Wrate's Editing Services

14/05/2026

I'm delighted to see one of the authors I’ve worked with shortlisted for The Business Book Awards 2026 🎉

Gary Beckwith’s book How to Make a Million in Business has been shortlisted in the Business Journey category, and it was a pleasure to help bring this remarkable story to publication.

After leaving school with no qualifications, Gary went on to build City Cruises into London’s largest sightseeing operator and the UK’s largest tour boat company 🚤

What I particularly admired about the book was its honesty. Gary writes openly about the setbacks as well as the successes, and what he learned along the way is gold dust for anyone building a business.

I also had the pleasure of working alongside writer Stuart Groves and the team at Brandspire on the project.

I'll be rooting for Gary when the winners are announced in September 🤞

05/05/2026

Here’s Miles Bingham with a copy of Deadheaded, a memoir about Alzheimer’s, which I had the honour of publishing last week. I first worked with Miles on London Can Take It, a World War II memoir that was written by his late mum, Valerie, and published by Miles posthumously. The book was an absolute pleasure to work on as Valerie was a gifted writer and brought to life that time in his history (the Blitz, being evacuated to the Lincolnshire countryside) with vivid descriptions and a dry humour that often made me chuckle in front of my computer screen. I was delighted when Miles returned with this project. Many years later, Valerie faced a different challenge: a husband who had started displaying dementia symptoms from his mid 50s. She cared for him for over 30 years and documented that experience with the same unflinching candour. For Deadheaded, Miles decided to include his own recollections of those years and update the story from when Valerie stopped writing and, in a cruel twist, began to struggle with cognitive decline herself. This dual voice memoir is incredibly moving and will no doubt chime with anyone who has dealt with the complex emotions and day-to-day practicalities involved in providing long-term care for a loved one. Deadheaded: Two Parents, Two Donated Brains, One Alzheimer’s Journey is available from Amazon as a paperback and eBook.

01/04/2026

This one almost got me!

NEW: Introducing the Bodleian Whispering Service.

Too busy to read? Our expert librarians can now quietly narrate books, articles, and selected manuscripts directly to you in our reading rooms.

Available tiers include:
• Journal Articles
• 19th Century Novels
• War and Peace (advance booking recommended)

Please note: whispering remains subject to standard library noise regulations.

11/02/2026

To kick off the National Year of Reading, it was wonderful to publish the second novel by Wrate’s Publishing author Nick Churton last week.

When I worked on Nick’s first book, Witch’s Lawn, I remember remarking on how he’d created characters that linger in your mind long after the final page. So I was delighted to collaborate with him again on the sequel, The Art Department, which features many of the same characters I’d enjoyed getting to know the first time round.

Even better, I’m starting the manuscript assessment for his third novel, Centenary, next week, with publication planned for later this year.

Here’s Nick with his latest book. The beautiful cover was illustrated and designed by the talented Rachel Middleton.

09/01/2026

When my 23-year-old niece Wrate announced she wanted to write a memoir about living with Muscular Dystrophy, I promised to help her with the editing and publishing side if she finished it. Well, finish it she did, and It's Normal to be Different was published in the summer of last year. This week, her story was featured on the website of the fantastic charity Muscular Dystrophy UK. Congratulations, Erika!

Learn more about Erika's autobiography describing life growing up with muscular dystrophy, including her reasons for wanting to publish a book

17/12/2025

Here’s Wrate’s Publishing author Lesley Anne Brown looking festive at her book signing over the weekend.

Losing Tom is the much-anticipated follow-up to her debut novel, Finding Carla, which chronicles the adventures of a woman travelling the infamous Route 66 in a red Corvette.

The sequel introduces some major bumps in the road, which adds to a thoroughly enjoyable reading journey. The cover has once again been beautifully illustrated by the brilliant Rachel Middleton.

Losing Tom is available to buy from Amazon as an eBook or paperback. Alternatively, readers can purchase directly from the author via her website: authorlesleyannebrown.co.uk

17/11/2025

A disheartening Guardian article on how AI is being used to scam first-time authors into handing over their hard-earned money. I always knew there were sharks in this industry, but now the sharks aren't even real. Kudos to the journalist for pointing out the difference between self-publishing and vanity publishing.

Book publishing websites in Australia, the UK and New Zealand appear to be using fake testimonials and AI staff pages to lure aspiring writers into handing over their money

24/10/2025

The happy face of a bestselling author! Here’s former London detective Mick Randall with his fascinating memoir Twilight Creepers, which I had the honour of editing and then publishing last week. By Monday, it was the Number 1 bestseller in police biographies and Number 2 in organised crime biographies. The book chronicles Mick’s time in the force, including working with gangsters turned police informants, arresting Russian hackers at work and investigating notorious crimes such as a double ex*****on that took place in Epping Forest in the late 80s. Mick, who now works as a private detective, is a gifted storyteller and his book gives a fascinating insight into what goes on behind the scenes during a police investigation. He’s now started writing his follow-up memoir, which I can’t wait to edit. Twilight Creepers: Three decades of chasing gangsters in dark corners, dark forests and dark webs is available from Amazon as a paperback and eBook.

16/10/2025

Here’s Wrate’s Publishing author David Lieberman with his memoir Annie’s Child, which arrived just in time for his 65th birthday. David began putting pen to paper during the lockdown, reflecting on his early life with his parents and sister, his time working on a kibbutz in Israel, and later, meeting his wife and becoming a father (among other experiences). It was a joy working on the project with David, who has dedicated his book to his loving late parents. Annie’s child is available on Amazon as a paperback and an ebook. 📗
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