I'm Brian G Burns. I’m a flexible, highly skilled writer, editor and content creator with 20+

years’ experience producing accessible and inclusive communications products to help organisations reach their target audiences.

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I enjoy projects big or small, solving problems, juggling logistics, cutting through complications and getting things done, to high standards, on schedule and on budget.

 

I have expertise in healthcare covering areas such as epilepsy and autism (and specialist education related to both), complex disabilities (including deafblindness), clinical pathology, hearing loss, cancer, lung and respiratory diseases, and diabetes. 

 

With a background in non-fiction book publishing (to managing editor and editorial director level), I have also covered film and TV, finance and business, sports and games, sports psychology, popular culture, crime and forensic science, design and interiors, food and drink, science and technology, history, military history, biography and much more.

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With a keen interest in a wide range of subjects, I always look forward to taking on something new. Please just ask.

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Testimonials

 

I've worked with Brian many times over the past 10 years, most recently on the review and development of the health information portfolio for Young Epilepsy's new website.

 

With a gap in the Information team, I knew I could rely on Brian to step up and be a key player in the website project. The job included research and the restructuring of the content, writing and optimising, and overseeing the review process. 

 

In the past I have worked with Brian on a range of projects, from working with designers on creative concepts, through to annual reports and lifestyle articles. He is a highly skilled writer, hardworking and dependable, and a nice fella to have on the team.

—Nicola Shukla, Head of Communications, Young Epilepsy 

 

 

Brian [was] an extremely valuable addition to the team. He started working for the College at a point where two team members with considerable experience had left and we were up against extremely tight deadlines.

 

Brian fitted in effortlessly. He quickly got up to speed with our house style and processes and showed excellent initiative to get on and work to tight deadlines.

 

His editing skills are excellent, probably the best I have seen, particularly on copy that has a general public audience. I would have no hesitation in recommending Brian to other employers.

—Stacy Baxter, Editorial and Digital Manager, Royal College of Pathologists

 

 

I worked with Brian at Action on Hearing Loss on numerous projects throughout 2017. Brian is one of the most hardworking and dedicated people I have worked with. He worked on a range of content, including factsheets, brochures, annual and other full-length reports, and promotional campaigns such as the London Marathon fundraising campaign. 

 

He has an extremely thorough approach and an excellent eye for detail. His input always made a huge difference to the quality of our content. He is organised and able to work in a very busy team with a high volume of output. 

 

Apart from his professional expertise, on a personal level, he is a pleasure to work with. He has a great sense of humour and fitted in well within the team. We were all sad to see him go. 

 

Since then, Brian has also worked for me on a number of projects at Ambitious about Autism – including annual reports, school prospectuses and a detailed guide to autism in the early years for parents.

 

I would highly recommend Brian for anyone looking for a writer, editor or content producer.

—Aleksandra Kapuran, Senior Marketing Manager, Ambitious about Autism

 

 

I first worked with Brian at Diabetes UK, when he was editor of the healthcare professionals’ magazine. He acted as a mentor to me in my junior role and taught me a great deal about content management. I’ve since had the pleasure of working alongside Brian at Action on Hearing Loss, where he has produced high-quality content for print and digital products.

 

Brian remains one of the most gifted and professional writers and editors I’ve worked with. He is able to turn the most complex information into clear, accessible content with ease, and can quickly align his writing style to a brand’s voice and tone guidelines. He’s also extremely organised and efficient.

 

At Action on Hearing Loss, Brian’s content proved to meet both user needs and the organisation’s goals. For example, in 2018, when he wrote new product descriptions for the online shop, sales increased because he gave customers the information they needed in the language they used.

 

I highly recommend Brian as an extremely skilled content specialist for print and digital products.

—Kate Flagg, Content Design Lead, National Deaf Children's Society

 

 

Shortly after I had been appointed Managing Editor of the charity Diabetes UK, Brian quickly became my first choice as a freelance editor and writer. He could be relied on for everything from simple personal experience features to the most complicated scientific research or policy-based reports. His work was always of an exceptional standard and delivered on time and to budget.

 

He subsequently became my first choice as the new Medical and Science Editor. As soon as he started in the job, he identified changes that needed to be made and had the vision and determination to transform and relaunch the healthcare professional magazine, Diabetes Update, to much praise and success. He repeated this on Research Matters (scientific research for general audiences) and was a driving force in the relaunch of the membership magazine Balance. 

He worked across print and the website and undertook one-off projects across the charity, earning the gratitude of colleagues across many teams for his professional attitude and standard of work.

 

I relied on Brian for his intelligence and knowledge, regularly used him as a sounding board, and valued his honesty, integrity and sense of humour. He always helped colleagues, going above and beyond what was expected of him, taking enormous pride in his work and always striving for the best.

 

In my current role at UNISON, I rarely need to call on freelancers. When the occasion did arise in 2017, I called again on Brian. And, again, he delivered.

Martin Cullen, Editorial and Content Manager at UNISON, the public service union

 

 

Brian Burns worked for me as a project editor at Amber Books, where I was Editorial Director at the time. Across the course of three years, he proved himself a valuable member of our editorial team. Brian managed highly complex book projects with intelligence and aplomb. He was dedicated to achieving the best possible results, even in the face of tight deadlines and limited resources. He is also one of the best copy editors I’ve worked with, having an exceptional talent for crafting crisp, clear, engaging text. I would warmly recommend him to any organisation or individual seeking to engage a top editor and an outstanding team member. 

—Sally Collings, Book Proposal Specialist + Founder, Red Hill Publishing San Jose, CA

 

 

I worked with Brian for three years at a large health charity, where he was the editor of two magazines I used to design, and I also worked with him on numerous other projects. He's a consummate professional, whether you need crystal-clear copywriting, detailed line-by-line editing for clarity and accuracy, or major structural editing/rewriting.

 

I enjoy collaborating with Brian, as he always brings a high level of energy and creativity to projects as well has his perfectionist eye for detail. He raises the game of the whole team and always produces excellent outcomes. 
—John Clarkson, JohnClarksonDesign

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Please get in touch to discuss a project and get a quote