Sarah Quigley Editorial

I’m a versatile editor with twenty-five years of experience in the publishing industry, offering expert editing and concept development. I work with a diverse range of clients from renowned art and cultural institutions and established publishing houses to individual authors. I have worked in a professional capacity as an editor, copyeditor, and proofreader in Europe, the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

After graduating with a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Oxford, I worked at Oxford University Press where I gained in-depth experience in BSI marks, onscreen and hard-copy mark-ups, and Oxford-style editing. I then worked as an editor at the San Diego Reader, where I became experienced with Associated Press editorial style. I have extensive experience editing in Oxford, AP, and Chicago styles.

I’m a Professional-Tier member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), a UK-based institute that promotes excellence in English-language editing and ensures international editorial standards. I have worked for many years for Cornerstones Literary Consultancy, focusing on reader reports and copyediting. Recently I completed a digital-correction course with Random House Germany, honing annotation proofreading tools in Adobe Acrobat, and the digital collation of corrections.

I’m known for my precision, meticulousness, and reliability, and also for my friendly and efficient approach to team work. I have a number of loyal private clients with whom I’ve built up close working relationships over many years. I offer a blend of top-quality technical skills and a supportive editorial approach, with a high sensitivity to an author’s individual voice and style.

I have extensive experience with exhibition publications for galleries and museums, particularly with multi-author books which require consistency in tone and structure, and a comprehensive oversight of captions and references. Specialty areas include art and architecture, history, fiction (all genres) including literary fiction and YA, memoir, and biography. 

Clients include:

Art Hub Copenhagen · Berlinische Galerie · Cabaret Voltaire · Cornerstones Literary Consultancy · DCV Books · edition fink · Education New Zealand · Emil Nolde Foundation · Galerie Gisela Capitain · Galerie Kominek · Hamburger Bahnhof – Berlin · Hatje Cantz · International Union of Architects · Kerber Verlag · Kestner Gesellschaft Hanover · Kunsthaus Baselland · Lars Müller Publishers · Neue Nationalgalerie · Park Books · Penguin Random House · Prestel Publishing · Scheidegger & Spiess · Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt · Shizuko Yoshikawa and Josef Müller-Brockmann Foundation · Strandberg Publishing · Tate Modern · Walther König · Wienand Verlag

Services offered
  • Editing (structural/developmental), line editing, copyediting and proofreading
  • Book manuscripts, fiction and non-fiction
  • Articles, essays, op-eds
  • Website and digital content
  • Reader reports, with publication as end goal
  • One-on-one author consultations, in person or remote

I aim to make all text accurate, clear, and fit for purpose, and I bring a professional, supportive, and creative approach to every project. Please get in touch with any queries!

I’ve worked with Sarah Quigley on two of my books. Sarah has copyedited both and has always done so with great authority, diligence and care. But what I like best is her loyal support of the project and me as a writer. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with Sarah again… and again. – René Kural, Associate Professor and director of René Kural Architects, Denmark

I highly recommend Sarah as an editor and proofreader. She has excellent expertise and a fantastic feel for texts. Her work is extremely thorough and reliable, and I value working with her very much. – Lydia Fuchs, Editorial Manager, Hatje Cantz Publishers, Germany

Sarah is not only a fine writer of both fiction and nonfiction, but also a wonderful editor. She understands what makes a book successful, has a keen eye for detail, and offers a supportive editorial approach and expert advice to authors. –Harriet Allan, Former Publisher at Penguin Random House

When I have challenging projects to assign, Sarah is my absolute top choice. Not only because she does a fantastic job copyediting and proofreading, but also because of her keen sensitivity to text and individual writing styles. With her, we can always be sure that our projects are in excellent hands. – Chris Reding, Editorial Director, Scheidegger & Spiess / Park Books, Switzerland