William W
Port Republic, United States
“First principles: correctness, clarity, and concision.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
MA in English
The Catholic University of America
1992–1995
MA in English
George Mason University
1988–1990
BA in English
Randoph-Macon College
1975–1980
Favorite referencing style
My favorite referencing style is APA. I appreciate its relative simplicity and concision.
Why I became an editor
I studied English in college because of my love for the language and literature and because the subject serves as a hub where many of my other interests converge. History, philosophy, geopolitics, religion, cultural studies, and more come together in my favorite works of literature. This led me to a career in teaching English literature and language at a college preparatory school in Maryland. Proofreading allows me to help others express their ideas in clear, correct, and concise English.
Background and experience
In addition to teaching English, I also served as the Director of College Counseling at my school. In this role, I worked with students to craft effective college application essays. As an International Baccalaureate World School, we had many ESL students, especially from East Asia. I particularly enjoyed helping these students communicate their ideas, hopes, and aspirations correctly, clearly, and concisely to their dream colleges and universities.
Why I love proofreading and editing
Everyone deserves to be able to express their ideas in the most effective and compelling way possible. Unfortunately, small writing errors and grammatical lapses can trigger negative biases against authors. This can cause readers to be dismissive of the author's ideas, no matter how sound they may be. I derive satisfaction from helping people to refine their writing so that their ideas can be communicated successfully.
Favorite book:
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization by Peter Zeihan is my favorite book.
Hobbies:
When not proofreading, I enjoy sailing on Chesapeake Bay.
Editing tips:
I read the document first with an eye for the most obvious mistakes. I then read it again, aloud and slowly, to detect more subtle grammatical errors. Finally, I read the document backward.
