Mary G
Mackay, Australia
“Proofreading is the difference between good and great writing.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
Favorite referencing style
The Chicago referencing style is my favorite, as it's the one I have the most experience with.
Why I became an editor
From as far back as I can remember, I've loved reading. Around seven years ago, I tried my hand at non-fiction writing, which led to editing my own work. With the advent of online editing software, I became interested in proofreading the work of others. I've taken several courses to learn proofreading and copy editing. I enjoy fixing writing creations to look and sound their best and to convey the writer's meaning. Turning a piece of good (and not so good) writing into something special gives me satisfaction.
Background and experience
I have proofread and copy edited about 20 ebooks for private clients. I also worked for two years as a freelance blog post and article writer and proofreader. Before that, I wrote articles for content companies for several years.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I like the satisfaction of "massaging" writing into the best shape possible. Bad grammar, punctuation and spelling in writing annoys me, and I want to fix it. Also, I learn about subjects I might not have read about if I didn't proofread.
Favorite book:
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Hobbies:
When I'm not proofreading, I like to read without proofreading, which is nearly impossible! As well, I like dressmaking, cooking, and playing with my dog.
Editing tips:
A technique I find very useful is reading the document aloud. This helps to pinpoint if something doesn't sound quite right.
