Sarah Mitchell

Long ago, Sarah studied English and Modern Languages at Oxford and like many arts graduates had no career plan, so taught in Paris until a postgraduate course in Printing and Publishing beckoned.  She fell by chance into the educational publishing world, and has never had a minute to change her mind since.  She has worked at most of the major educational publishers in the UK and has wide experience of creating good books and materials for learners of all ages.

Sarah moved to Scotland in 2003 and is married with a young daughter. She is not a Scot, but is in the process of being naturalised.  

 No stranger to taking the long way around as he progressed through nth degrees in History and Law, John accidentally fell into the publishing world six years ago.  This initially inauspicious move was followed by a rapid rise through many roles at Leckie & Leckie Publishers, culminating in his eventual appointment as Commissioning Editor. 

When not striving at the publishing coalface, John is a very keen runner and plays football to the best of his abilities twice a week.  He’s also a fan of outdoor adventures, taking photos, drinking coffee and doing the Times 2 crossword (or not, as the case may be).

John lives in Edinburgh. 

After a short, unfulfilling stint in banking, Alan studied Publishing at Napier University before embarking on a much more rewarding career in the world of books. First port of call was the literary hotspot of Edinburgh’s new town and a brief sojourn amongst the shelves of the much missed Stockbridge bookshop.  Before long, the bright lights of London town and a job with the venerable Butterworth & Co tempted Alan southwards. Alan became well versed in all things editorial and production and he humbly accepted the promotions that came his way. After a decade of toiling in the big smoke, Alan followed his heart and went home to be with his girl from the north country!

They are now happily married with 2 children and live on the edge of the Pentland hills. When not working or spending time with his family, Alan likes to don a fancy shirt and socialise with pals or join his fellow Tartan Army footsoldiers on their high jinks around Europe.

Born in a small town on the Lancashire coast, Richard left the seaside behind to pursue a degree in English Literature on the other side of the country. He managed to catch one.  

London next, and a musical path, in a band hailed as one of the best live unsigned bands in London by many of the band-members’ closest friends.  These undoubtedly deserved plaudits notwithstanding the band stoically remained unsigned, and a career in sales and marketing followed, mainly in the genteel world of book publishing but occasionally in the dark alleys and ill-lit streets of less noble commerce. 

1. We commission the very best person we can find in their field to write each book.  This could be a teacher, principal teacher, or other education professional; but it will invariably be someone with an impeccable track record within Scottish education, and often someone experienced in creating educational resources.
2. The author will be carefully briefed to ensure that their book contains all the essential information required for the course, as well as meeting Bright Red’s high standards of accessible language and readability, stimulating tips and extensive features.
3. Once the manuscript has been written, it is independently peer reviewed by another experienced and knowledgeable education professional for technical accuracy, coverage of the course and usability.
4. The feedback from this review is returned to the author, who then incorporates the reviewer’s feedback to create the best possible text.
5. Once the text has met the criteria set by the reviewer, and by Bright Red Publishing, it is edited for consistency and language and set into the design of the Bright Red books.  The design and appearance of our books have been carefully developed by obtaining feedback from teachers and students about accessibility, interest, ease of use, and visual appeal. We believe it presents the material in a way that allows all students to gain something from the books, to be kept as interested as possible in their revision and to remember the information more easily!
6. This designed text is then checked again in-house by Bright Red Publishing, as well as externally by an experienced proof-reader to be sure that there are no mistakes, and that the information is complete, accurate and consistent.
7. Once any corrections have been made, the books are printed on good quality FSC paper, from sustainable sources, by printers who also carry out another set of checks to ensure that the text is error-free and complete.  The books are bound in such a way as to be robust and durable, to ensure the maximum lifespan in schools.