Proofreading: why I do what I do
A bit philosophical, but I have been reflecting on my life and purpose recently. Here is a contents list of what is covered in my blog.
Why do I proofread?
Who do I proofread for?
What do I specialise in?
Why do I proofread?
My friends say that I am the kindest person they know, always thinking of others. It all started when I began my career as a primary school teacher, caring for and teaching others. I had a nurturing role and developed my love of supporting others. This has continued into my career as a proofreader. I believe in empowering others and passing on my skills. So one reason I proofread is to fulfil a supportive role in helping others develop their writing.
My passion is for reading, and I have a love of books. I collect them and always have a pile of books next to my bed that I can't wait to read. Every birthday and Christmas the majority of my own and my children's presents are books. I am passionate about the importance of children reading daily and developing their knowledge. I have a love of learning and hope I will learn something every day for the rest of my life. My goal is to read every day and do a job where I can work doing what I love.
"Learning is about looking at things differently, making your life better every day." Richard Bandler
I am a professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. I have undertaken thorough training, and I received recognition for my proofreading skills. I enjoy being a member, even though being self-employed, it feels as though I am part of a team and get the support I need.
Who do I proofread for?
Proofreading is needed in every walk of life. It is having someone there to support you, guide you on your writing journey, ensuring your work is ready for the world.
I proofread for publishers completing the final checks on their latest non-fiction and fiction books. My proofreading experience includes Chinese poem anthologies, Wellbeing books, Travel guides, Online learning modules, Teaching resources and Short story collections.
I proofread for students supporting them with their education: essays, dissertations and theses. Also, at a higher level, I proofread academic articles and journals.
If you feel there is a writer inside you waiting to come out; I proofread for independent authors too. I have supported people to realise their dreams of writing books about Wellbeing and Project management.
What do I specialise in?
I bring a lot of previous experience to my proofreading business, including a maths degree and 17 years in teaching. This has given me an area of expertise which I apply to my proofreading.
I have worked to develop primary maths resources through copyediting, proofreading and maths checking. The publishing process has lots of steps to ensure the project is ready for publication. I enjoy supporting at the different levels to ensure quality content at the appropriate age level, accurate grammar, spelling and punctuation to convey the teaching and a final check of the maths to ensure it provides the best educational content ready for publication.
Maths is my speciality, and I love using my brain to work through A Level maths questions ensuring the students are gaining the best education to succeed in their future learning. I support students with their dissertations and theses, analysing the formulas and supporting them with their learning.
I am a freelance proofreader and a qualified teacher with a maths degree and a love of learning, feel free to contact me if you need support with your writing. Thank you for reading 'Proofreading: why I do what I do'. Want to find more out about why I became a proofreader?
Check out my blog "Proofreading: why become a proofreader?" on my website www.alisonproofreader.com, or say hello on Twitter at @alisonproofread, or Instagram at @alisonproofreader, or connect via Facebook and LinkedIn.
Keywords
Grammar - the study of words, how they are used in sentences, and how they change in different situations. There are rules about sentence structure and how the language should be used.
Proofreading - examining your text carefully to find and correct mistakes in grammar, style, punctuation, consistency and spelling.
Punctuation - marks used in writing to separate sentences and to clarify meaning, for example, full stop and comma.
Reference - quote