Dr Rachel Beechey
Trading as: Irish Academic Editing
Piltown, Co. Kilkenny
Professional memberships
Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland
Irish Association of Professional Historians
Educational qualifications
Certificat in Introduction to Irish Archaeology, University College Cork, 1996
PhD (Classics), National University of Ireland, 1991
BA Hons (Classics), Trinity College Dublin, 1986
Training and professional development
Diploma in Webediting, College of Media and Publishing, UK, 2019
Writing Plain Language, Plain Language Commission, 2019
Rewriting and Substantive Editing, Publishing Training Centre, UK, 2018
Proofreading Theses and Dissertations, CIEP, UI, 2018
Progress in Editorial Skills, Publishing Training Centre, UK, 2017
References, CIEP, UK, 2016
Diploma in Proofreading and Editing, College of Media and Publishing, UK, 2015.
Languages
English (first language)
Latin (degree level)
Ancient Greek (degree level)
Experience
I was an academic administrator for three years (Royal Irish Academy), a lecturer for 17 years (Waterford Institute of Technology, now South East Technological University, SETU), an academic head of department for three years (SETU), and now specialise in academic editing.
I am also the author of six academic books published by Hakkert Press (Amsterdam), UCD Press (Dublin); University of Utrecht (Utrecht); De Gruyter Brill (Leiden); and Archaeopress (Oxford). I have self-published five books under the imprint of Pococke Press, the latest being in 2024 and 2025, and have completed another that is under consideration by De Gruyter Brill. I therefore have a lot of experience in the publishing process, especially self-publishing.
Services offered
Academic copy-editing, structural editing, converting PhD dissertations into book form, and referencing (converting references from one format into another, compiling reference lists and bibliographies).
Media
Academic documents (books, journal articles), books on art, archaeology, history, genealogy and architecture, official reports, cultural documents (exhibition catalogues, labels, etc.).
Subject areas
Arts/Humanities
Social Sciences
Education.
Clients include
Academic publishers, publishers of books on art, archaeology/history/genealogy/architecture, cultural/academic/research institutions, writers/researchers, government departments/agencies.
Proofreading and copy-editing of books for Irish Academic Press, Colourpoint Educational Books, Routledge, Churchill House Press, Greylag Press, National Gallery of Ireland, Office of Public Works (Dublin Castle).
Proofreading and copy-editing of academic journal articles for the Royal Irish Academy, the Irish Journal of Management, Diyâr (Turkic, Ottoman and Turkish Studies).
Proofreading, copy-editing and structural editing of official reports (annual reports, strategic plans, etc. and catalogues) for the National Gallery of Ireland, Office of Public Works (Dublin Castle), Fingal County Council, Mayo County Council, Meath County Council, Fine Gael, Fiscal Council of Ireland, Clontarf Hospital, Trinity College Dublin, Crosscare, Framework, Dublin City University, Economic and Social Research Institute, Higher Education Colleges Association, Parents Plus Charity, Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland, Spirituality Institute for Research and Education, Quality and Qualifications Ireland, Digital Marketing Institute, University of Limerick, Newbridge House, Russborough House.
Examples of work undertaken
Details of commissions from the above clients can be provided upon request.
Testimonials
“Rachel is an exceptional editor: astute, thorough and utterly reliable. I cannot recommend her highly enough” (Fiona Dunne, former Managing Editor, Irish Academic Press and Merrion Press).
Additional information
In addition to working for the organisations listed in the Clients section, I do editorial work for academics and independent researchers (especially those whose first language is not English) in terms of polishing up journal articles and books before they are submitted to publishers.
I also work with independent scholars who need help with self-publishing.