Leena E

Northumberland, UK

“Good writing slips by unobserved.”

Specialist subjects:

Accounting & Finance Business Creative Writing Dance Drama & Theatre Education English Language & Literature

Editing formats:

Education:

Favorite referencing style

My favourite referencing style is APA. I prefer it mildly over Harvard because it uses hanging indents in the reference list, making authors easy to find.

Why I became an editor

I spent ten years home educating my children, from teaching them to read to finding innovative ways to engage them in maths, science, art, and literature. I impressed upon them the value of presenting themselves well in writing as good writing can be formative in creating a favourable impression in many areas of life. From personal statements to university theses, job applications to corporate images, the clarity and flow of the written word can make the difference between acceptance and rejection, success and failure.

Recently, I produced a number of audiobooks for Audible, working mainly with self-published authors. It was through this work that I gained an appreciation of need for third party editorial and proofreading expertise even for the best of writers. There is no substitute for the fresh, keen eye. It inspired me to formalise these skills with specialist training, to enable me to offer these services professionally.

Background and experience

I have been proofreading for Distributed Proofreaders on a voluntary basis since February 2020. Proofreading professionally is a new venture for me. Over many years of experience working in key positions in both government and business, I have taken pride in my attention to detail and commitment to producing a quality product. As company secretary to my husband's engineering business, part of my role is to edit and polish his written work, from letters to reports, utilising my skills in an area he finds both onerous and challenging.

Why I love proofreading and editing

I love smoothing out the trips and snags that detract the reader's attention from the writer's intent. I enjoy the challenge of finding the stealth-typos that are masters of disguise, and the satisfaction of refining a document to read seamlessly.

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Favorite book:

Nine Coaches Waiting by Mary Stewart

Hobbies:

I play the pennywhistle and the tenor ukulele in a ceilidh band.

Editing tips:

The most useful technique for me is to read the text out loud. The brain is adept at filling in the blanks to ease understanding, but this is not a useful function when it comes to proofreading. Reading aloud slows the brain down, forcing it to focus on each word.

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