My editing philosophy is simple:
ensure the document is effectively communicating its purpose; its goal; its brand.
Be it a news article, social media post, layout of a print publication, or
a website’s appearance and functionality — my methods may differ, but
my goal is to clearly and artfully communicate a message.
Copy Editing & Developmental Editing
As an editor, my role is not to pick apart someone’s work, but rather to polish it. Without sacrificing the integrity of one’s original idea or design, I use my skills to copy edit for accuracy and clarity, and developmentally edit for organization and effective communication.
I work with both digital and print pieces, so I am familiar with tracking digital edits as well as writing them. My experience with style guides ranges from AP, Chicago, MLA, and various in-house style guides. I am comfortable navigating and creating style guides to match an organization’s needs, no matter the piece.
To the left is an example of a brief email copy edited for the Detroit Regional Chamber. This piece was edited for clarity using AP style.
Developmental editing varies per document and purpose, but is just as important as copy editing. As a developmental editor, I work closely with the author to ensure every line, every paragraph, is contributing to the goal of the piece. This editing focuses on identifying areas of improvement regarding the organization, structure, tone, and mood of the writing. This editing is more hands-on with the author, as we develop the writing to make certain it is as effective as possible. As such, I prefer to be thorough in my edits and communication with the author throughout the editing process.
Below is an example of developmental editing I’ve done for ING Magazine. After reading through an entire document, I then go back and leave suggestions for improving the writing and its message.
Document and web layout
In addition to my work as an editor, I do a significant amount of proofreading across various platforms. My knowledge of design principles enables me to audit print or digital layouts for clarity, flow, and visual aesthetic. It does not matter how great the copy is or how striking the visuals are if they are not working well together, and if they cannot be appropriately received by their audience. Whether it is for an e-newsletter, book design, magazine layout, or web content, I analyze the formatting through the eyes of its audience, and make or suggest changes for improvement. Drawing from my brief, but significant, experience with user design, I audit for the audience’s experience, usability, and functionality no matter the medium.