Accuracy
Proof reading is a completely different skill to reading. Our brains show us what we expect to see which can mean that mistakes slip through, especially when you’ve actually written the content. I focus on the words and structures rather than the wider story to ensure errors are found.
Consistency
There are some things that are right and wrong and there are some things that are just convention. It’s not important how you choose to do them, it’s just important that you do them that way every time. I will make sure style choices are applied consistently throughout.
Editing
Proof reading and editing are completely different skills. It is quite difficult to do both together. The more focus that is applied to the wider narrative, the harder it is to spot spelling and grammar errors. I will only make editorial suggestions on request.
Collaboration
It can be quite demoralising to work relentlessly on a piece of work only to have it returned to you riddled with corrections. I prefer to work together with an author to make suggestions rather than wholesale changes. Of course, if there is a spelling error, I will just quietly fix it.
Case Study: Life's Just a Journey with Ros Wilson
I have enjoyed working with Ros Wilson for over a decade now. Her impact on the education sector has been vast and I’m pleased to have contributed my skills to her work.
Recently, Ros has written a biography themed around her travels and adventures. Each chapter focuses on a journey within her life.
I had the pleasure of proof reading the book for Ros. We worked together to establish consistent rules for presentation and vocabulary and I worked hard to make sure these rules were applied. As with any novel length piece of writing, there are bound to be mistakes. I read each sentence with care and corrected any spelling and grammar mistakes.
