Carrie P
Gauteng, South Africa
“It's amazing how a single punctuation mark can make or break a sentence.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BCom in Economics and Corporate Finance
University of the Witwatersrand
2013–2015
Favorite referencing style
APA is my favorite style. Although its rules and guidelines are very precise, there is comfort in knowing exactly how to address each possible source type.
Why I became an editor
Ever since I learned to read, I have been a ferocious reader! Since my personality leans more toward the shy side, expressing my thoughts verbally has not always been easy. Thus, the written word provides the perfect medium to convey my opinions more eloquently. I aim to help anyone who wants to use writing to communicate effectively in the same manner I did.
Background and experience
For three years, I worked for my father's company in an accounts position. I was often asked to do things beyond the scope of just accounts. One of those was proofreading/editing. I realized it was something I was fairly good at and quite enjoyed. Thus, when I decided to leave my father's company, proofreading seemed like the perfect path to pursue.
Why I love proofreading and editing
It is most gratifying to fix a piece of writing and make it flow effortlessly. It is amazing how the slight alteration of punctuation marks can change the meaning of a sentence. I especially like to proofread creative writing, as I love reading stories. Thus, helping authors to refine their storytelling and communication is greatly satisfying.
Favorite book:
My favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I found that her struggle to choose between doing what was good for the world and following her heart really resonated with me.
Hobbies:
When I'm not proofreading, I enjoy reading for pleasure, baking, and most of all spending time with my beautiful niece and nephew.
Editing tips:
I use the “find” tool for all hyphens, en dashes, and em dashes to ensure they are used correctly. Reading through the document aloud helps to catch incorrect words that aren't picked up by Word.
