I have worked for over four decades with some of the world’s leading legal and academic publishers, in London, Oxford, Cambridge and overseas, besides assignments with government and international bodies, as well as mainstream commercial organisations.
Graduating in 1980, I then studied Book Publishing at Oxford Polytechnic, being awarded the CNAA Post-Graduate Diploma in 1981.
A career in London followed, working in-house as an editor for academic and legal publishers.
Deciding to go freelance in 1989, I had a steady flow of copy-editing work. These assignments were supplemented by research and writing projects: travel guides, industry yearbooks, country profiles, commodity reports, investment reports, media analysis, and other commissions. During this period I also co-authored two major works: The World Financial System (Longman, 1991) and Western European Economic Organizations: a Comprehensive Guide (Longman, 1992).
This period culminated in the setting up of the Editmaster Company, an editorial, translation and marketing services provider which worked extensively with Cadmos of Hamburg to translate and publish highly illustrated books throughout the English-speaking world. Editmaster’s sphere of operations incorporated translation, all types of editorial work, commissioning of photography, marketing and representation at trade fairs, and warehousing and shipping transactions.
In 2007 I received an offer of long-term research work on a project for the Department of Trade and Industry. This was followed by an assignment with the Lord Chancellor’s Department, editing judges’ benchbooks. Further such work led eventually to a period in Geneva where I worked for the United Nations as editor of UNCTAD’s flagship publication, World Investment Report, also drafting press statements and speeches.
In 2018, I set up OCH Editorial.
Christopher Long is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society.