Melanie Thompson

Melanie Thompson became a freelance writer and editor in April 2000, having worked in publishing, journalism and PR since 1988.

As a freelancer, she has focussed on energy efficiency, sustainability and construction-related topics, but has also used her core qualifications and other in-house experience to help a number of corporate clients and publishers in other sectors (e.g. sciences, education, forestry, environment, charities). Key services offered: editorial consultancy, writing/journalism, copy-editing and proofreading, for books, magazines and websites.

Melanie's publishing career began in 1988, when she joined Chapman & Hall as Publisher's Editor in the science journals department. She worked on the Journal of Materials Science, International Journal of Mining and Geological Engineering, and Planning Perspectives.

She then gained writing and editing experience in the business-to-business sector, as Assistant Editor of Electronic Product Design magazine, before moving into the not-for-profit sector as Communications Officer for the AEEU, then one of the largest trade unions in the manufacturing sector. At the AEEU she was responsible for writing, editing and layout of the union's members' newspaper (circulation 700,000), other newsletters and the annual report, corporate merchandising, media relations and PR support.

In 1994 Melanie joined the Central Office of Information, working in a unit that provided promotional support for a wide range of British exporters - from civil engineering companies to fashion designers and fabric manufacturers. This involved working closely with a number of trade associations.

She joined the Building Research Establishment (BRE) as Managing Editor for the government’s Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme in 1996, and has focussed on construction-related topics ever since. In 2003, Melanie devised and launched the online newsletter Get Sust! (www.get-sust.com), a monthly publication for built-environment academics and professionals, which is currently co-published by RIBA/NBS.

Qualifications:

Graduated from Keele University in 1988 with a BA (Joint Hons) in Physics and Music.

Awarded a Diploma in Science Communication from Birkbeck College, University of London, in 1999.

In 2009 she was awarded a City & Guilds qualification to enable her to teach in further education colleges (PTLLS), and attended the SfEP course "Stand and deliver - training for trainers".

Melanie is an Advanced Member of the Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) and a member of the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) - freelance branch.