Specialisms: editing, copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading.

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Preferred subject areas: fiction (including adult, children’s and kids picture books), and narrative non-fiction (memoir, travel writing and reportage).​​​​​​​​

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I offer:

Editing | copyediting | developmental editing | proofreading | digital markup | BSI marks on hard copy | manuscript assessment | house style guides | plain English | revision and review | fiction including adult and children’s fiction | narrative non-fiction including memoir and travel writing | index preparation | survey preparation |

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Editing

I am an expert editor with a vast experience in copyediting, developmental editing and proofreading. I have been working in the field for over 15 years, offering freelance editorial services full-time since, 2010. I have edited copy- edited and proofread books, stories, articles, pamphlets and brochures in English, Hindi and German for over ten years. I work on short and long texts, and I welcome work in all three languages. I work on-screen using Word with tracked changes, and/or by marking up PDFs with BSI (British Standards Institution) proofreading marks. Aside, editing I  revise and review manuscripts, apply house style guides, prepare indexes and surveys. 

​My core editorial services is split into three to include specialist developmental editing, copyediting and proofreading.​

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Developmental editing​

Once a manuscript is ready the author contacts me for a developmental edit to take their script forward.  Every manuscript is different so, I treat each piece of work on its own merits. 

 

I  will:

• Read the manuscript and send an editorial assessment letter to the author with my feedback and editorial suggestions

• Work with the author from the very outset to assess the plot, characterisation, setting, structure, pacing and tone by identifying the strengths and weaknesses in the manuscript

• Provide constructive feedback for example, on how to bridge gaps in the story if any, thus help refine the revision process with a keen eye and enhance the author’s storytelling craft 

• Uphold the author’s voice

• Offer the best mentoring every author needs.

 

Copyediting

I specialise in copyediting by polishing the text for clarity and precision. Working across the copyediting spectrum to ensure that text is clear, correct, accurate and properly laid out, my key strengths address style and structure. By paying great attention to detail, I determine that the final text meets the highest of standards of written English.

I will:

• Focus on organising, condensing, modifying and adapting text with a view to making it clear, accurate and error-free 

• Fact-check, draft and re-draft, restructure, revise, and apply the correct house style 

• Analyse text on a sentence-by-sentence level and strictly work on improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax and structure

• Check images, charts and tables to ensure they are precise and properly aligned

• Raise a query wherever appropriate

• Seek constant feedback to help maximise the quality of work until you are completely satisfied

• Offer written feedback

• Meet agreed deadlines punctually

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Proofreading

Once a text has gone through typesetting and is almost ready to be published it needs a proofreader to do a final check to ensure that it is error-free and ready for publication. This is a vital review and the final stage in the publishing process.

I offer two kinds of proofreading – Basic and Enhanced.​

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Basic proofread —I will:

• Read original text copies against typeset proofs to catch typos

• Check and correct errors in spelling without using a spell-checker

• Check punctuation and grammar to fix grammatical mistakes

• Check images, charts and tables to ensure they are precise and properly aligned

• Address formatting issues, verify accuracy of page numbers, headings and captions

 

Enhanced proofread —I will:​

• Go beyond the usual Basic proofread to correct and adjust the wording and formatting for an error-free text

• Check variations in style, sense and consistency to assure uniform text quality

• Review text meticulously to enhance readability and comprehension

• Flag up any issues missed during earlier editing processes