Services to Other Individuals, Companies and Organisations

Writing, editing and proofreading services

There are many people, other than publishers, who need the services of a writer, editor or proofreader, for example:

• authors who have not yet secured a publishing deal or an agent and are possibly looking to self-publish
• students
• printers
• PR agencies
• advertising agencies
• charities, clubs and other non-profit organisations
• government bodies
• small businesses
• large corporations
• academic institutions

To these other individuals, companies and organisations I can offer the following services:

• project management including briefing designers, typesetters and printers
• authoring text from scratch
• revising, rewriting and condensing material to ensure clarity and conciseness
• editing draft documents to ensure a logical structure, and accuracy and consistency of spelling, grammar, punctuation, fact and style
• proofreading typeset documents to provide a final quality check before printing and circulation
• advising on style and layout
• developing a house style for documents produced in-house to ensure consistency and standardisation

At a later date I am planning to offer a research service.

Benefits I offer

Using me will save you time, money and mistakes. I can ensure that your documents:

• are effective
• communicate clearly
• meet the needs of your readers
• say what you want them to say
• are produced to time and budget and are free from error

As a writer I offer:

• the skills of an experienced technical writer who can write clear, concise and appropriate material in a variety of media to meet the various needs of a wide range of readers

As an editor I offer:

• an objective pair of eyes from someone detached from the writing process who can put herself in the reader's position and spot mistakes and inconsistencies which would distract the reader
• the ability to structure written material so that concepts are revealed in a logical order
• a detailed knowledge of spelling, grammar and punctuation and the ability to ensure consistency within a piece of work
• the ability to structure sentences in plain English to ensure clarity and conciseness
• the ability to check facts and spot inconsistencies
• the ability to ensure effective and consistent style and layout
• a professional finish to work which makes it stand out and gives a good impression of you, your company or organisation to your readers
• the ability to spot errors which could prove harmful to the public if the material is released unchecked e.g. in DIY manuals
• a saving in time and money at a later stage if errors are not spotted before printing and circulation
• a check of the suitability of the text for its intended readers and the ability to edit material if the readers change
• a knowledge of the technical side of publishing so I can discuss technical issues with a designer, typesetter or printer

As a proofreader I offer:

• a fresh pair of eyes to spot obvious and embarrassing errors which may be missed if you proofread your own work
• a knowledge of the production process and which changes would be uneconomical to make as they would cause unacceptable costs and delay
• careful preparation and a detailed final check of document proofs prior to printing and circulation e.g. for spelling, grammar, punctuation and page layout

Media

I have experience in handling the following media:

• distance-learning textbooks
• study guides
• test questions
• on-job training assignments
• training sessions
• scripts for audio cassettes
• magazine reviews
• newsletters
• reports

Other examples of media which I am willing to work on include:

• business documents, both for internal and external use, such as:
• annual reports and accounts
• audit reports
• corporate literature
• business proposals
• research reports
• press releases
• sales documents e.g. terms of trade and price lists
• promotional literature e.g. advertisements, sales brochures, and flyers for mailshot campaigns
• briefing papers
• minutes of meetings
• conference and seminar papers and handouts
• staff and customer newsletters
• manuals for training and management procedures
• joining instructions e.g. for new employees
• educational and academic material including:
• tutorials
• papers, theses, dissertations in English literature, music or other academic fields
• brochures and prospectuses for schools and universities
• inspection reports
• other material including:
• fiction and non-fiction books
• journals, periodicals and magazines
• local and national newspapers
• instructions e.g. operating instructions and user guides
• other guides and handbooks
• legal documents
• catalogues and directories
• menus
• programmes e.g. for concerts, theatre or film
• members' newsletters e.g. for clubs and societies