I've enjoyed working with…
Acorn
Writing corporate video scripts for the late, lamented computer giant.
Aurum
Editing The Greatest Movies You'll Never See and The Greatest Albums You'll Never Hear books (see Books), and ghostwriting and picture-researching Vinyl: The Art of Making Records. All of these are really good. You should own them.
BAA
Writing corporate video scripts for the operators of Heathrow Airport.
Barron's
I cowrote Rock & Roll Heaven for this US publisher (see Books). I'm most proud of a chapter about Kurt Cobain that the publisher described as so pro-Courtney Love that it was hard to take seriously.
Bauer
Subediting on Closer (my favourite freelance gig ever), more!, Mother & Baby, Pregnancy & Birth and Top Santé.
BBC Worldwide
I was a subeditor/troublemaker on Radio Times from 2000 to 2006; also writing previews, training staff, liaising with schedulers and producers, representing coworkers in meetings, and writing internal newsletters. (One of the latter got leaked to The Guardian, who described it as the funniest thing to come out of the BBC since Little Britain.) I returned to Worldwide to subedit the entire launch issue of Lonely Planet (and subsequent editions when it was up and running), the children's magazine All About Animals and the food title Olive.
Broadcasting Data Services
I did nightshifts, editing TV listings. Possibly good experience, although I can't say for what.
Brook Street Publishing
I subedit magazines for the Maybourne hotel group. The editor has promised to arrange a date with Amy Adams for me. I am sceptical that this will happen.
Cassell Illustrated
Editing and contributing to The Greatest Movies You'll Never See, The Greatest Albums You'll Never Hear, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die, 1001 TV Series You Must Watch Before You Die, 1001 Walks You Must Experience Before You Die and Rock Chronicles books (see Books).
Cedar Communications
Subediting the Tesco magazine and British Airways' High Life, plus special projects for both. Working for Cedar was usually fun, not least because there were often dogs in the office. Then there was the time when two staff dressed as Ghostbusters and pushed a trolley of booze around the office.
Condé Nast
I undertook three stints as deputy subeditor on The World of Interiors magazine. A great opportunity to read, write and research about art, architecture, design, history and textiles. And to work for a chief sub who, however looming our deadlines, insisted I take an hour for lunch so that he could do a crossword.
EdenCo
Writing for, and subediting, partworks magazines for Disney, Elvis Presley Enterprises and a Ukrainian children's publisher (see Magazines).
Gala
I was commissioned to write a piece on Madonna for this German magazine. I live in fond albeit doomed hope that my writing about Madonna for this and other publications will one day lead her to commission me to write her official biography.
Guinness
In 1997 and 1998, I did subbing, proofing, writing and picture research for a music encyclopedia. I was subsequently invited to contribute to four editions of their British Hit Singles. One hundred years later, I returned to toil on three editions of Guinness World Records and its videogame offspring.
Hearst Magazines
I subbed on Cosmopolitan (which was a joy, even when Katy Perry's management got uppity with us about something she'd said and I'd allowed through) and its Cosmopolitan Body and Cosmosutra bookazines (see Magazines), and the Asda George Home catalogue.
Insight Editions
I was commissioned to write Air Guitar: A User's Guide (see Books). One day this book will be acknowledged as the classic that it is.
IPC
I subedited Marie Claire (lovely), InStyle (vile), Ideal Home (learning more about taps than I can now remember) and Look (learning more about Blake Lively than I could possibly want to know).
John Drewry Associates
In 1996 and 1997, I was an account executive at this Holborn-based ad agency. I subbed and wrote newsletters and marketing literature for clients including Xerox, First Leisure and Pitney Bowes. A lot of this involved working with my dad, which was good insofar as I learned a lot. Didn't stop me moving my desk so far from his that I was practically outside the door though.
Macmillan
Macmillan commissioned me to edit the book Pink Floyd: Through the Eyes of…, a collection of press pieces. It entailed extensive research, negotiation for rates and permissions, and promotional radio interviews. Gratifyingly, it remained in print for ages and hence paid my council tax for years.
Omnibus Press
I wrote the 2010 book Rock Connections and edited 2009's How to Win X Factor. The former would have been better if the publishers had not excised a picture of Lady Gaga's bottom. The latter is by Keeley Bolger, who is A Good Egg, and therefore could not have been better. (Unless, I suppose, it had featured a picture of Lady Gaga's bottom.)
PA News Ltd
From 1998 to 2000, I was a senior subeditor, subbing and proofing listings for The Sun and OK!; managing a team; and liaising with clients and schedulers. I don't want to say it was the toughest gig I've ever had, but it did give me a new sympathy for troops in the trenches.
Perrier Comedy Award
Edinburgh festival administration. Exhausting and fun in equal measure. And I got a good story about The Mighty Boosh out of it.
Pitney Bowes Inc.
Having coedited a corporate newsletter for the UK division, I edited another for the Asia Pacific companies. This meant that, for a year or so, I was an expert on franking machines.
Quintessence
I've written and edited several presentations for book fairs for this fine publishing company.
Retail Entertainment Data
From 1994 to 1996, I was an editorial assistant – editing, researching and proofing catalogues. Those of you old enough to remember catalogue numbers on records will appreciate just how brain-boggling this could be.
Rough Guides
Contributing to the first edition of their Rock book, I included something in an entry about Alice in Chains that I thought was amusing and hoped was true.* This subsequently got quoted by the Telegraph in their obituary for the band's singer Layne Staley.
*If you're thinking of employing me, these days I check whether something is definitely true before submitting it.
Sunday Publishing
A subeditor's dream, a dieter's nightmare, Sunday afforded me the opportunity to work on Vodafone and John Lewis publications while stuffing my face with sweets from the reception desk and cake from the kitchen. I'm most proud of finding so many errors in John Lewis's terms and conditions that its lawyers eventually told me to stop reading them.
Telegraph Media Group
Pros: the people were nice, the work (on the Telegraph newspaper's weekend magazines) was interesting, and freebie promo stuff was plentiful.
Cons: the Telegraph uses PCs. And not just regular PCs, which would be bad enough for anyone accustomed to Macs, but ones so archaic and temperamental that you could turn them on, make a cup of tea, browse the newspaper, come back to your desk, and they'd still be warming up.
Thames & Hudson
The good thing about Thames & Hudson was the opportunity to work on interesting, arty books. The bad thing was being in a building whose heating was controlled by the Post Office, who owned it. I've stood on snowy mountains that were warmer.
Time Out
I subbed, and occasionally wrote for, the magazine, and branded supplements. I once insisted, on deadline day, that the art department blur or excise a corporate logo in a picture. The designer insisted it was unnecessary. The editor said, "Bruno's job is to wake me up in a cold sweat at 3am, worrying about what we've printed. Do it."
Vitality Publishing
Subediting Women's Fitness magazine, despite being neither a woman nor fit.
Whitbread Book Awards
I wrote scripts for the presenters, including Griff Rhys Jones. I also met Floella Benjamin, which I trust will make me the envy of anyone who grew up in Britain in the seventies.
Wiley
I edited the environmentally-themed book Climb the Green Ladder. This was written by Amy Fetzer, who employs me to edit environmental reports and who has only once punched me for being annoying.
