About
Hello. my name is Andrew Heasman and I am a certified editor, proofreader, and author, based in East Yorkshire, UK.
Over the years, I have had a variety of different careers (including serving in the Royal Navy, becoming an engineer, working as a police officer, and traveling the world as a SCUBA diving instructor), but throughout it all, I have had a love of reading. Little did I know that this would develop into a successful writing and editing career in later life.
You might wonder how these career choices have led to me becoming a professional editor/proofreader. Looking back, I have always had roles that involved writing of reports, statements and other work-related documents, all of which needed to be edited for accuracy, consistency and spelling/grammar/punctuation (it is well-known that the police service runs on paperwork). In hindsight, you might argue that I have been editing for the past 40 years, to some extent. What I have gained is a vast amount of experience in a number of varied and specialist roles.
Jumping forward a few years, having got married and started a family, it occurred to me that by the time my daughters were of an age to show an interest in my past exploits, I might not be around to tell my story. I started to write my memoirs as a record for them to read as they grew up. After completing three volumes, and having edited them repeatedly before publishing, I discovered that I actually enjoyed the editing side of things just as much as the writing - I had a natural ability, a natural attention to detail - something to develop in the future. Three crime novels later, I decided to formalise my plans to become a certified and qualified editor and proofreader. Things had changed a lot since my school days. Language, and the rules governing grammar and punctuation have always been fluid, so I had a steep learning curve.
I took courses in spelling, grammar and punctuation through the Publishing Training Centre (PTC), I completed various specialist courses in line-editing and proofreading, and I graduated from the College of Media and Publishing (CMP) as a CERTIFIED Editor and Proofreader.
In addition to this, I gained experience - lots of experience - working on real documents and memoirs, improving, practicing and developing my skills.
So what interests me outside of work?
Aside from reading for pleasure, I am a keen runner. Years ago, I ran marathons (at a reasonable pace), but nowadays, I am content to plod along, two or three times a week. I have two daughters (which keeps me busy - "Dad's Taxi"), and we have recently taken on the responsibility of a puppy - a red cockapoo by the name of Fudge - so his training is an ongoing priority.
Books by Andrew Heasman
Click image for more information
