My experience as a copy editor and proofreader

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When you work with a proofreader or copy editor you need someone who has the expertise and insight to transform your content. I’ve included details of my experience below to help you decide if I’m the right freelancer for you.

Brief overview

I have over 20 years of editing and publishing experience. I graduated with a degree in journalism and communications, and worked at several of the largest medical and nursing publishers in the United States and the United Kingdom. I’ve edited websites for a pharmaceutical advertising and medical communications firm before tackling proposals for an international construction management company. I worked at LexisNexis before becoming the managing editor of the British Journal of Nursing, one of the premier clinical nursing journals in the world. I’ve been running my own successful freelance editing and proofreading business since 2006.

Qualifications

  • BA in Communications and Journalism from The American University, Washington, DC.

  • Post-graduate Certificate in Editing, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.

  • English major at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY.

Experience

Freelance Editor at Freelance Editorial Services, LLC

Clients include BootsWebMD, Wiley & Sons, Health Sciences Academy, Farrow & Ball, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, National Osteoporosis Society (UK), Nursing Standard, British Journal of Nursing, YMCA, Anshan Publishers, RCN specialist journals, Routledge, Taylor & Francis, MA Healthcare, and many individual authors and writers.

Editor, British Journal of Nursing (BJN); Managing Editor, Gastrointestinal Nursing (GIN)

  • Directly managed one editor, with partial responsibility for three others.

  • Commissioned clinical and feature articles for BJN (double-blind, peer-reviewed journal).

  • Improved the readability, interest, accuracy, and quality of clinical articles.

  • Worked directly with the UK Ministry of Defence and several national nursing organisations to create supplements for BJN.

  • Responsible for ensuring both journals were produced on time and to high standards.

  • Edited or managed the editing of all journal copy for consistency and accuracy.

Senior Editor, Occupational Health Review, LexisNexis Butterworths

  • Commissioned and edited all journal copy, including legal, health, news, opinions, and features.

  • Created a forward features list covering up to the minute, diverse topics.

  • Attended and summarized occupational health conferences.

  • Streamlined the copy process, reducing sub-editor overtime.

  • Worked closely with the production department to ensure smooth delivery.

Proposal Manager, Hill International Ltd

  • Managed complete proposal process for new business, ensuring deadlines were met and requests for proposals were fulfilled correctly.

  • Ensured proposals for projects were approved, and within budget, scope, and schedule.

  • Edited and proofread all outgoing reports, proposals, and tenders.

  • Completed a training program which included new proposal techniques, researching projects, vetting employees, and exploring data for proposals and then training employees.

Associate Editor and Writer, Medical Broadcasting Company (now Publicis Healthcare Communications Group)

  • Created and edited copy for pharmaceutical websites ensuring brand, legal requirements, readability, and marketing needs were in line with client requests.

  • Referenced medical and pharmaceutical copy for accuracy and legal requirements, reducing the number of hours needed by expensive in-house doctors and researchers.

  • Initiated and supervised the FDA and medical-legal copy and references submission process.

  • Ensured quality, consistency, and completeness of copy; supervised and implemented the company’s first-ever version control procedure.

  • Worked with the creative directors to reduce the number of copy changes and conflicts during the editing period.

Publishing Associate, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Publishers

  • Worked on books from the review process to final project, including interacting with authors, editing, proofreading, and preparing manuscripts for production.

  • Produced Publisher’s Yearly Reports for journal societies.

  • Managed budgets, authors’ payments, and royalty payments for up to 30 journals.