Personal Memoir

The client: After blogging for years, Betty decided to turn a selection of her blog posts into a book. She wanted to put her best foot forward when submitting her memoirs to agents and publishers. In the end, it became two books.

How I helped: I reviewed the compiled blog posts along with an introduction and corrected spelling, grammar, and punctuation. The blog posts were written over a period of years, so I worked to ensure consistency of style and formatting. I worked with Betty to smooth out and tighten up wordy passages and fix areas where the story didn’t quite land. It was essential to maintain her style and tone, so that was at the forefront throughout the project. I provided Betty with the final edited document cleared of all editing marks as well as a style sheet.

The experience: I really enjoyed this project. Betty is a talented writer, so reading her work made my work fun. Volumes I and II are now available.

“Lynnette was a font of wisdom when it came to my book. Her command of the English language surpassed my own, and I consider myself a general. She was assertive, but not aggressive in her recommendations, but also didn’t pull any punches and was thorough as well as concise. She understood that in the end, the buck stopped with me. I can never thank her enough for all of her help, cheerleading and inspiration.”

Betty Waite, author

Engineering Proposals and Reports

The client: I worked for a small civil engineering company that sent out up to a thousand proposals each year along with several hundred engineering reports of various lengths. Some of the proposals were responses to requests for proposals (RFP) or qualifications (RFQ) with exacting requirements. Report types ranged from two-page summaries of observations to 40-plus page reports of geotechnical investigations, roofing or waterproofing investigations, or environmental site assessments.

How I helped: For over a decade, I performed quality assurance edits of engineering proposals and reports. I fixing spelling, grammar and punctuation errors; ensured accuracy in details such as formatting and numbering of tables and plates and ensured formatting was consistent with company standards. I also queried apparent inconsistencies, inaccuracies and flaws in logic. For responses to RFPs and RFQs, I also ensured adherence to the stated requirements.

The experience: My natural curiosity and perfectionist tendencies were both gratified by this work. I learned a great deal, not just about editing and proofreading, but about engineering and geology. Although I learned a lot, I maintained an appropriate level of caution when editing technical data.

Biography Second Edition Update

The client: The author of this biography decided to add a second chapter and a new introduction for the second edition. He wanted help from a native English speaker before submitting to the publisher.

How I helped: In addition to correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation, I worked with him to smooth out awkward phrasing, ensure specific word use reflected his intended meaning and applied consistent formatting.

The experience: As a fan of biographies, this was a project I was excited about from the start. The material was interesting, and working with an ESL author provided additional challenges that made the work even more rewarding.

“You did a great job. I have used other editors before but I like the depth of your editing.” 

Muhammed Rahim, author

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