Academic editing
I have been editing and proofreading for almost 20 years, and I am able to edit academic theses, dissertations, articles and presentations. My professional and academic experience covers the humanities (especially languages, literature, publishing and communications) as well as international human rights and development. I can edit your thesis or dissertation to a polished and professional standard, removing errors and smoothing your expression to get your message across as clearly as possible.
I have a thorough knowledge of academic publishing conventions and referencing systems, and as a trained librarian I have strong research skills. I am also a regular tutor on masters-level courses at the University of Queensland, so I regularly mark student essays, assignments and reports. I have English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching experience, which gives me a thorough understanding of the requirements for writers who have learned English as an additional language. I am a fluent Spanish speaker with a good working knowledge of French, so I am especially familiar with the typical phrasings and errors introduced from those languages.
All Australian research theses and dissertations are edited in accordance with the ‘Guidelines for editing research theses’, as agreed by the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) and the Australian Council of Graduate Research Inc (ACGR). The guidelines are directed at candidates, supervisors and editors.
For research theses and dissertations, I can complete about 10,000 words per day on good clean copy (in a best-case scenario). I will return your thesis with changes tracked in Word, or marked on a PDF if you prefer.
Editing and proofreading
I have many years’ experience working for a range of publishing houses, international organisations, community groups and in private enterprise. I can make your piece read fluently and suit your intended audience. I will make sure it is free of spelling, grammar, syntax and style errors which can weaken both your message and your professional reputation.
I can carry out structural, style and copy editing, as well as comprehensive fact-checking on nonfiction pieces. I am familiar with standard publishing guidelines for Australian, UK and US publications, and routinely work with diverse style guides, dictionaries and in-house style sheets to meet clients’ needs. I am sensitive, meticulous and attentive in my work, and your words will be the better for it.
Copywriting
I have written a wide variety of academic, commercial and educational materials, both for print and online publication. I have researched and produced magazine articles, organisational reports, linguistic guides, language-teaching material, press releases, promotional documents ranging from interviews to blog posts and tweets, and both technical and narrative websites. I can create language that suits your business, your personality and your audience, ensuring that your message has the greatest possible impact.
Spanish-English translation
I have completed Spanish-English translations for grassroots community groups, publishing houses, small businesses, university departments and international organisations such as UN Women, UNIFEM and UN-INSTRAW. I have lived and worked in Mexico, Colombia and Argentina, and am familiar with both continental and Latin American Spanish.
I can translate your document into Australian, British or US English, using the appropriate phrasing, spelling, punctuation and style conventions. I carefully cross-check the standard translations of organisation names or documents, and add notes to explain my choices if they aren’t immediately obvious. I provide thorough, detailed work, including editorial comments about missing text or incomplete references, which can help improve the original Spanish document.
File format
I can work in the file format you prefer, and all work is returned to the client with changes, suggestions and comments marked up appropriately. I normally work with Microsoft Word Track Changes and Adobe Acrobat Reader Comments.
Fees
Fees are based on the service requested, the workload required and the turnaround time. Contact me with a sample of your work for a quote.