-publishing UK, my sister company which helps said writers publish their work.

I co-host The Pen to Published podcast with Alexa Tewkesbury and also frequently appear as a guest on podcasts chatting about all things publishing.

If I’m not at my desk designing books, you’ll find me outdoors climbing mountains or drinking coffee in my local coffee shop.

 

CoachFoundation recognizes Alexa Whitten as one of the Top 20 Book Coaches for 2022.

 

Lindsay— Copy editor and proof reader

Lindsay Corten, of Corten Editorial, is an experienced copy-editor and proofreader with a real passion for helping independent authors to get their work out there in a polished state.

She has wide-ranging experience of copy-editing and proofreading books, encompassing both fiction and non-fiction. Having done a considerable amount of business and academic copy-editing/proofreading (up to PhD-thesis level), and also having a 20-year career in information technology behind her (latterly as a business analyst and bid writer/manager), she is comfortable with academic, business and technical language, so is more than able to help you to make your non-fiction book shine. Lindsay’s aim in copy-editing/proofreading your book is to make it the best it can be, whilst maintaining your voice and your style (just getting rid of all those unfortunate typos and grammatical errors, amongst other things).

Lindsay loves the variety of her work, and it’s always a good month when she is able to spend some time working on a novel or two in amongst the non-fiction (she definitely has a soft spot for fantasy and sci-fi novels). And – before you ask – yes, you will still find her with her nose in a good book at the end of the day!

Specialist in Non-fiction, business books and editor for the audiobook side of The Book Refinery which runs in conjunction with Nartan Rose Audiobooks.

 

Alexa Tewkesbury — Copy Editor and Proof Reader

A Professional Member of The Society for Editors and Proofreaders and qualified in ‘Basic Proofreading’ through The Publishing Training Centre, I am a copy editor and proof reader for children's books predominantly, but have been lucky enough to work with many genres, with many years’ experience in providing a highly recommended editorial service to a variety of clients. I am also the author of numerous children’s books. My first, It’s A Boy! (co-written with Steve Legg), won the 2006 UK Christian Book Awards in the children’s category, and in 2016, a film for which I wrote the screenplay, My Month With Mrs Potter from MonkeyDribble Films, won the Driver Award for Best Feature at the Coventry International Film Festival.

I undertake a range of editorial projects, both fiction and non-fiction, and, as a children’s author myself, editing books for children has become a speciality. I appreciate the importance of clearly written text and polished presentation, and I care about the quality of your words as much as you do. My aim is always to help you achieve a professional finish to your writing.

For the past thirteen years or so, I’ve been privileged to work directly with self-publishing authors, as well as with both independent and traditional publishing houses. It’s an absolute pleasure to be part of Alexa Whitten’s editorial team.

Specialist in children's books and co-host of the Pen to Published Podcast.

Yasmin Yarwood - Fiction Editor

Hello!

I’m Yasmin. I’ve been a proofreader and proof-editor since 2012, and I run my business, Meticulous Proofreading, from my home in Broadstairs, Kent.

I studied French and Italian at university. Being good at languages involves a degree of instinct – linguists know when something doesn't feel right. This set me in good stead for proofreading, which requires a lot of judgement!

My first proofreading clients were communications agencies, further education colleges and a leading UK brewery – so quite varied, as sectors go! For five years, I proofread tender bids for high-level clients such as the European Commission, the European Investment Bank, the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the European Space Agency.

While much of my work is still comms and marketing-related (web copy, blogs, newsletters, annual reports, workshop programmes, eBooks), there’s no beating the personal element of supporting self-publishing authors.

Getting your story written is a huge accomplishment. What I do is help you to deliver the best version of your story, through a meticulous, methodical and non-judgemental approach.

I work on fiction and non-fiction. I’ve yet to specialise and enjoy most fiction genres! I have recently proofread my first children’s book, which had a very special message for little ones with OCD and anxiety.

Whatever it is you’re working on, if you’ve written it, it’s easy to stop ‘seeing’ it. You almost become word blind. Having someone with a trained eye, who is detached from your content and who knows what to look for, will set your craft apart. You will never regret in proofreading!

I am thrilled to be part of Alexa’s editorial team, helping your story to be the best it can for your readers.

 

Danielle — Editor and Proof Reader

I am a London based editor and decided to set the company up after being disappointed by the quality of some self-published books I’d read. I felt sad for the writers too. Although their books were obviously interesting and well thought out (otherwise I wouldn’t have bought them in the first place), they were let down by their lack of readability.

My aim is therefore simple; to make sure that your book is the very best it can be, and not to leave your readers feeling disappointed.

I wanted to become a professional writer as soon as I learned how to put pen to paper and create sentences. After graduating from Lancaster University with a BA (Hons) in Philosophy, I completed an intensive postgraduate course in journalism.

My first job was Junior Reporter with the Hackney Gazette in East London. I later settled in Crystal Palace, south-east London, and in the decade since then, I have focused on writing and editing features, mainly on a freelance basis, for a variety of national newspapers and magazines, including: The Guardian, the Daily Mirror, Prima, Best, Woman, Chat and Chat it’s fate.

I write in a variety of different styles and on many different subjects, including world news, travel, crime, health, spirituality and relationships. I also have experience in creative writing and write fiction in my spare time.