Ensure your content isn’t undermined!
telling your story clearly and accurately
Every writer needs an editor, no matter how experienced they are. As you write, you inevitably become very close to and involved in the material; an editor will bring a fresh perspective to the content, and is more likely to see what’s there rather than what you expect to be there. In the heat of creation, there will be things you miss or over-emphasise, or additions made that don’t quite fit into the original material.
Sometimes, in this busy world, all that’s needed is simply finishing off and tidying up for the reader’s sake!
Content editing looks at the flow of the story itself. Does it lead naturally from one point to the next? Have you missed a point, or made an assumption about prior knowledge, that means the reader won’t make sense of the whole? Or have you over-explained a detail that the reader will have already grasped? Are you telling your story as clearly as possible?
Proofreading looks at the mechanics of how you present the content: the spelling, grammar and punctuation. Many writers resist much importance being attached to spelling, grammar and punctuation, as they quite rightly feel that the content is the vitally important thing. However, if poor spelling gets in the way of a writer conveying their exact meaning, or readers disengage because they are impatient with some rather random punctuation, then the content has failed. It might be the most frustrating or tedious part of your writing task, but why not make the effort? Ensure you present yourself and your business as completely professional.
editing Distant Relatives
Fiona Seymour asked me to help her publish her first novel, Distant Relatives. This involved proofreading the manuscript, designing the cover, and then preparing it all for printing. The novel is now available for sale via Lulu.com.
It is an engrossing tale of a young woman trying to take charge of her life. Claire is a flawed and very likeable main character, who the reader quickly learns to care for, while Lily makes a horribly plausible villain - horrible because so realistic! Fiona keeps up the pace while developing a range of characters, deftly handling the back story, and providing local colour for the main settings in England, Singapore and New Zealand.
my experience
My experience in content editing and proofreading includes:
- running a small book publishing business for five years, with sole responsibility for editing ten titles
- proofreading and pre-press for academic journals and conference proceedings for an independent scholars association
- proofreading and pre-press for a self-published novel
I have an excellent knowledge of the Microsoft Office 2007 suite (especially Word, Excel and Access), as well as Adobe Photoshop and PageMaker.
And I have a range of related skills, including design, layout and pre-press (preparing material for professional printing). I currently perform pre-press work for the Independent Scholars Association of Australia.
If I can help you with any of these services, please contact me to discuss your needs, however large or small.
