Nicola Bigwood

  • she/her
Proofreader | Copyeditor | Translator (French/German to English)
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Translator
Available for:
Editing, Proofreading, Translation
Translates from:
French, German
Translates to:
English
Available for (translation):
Children's books, Corporate, Crime fiction, Feel-good, Literary fiction, Narrative non-fiction, Non-fiction, YA books
nicola@nicolabigwood.uk

Hello! I’m Nicola Bigwood, a UK-based proofreader, copyeditor and translator, working remotely with clients worldwide. I proofread and copyedit fiction and non-fiction, and I translate into English from French and German, for publishers, authors, agencies, international organisations, NGOs and businesses. I love writing that explores who we are as people, the places we come from and the ways we interact with the world around us.

I focus particularly on:

  • Literature (especially fantasy, sci-fi, mystery, mythology/folklore, dystopia, historical, children’s)
  • History, culture and language learning
  • International relations, human rights and humanitarian aid (including EU and UN)

How can I help you?

Proofreading

I help you ensure that your designed page proofs are ready for publication in English, by checking grammar, spelling, layout and formatting.

In addition to working with designed page proofs in PDF format, I also proof-edit ‘raw’ text in Word documents – usually for audiobooks or for copy intended for online publication.

In both cases, think of me as the editorial equivalent of the ‘Check your order’ page you get before you hit the ‘Confirm purchase’ button when buying goods online: my role comes at the end of the process, after your text has been edited, to check your document over before you hit ‘Publish’.

Copyediting

I help you ensure that the text you’ve written in English reads well, checking consistency, grammar, spelling, and marking up text ready for typesetting. This is a check of the writing once all the ‘big picture’ stuff (plot points, character arcs) and stylistic issues (pacing, voice, language style) have already been finalised: the tidy-up before typesetting.

If you need some help with the ‘big picture’ stuff, you’ll need a developmental editor (also known as a substantive editor); if you need some help with getting the tension right in a scene, or avoiding using the same go-to phrase in every other paragraph, you’ll need a line editor (also known as a stylistic editor). Once you’re happy with the structure and pace of the text, that’s when I can help! Think of me as the person who helps you iron the garment you’ve made, after you’ve already bought the cloth, cut it to shape and sewn it together.

Translating

 I help you share stories, experience and knowledge originally written in French and German with an English-reading audience. This, in turn, helps English readers lift the curtain on a world that might otherwise be closed off, restricted or incomprehensible to them.

Background

I have 20 years’ experience in proofreading, editing and translating in both the public and the private sectors, in the UK, France, Germany and Luxembourg, and I have many years of experience in website editing. I’m also a keen language learner (I’m currently learning Italian, Welsh and Irish… slowly!).

I’ve proofread fiction and non-fiction titles* by authors including Adrian Tchaikovsky, A. G. Riddle, Dana Stabenow, Jane Johnson, Simon Turney, Stefan Ahnhem and Ian Livingstone, published by Head of Zeus, Unbound, Audible Originals, Whitefox, Pearson and UNICEF.

I’ve also copyedited fiction and non-fiction titles,* including a children’s book longlisted for the Alligator’s Mouth Award 2024, historical fiction, romantic fantasy fiction for audio format, a privately published memoir, and academic articles pre-submission for authors writing in English as a second language.

I’ve had fiction and non-fiction translations* – from contemporary romance and children’s folk tales to international relations and policy analysis – published by Vitalis Verlag, Tektime, the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) and the Goethe Institut.

I’m currently seeking a publisher for my translation of the first two books in a young adult, steampunk fantasy trilogy; in the video below, you can hear me read an excerpt from my translation of ‘The Water Mage’ by Aidan Fox, book one in the trilogy (recorded specially for the Translators Aloud YouTube channel).

 

I donate a share of my profits to tree planting and climate projects via Ecologi and the Woodland Trust – so every invoice helps support a greener world.

Professional memberships

  • Full member of the Society of Authors’ Translators Association
  • Professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
  • Member of the Professional Editors Network
  • Affiliate member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI)

 

*Disclaimer: affiliate link to Bookshop.org