I am a freelance professional proofreader and copyeditor.
My job
is to
help the writer convey the message. Writing is a right-brain activity
--
creative -- and proofreading/copyediting is its left-brain complement
--
analytical. I make sure the audience understands what the writer wanted
to say, not what they thought they said. To do this, I check
spelling,
punctuation, grammar, syntax, and consistency of tense and mood. A word
that doesn't mean exactly what the author intends can change the entire
sense of the piece, and confuse the reader.
WHAT I AM
My stock-in-trade is good, solid proofreading and copyediting; no
foreign
languages or in-depth specialties (except usage of the English
language).
Reading is my hobby, as well as my business, and for relaxation, I read
science
fiction, fantasy, mysteries, early-twentieth-century British fiction,
and
some current fiction. I also enjoy magazines and books about counted
cross-stitch,
cats, herbs, entrepreneurship, country life, horses, and the
American West -- more hobbies, more ideas...
WHO NEEDS ME
Anyone who produces anything intended to be read -- brochure,
catalog,
book, annual report, article, textbook, newsletter, advertisement, or
Website
-- needs the services of a proofreader. Most people don't need one
full-time,
and that's where I come in. My clients are advertising
agencies,
graphic designers, book and catalog publishers, typesetters, forms
companies,
marketing companies, newsletter publishers, and Website designers.
(Please
see the Testimonial
page for comments from a few of my clients and co-workers.)
SPELL-CHECK and GRAMMAR CHECK
Sure, you use them. We all do. But if you typed
"manger" and you meant
"manager,"
a spelling checker won't catch it. Waiver or waver, bear
or bare: spelling checkers don't know the difference -- and
grammar programs are frequently inaccurate, introducing errors such as
"companies" for the singular possessive "company's". I
find
all the errors, misquotes, punctuation slips, and grammatical faults
that
make copy hard to read or just plain inaccurate.
BOTTOM LINE
Proofreading isn't as expensive as you might imagine; I'll be
happy to
discuss rates and estimates for your current and future needs. You can
send me e-mail to
ninap@ninaproofs.com,
or you can leave me a voicemail at 469-574-5072. When you consider the
opportunities
you might miss through being misunderstood by your target audience,
proofreading
pays for itself many times over.
AMBITION
Ideally, I'd like to proofread everything in the English language
...
but
I'll settle for everything I can get my hands on.
