SERVICES
SERVICES
How I can help
I’m responsible for ensuring your work is ready to go public.
It’s not easy to spot errors in your own documents. There might be things you’ve not even thought about. This is where I can help.
As a trained proofreader I’ll check everything methodically. I’ll judge your priorities carefully and avoid any unnecessary changes that might cost more or take too long.
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I work with many genres, but specialise in outdoor literature: exploration, survival, mountaineering, climbing, cycling, adventure and nature.
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From a lifetime spent either outdoors or reading about it, you can be confident that I know technical terms, equipment use and many wild and remote locations such as specific mountains, routes or trails.
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​So if you need someone who knows boots, belays and bivouacs then you'll be in safe hands.
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Gina has been working with us on a voluntary basis for our last two editions of our quarterly 'Mountain Rescue’ magazine. Her professional and efficient approach, and her attention to detail have certainly taken us to a new level. As a very small design and production team of one, I have always espoused high production values and, thanks to Gina’s input, I now feel extra confident that we are producing a top-class publication that can stand proudly within the outdoor sports and emergency services sector.
Judy Whiteside, Editor & Publicity Officer, Mountain Rescue Magazine
My approach
Depending on your requirements, I can:
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Correct errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
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Review sentence structure, ambiguities, incorrect spacing and lists.
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Review the layout, headings, design and typography.
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Ensure consistency with your house style and within the document to references, abbreviations, names or terms.
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Check your document against an original or earlier version.
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Look at the big picture to ensure everything fits together as it should.
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Review the position and content of illustrations, tables and their captions.
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Check that notes and references are cited correctly.
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Colour code corrections (usually for publishers).
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Make minor text adjustments to fit a space.
I’ll mark up corrections using track changes in Word, commenting tools on PDF or BSI symbols.
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If you’re part of a bigger team I can liaise directly with authors, designers or other partners.
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Proof-editing
If you want your words to have greater impact, then I can combine proofreading with editing – a ‘proof-edit’. This takes more time.
I’ll review and edit the messages, look at your choice of words and suggest improvements. I can help you get the right tone of voice.
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Businesses that want to communicate less corporately to their customers or those whose first language is not English can benefit from my proof-editing.
I can also help you develop your own house style.
Portfolio
I work on a wide range of materials for small and large projects helping publishers, businesses and individuals, self-published authors and the public sector:
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fiction and non-fiction books
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e-books (for Kindle and other e-readers)
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websites and blogs
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corporate publications
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newsletters, magazines and promotional materials
As a new author I realised there’s so much more to presenting a manuscript professionally for final book design. This is where Gina really helped and delivered. She prepared my manuscript meticulously and also highlighted a few areas for clarification. It was the final, and very reassuring stage in the process for me. I can recommend Gina's approach - a telephone conversation to understand the requirements followed up by a clear timetable.
D. Wild, author of Storm Seer, Storm Bringer and Storm Viking