Madison S
New York City, New York, USA
“Simplicity, Clarity, Consistency.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA Literature and Philosophy & Public Affairs
Claremont McKenna College
2006–2010
Favorite referencing style
APA, Chicago, and MLA as they are the ones that I used the most in college.
Why I became an editor
I studied literature in college, which involved a lot of reading and writing. Come September, I'll begin pursuing my MFA in writing, which means there will be more reading and writing. As you might have already guessed, I am a lover of words. Nothing excites me more than forming the best possible combination of words to create something beautiful, which makes proofreading the ideal job for me!
Background and experience
I was a fashion publicist for eight years, which consisted of writing press releases and editing my clients' interview answers and collateral to best reflect their brand. I also worked as a freelance writer for a while, contributing to outlets such as the New York Times, Vogue.com, and the Daily Beast.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I love proofreading the same way I love all parts of the writing process. Making prose read beautifully at the sentence level fills me with great satisfaction. I also enjoy reading different forms and styles of writing. I am very familiar with academic writing (and the common style guides), but I also frequently edit creative writing and public relations materials – I am aware of the differences in style, tone, and vocabulary for which each piece of writing calls.
Favorite book:
Lolita by Nabokov and A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
Hobbies:
I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, walking my dog, and cooking.
Editing tips:
I've created a running checklist of common errors. I look out for things on the list as I review documents to make sure I don't miss any errors.