Hi, I’m Shaun. I’m a freelance proofreader, editor, writer, and three-time published author. I've been writing creatively my whole life and have been helping other people to tell their stories since 2018.
Below, you can discover a little more about both my professional writing (editing and writing for clients) and my personal writing (my own books, poetry, and music). I believe that these have a symbiotic relationship, each making the other stronger. For every book I write and publish, I gain fresh experience that I can bring to clients looking to write and publish their own stories. For every corporate client I work with, I gain fresh insight into the power of communicating a message in as few words as possible. |
The Professional Side |
The Personal Side |
As an editor and proofreader, I get to work on a wonderfully diverse array of books, from fiction to non-fiction, memoirs to maths textbooks, and spiritual self-help to technical guides. Among my recent editing projects are the award-winning Smile Your Last Breath Away by James D. Kiesewetter and the brilliant Mindful Creative by Radim Malinic.
I love it all because I learn something new from every project I have the pleasure of working on, regardless of the subject, and I have worked on books and articles about everything from philosophy to AI to clay-pigeon shooting. My clients are always excited by the clarity and structure I bring to their ideas. And I can do the same for you. I also offer a comprehensive copywriting service, whether it’s a press release, blog post, course, or even ghostwriting a whole book. I have written thousands of artist biographies and press releases for a major transatlantic PR firm; I have ghostwritten a speech that was given at UN conference; I have written regular blog posts for major companies and local businesses; I have also researched and compiled numerous courses on everything from colour therapy to how to safely handle ladders. Whatever the brief, I offer an attentive, dedicated, and sensitive service at an excellent price (see the Services section for my full, nothing-hidden rates). Written something that you want me to check? Want to check if I can write something for you? Get in touch by email or phone — whichever way you feel most comfortable — and let’s talk words! |
Alongside my professional portfolio, I am also a published author and musician. My first novel, The Sadness of The King George, was based on the 15 years I spent working in the pub trade and was published by Bad Press Ink in 2021. It was named E-Book of the Month by Love Reading and was former Wolverhampton poet laureate Emma Purshouse's favourite book of the year.
My second novel, a dark comedy satire called The Strange Death of White, Working-Class Men, will be published early in 2024. I am also beginning work on a very exciting project about the diverse musical history of my native Birmingham. I self-published my first non-fiction book, Pop Art Poems: The Music of The Jam, in 2016 (with a revised edition following in 2021), and it still sells all over the world today. It has gained praise from members of The Jam's inner circle and is widely regarded by fans as one of the best books ever written about the band. I have also written a poetry collection, The New Brutalism, which featured photographs by talented local photo-artist Tom Hicks and was published by Kate's Hill Press in 2021. Also in 2021 (it was a very busy year!), I successfully applied to joing Writing West Midlands' writer-development programme, Room 204, which only admits 15 new members per year from hundreds of applicants. Before becoming a writer, I pursued my dream of becoming a professional musician. For five years, I played guitar, keyboards, piano, bass (and anything else I could get my hands on) in the trip-hop band FABRIK. We released two albums, City Islands and Impermanence, and our most successful track, 'Black Lake', was used in US TV series Light as a Feather. Our music is also regularly played on the Sasquatch Chronicles podcast in America. I am as natural a musician as I am a writer, and I continue to make ambient psychedelic music under the name Birmingham Music Library. I live with my beautiful wife and young daughter in north-west Wolverhampton. I was, however, born and raised in Birmingham and remain a proud Brummie and an advocate for the Second City. |