Diana R
Surrey, UK
“Polished presentation is key to success.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BSc Psychology
University of Dundee
1990–1994
B(Ost) Osteopathy
British School of Osteopathy
2002–2007
Favorite referencing style
All referencing styles have their pros and cons, but I do like Chicago referencing for its precision and clean look.
Why I became an editor
Proofreading is a pleasure – what great satisfaction there is in tweaking and polishing a passage of words so that it puts across the author’s ideas in a way that is a joy to read!
I first discovered this pleasure during my own academic career, when essays were drafted and re-drafted to condense them to their perfect essence, and continued into editing undergraduate and postgraduate dissertations during my children’s studies.
I have a largely scientific background and a good knowledge of anatomy, physiology, pathology, and related terminology. I also have a working knowledge of French, having studied it at A-Level.
I am a (self-confessed!) pedant when it comes to grammar and spelling. It’s a privilege to be able to put my pedantry to use to ensure my clients’ work reflects them in a professional manner.
Background and experience
I have experience proofreading academic work (using Harvard and Chicago referencing systems), including postgraduate dissertations, as well as website content, newsletters, and magazine articles.
Why I love proofreading and editing
The best thing about proofreading is that the application of that final "smoothing" of text can make all the difference to the final experience of reading the work. The next best thing is getting to learn so much about a wide variety of subjects while I'm doing it!
Favorite book:
Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout. The visual imagery was so intense, I feel I can still re-visit Olive's town in my mind – like returning to a favourite holiday spot!
Hobbies:
When I'm not proofreading, I'm either running the trails with my dog, cooking up a meal for the family, or discovering a new city on a weekend break.
Editing tips:
I think it's important to get an overview of the document, its style, and the author's tone before getting stuck into the nitty gritty of detailed proofreading.
