Philipa W
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
“A proofread document is a polished document. Strive to shine.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA (Education Related)
Rhodes University
1978–1981
Favorite referencing style
APL, mainly because I have the most experience here.
Why I became an editor
I was a teacher for many years. Some of my happiest years were in elementary school libraries. In my autumn years, I aspire to work from home continuing to do the work I enjoy, i.e. reading and helping others to produce their best work.
I have a wide range of reading interests that range from current events, history, environmental issues and biographies to children's fiction and non-fiction. Proofreading the work of others seems an ideal fit for me.
Background and experience
I edited a Terms and Conditions document for a dog grooming parlour while completing the Becoming A Proofreader the course. During my teaching years, I corrected thousands of school English essays.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I see myself as a bit of a grammar and spelling geek! I'd like to help others perfect their work. At the same time, I am always interested in what they have to say. My education experience included teaching ESL to children in Africa and the Middle East, and I'd like to help ESL content and creative writers as well.
Favorite book:
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is a favourite children's book.
The Spud series by John van der Ruit and the Adrian Mole diaries by Sue Townsend appeal to my educator persona!
Hobbies:
I like to meet with friends to chat and solve the problems of the world! I love to laugh. I am a single mom to three dogs and a cat whom I adore! Sometimes, I can be a Netflix series binge watcher.
Editing tips:
I like to read the document through first highlighting the errors that jump off the page. After that, I use a checklist, which is a combination of the one provided by Knowadays with my own additions.
