I have trained and qualified as a proofreader and copy-editor, the latter with the industry-recognised Publishing Training Centre. I also have a good degree in English and Latin, I am competent in Italian, and I am a fast and efficient touch-typist with excellent IT skills. Almost a decade of editing and producing publications at St John's College, Cambridge, and several years working at a leading academic bookseller have given me a wealth of experience and knowledge of publications and publishing. Furthermore, I have a passion for words, language and books, and I am always striving to improve my grammatical knowledge-base and linguistic skills-set through ongoing training. Perhaps most important of all, I am scrupulously honest, hard-working, driven, and reliable; and I am lucky enough to enjoy many client relationships that are based on mutual trust and respect (see Testimonials). If you need further testimony as to my integrity and self-motivation, look no further than the non-profit animal rescue, networking and fundraising group (the Sanctuary Angels) that I set up (in 2009) and successfully manage in my spare time, www.sanctuaryangels.co.uk
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Clients should have realistic expectations about what can be achieved in some cases, especially if both budget and timescale are tight. For example, if the English in the document is not very clear, the word count high, timescale and budget both limited, and the brief particularly complex, there is a limit to what can be achieved. The better the condition of the work that you send through for proofreading/editing, the better the results that can be achieved, and within a shorter timescale and budget. Allow yourself plenty of time to get your work ready for proofreading and don't forget to build in time afterwards to go through the suggested changes and corrections. Students, please also bear in mind that there are STRICT ETHICAL GUIDELINES laid down by the Society for Proofreaders and Editors regarding permissible levels of intervention and potential 'rewriting' issues. Students should also check with supervisors/departments that the hiring of a proofreader/copy-editor is allowed and accepted under department guidelines.
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I promise that I will offer you a competitive and affordable quote/estimate; that you will be charged ONLY for the time I have spent working on your document; and that I will use all my experience, knowledge, skills, training, and integrity to ensure that your work looks its very best (working within the budget and timeline discussed) and is returned on (if not before) your deadline. My regular clients also know that they can come to me with grammatical questions between assignments, and my Facebook page (see Contact page for link) offers regular tips and handy hints on words and syntax, which are presented in a fun way to make them easier to remember. My clients are individuals, not numbers, and I am lucky enough to enjoy many working relationships that are built on mutual trust and respect. All I ask in return is that you let me know if you're happy with my service, that you come back to me when you need help next time, and that you spread the word about your experience with me.
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The answer is a resounding YES. I charge for my work using an hourly rate, not only because this accurately reflects the actual time that I have undertaken on your work, but also because it is a fair and efficient pricing system that works out equivalent (frequently less expensive) to the most competitive per-word rates. I am constantly checking to ensure that my rates provide a healthy balance between valuing the profession and my work/time, and offering great value for money and affordable rates.
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I always give my individual/student clients the option to provide their own house style and formatting guidelines in my Client Booking Enquiry Form - publishing houses usually provide their own. A link to your department or university style guidelines is always helpful. If none is provided, I will consistently apply the house style documented in the Client Booking Enquiry Form. This is a house style that I have put together over the years through my work at St John's College and with various UK publishers and private clients. Of course if someone has to follow a particular grammatical/house style, I am more than happy to ensure this is consistently applied throughout the document; but more often than not, one of the biggest problems I encounter with documents is inconsistency. Therefore, in addition to looking for the obvious typographical errors, one of the main things that I will look for is consistency of styling, for example, using EITHER British English or American English throughout.
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