[Photo credit: The Silence Beyond by Dutch artist Herman Smorenburg]

[NOTE: If you arrived at this page because you googled "Chris ten Bruggen Kate", please see the Portfolio tab, above.]









I'm an experienced native US English-speaking editor and proofreader with a BA in English, who has been correcting and improving English texts for more than 25 years.

I also translate from Dutch to English.


My services:

¶ PROOFREADING to eliminate typographical, spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors in the final version of your English texts.

¶ EDITING to address matters of content, style, grammar, syntax and clarity to ensure your text is written in perfect and comprehensible English.

¶ TRANSLATING NL > EN




"You write to communicate to the hearts and minds of others what's burning inside you.
And we edit to let the fire show through the smoke." (Arthur Polotnik)

¶

Before you submit a manuscript for publication or place your website text online, let me make sure it's written in perfect English.

I specialize in working with native and non-native English speakers to help them convey their ideas in accurate and comprehensible English writing. Even native speakers often need help to bring their work up to publishable standards.

An experienced native (US) English-speaking editor, proofreader and writer, I identify and correct spelling, grammatical, punctuation and typographical errors. I also make sure that your style and tone are appropriate and consistent and, above all, that your English is correct and reads like that of an educated native speaker.

This increases your chances of publication and can avoid embarrassment on your part. It may even prevent costly misunderstandings or loss of business. Like it or not, publishers and potential customers are influenced by the English in your manuscript, brochures or correspondence and on your website. (If you don't believe me, take a look at this article from BBC News: Spelling mistakes "cost millions" in lost online sales–but don't forget to come back to finish reading my profile)

I also translate from Dutch to English.

¶ ABOUT ME
¶ RECOMMENDATIONS


EDITORIAL SERVICES

¶ PROOFREADING
¶ EDITING (Basic and Intensive)
¶ TRANSLATING NL > EN
¶ METHOD
¶ RATES
¶ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROOFREADING AND EDITING



¶


¶ ABOUT ME


"Do not hire a man who does your work for money, but him who does it for love of it." (Henry David Thoreau)

The strongest drive for some people may be love or hate, but for me it is the need to revise amend fix improve correct edit another person's writing.

I have been editing and proofreading all kinds of texts, from journal articles, book manuscripts and dissertations to blogs and websites, for more than 25 years.

Over the years, I have earned a reputation for accuracy, attention to detail and reliability. I'm a stickler about clarity and excellence in English writing (but still easy to work with). My clients also appreciate my creativity and the care that I give to each project.

I have worked with university professors in various fields, physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, screen writers, inventors, politicians, and government ministries.

My current clients include international corporations, small businesses and individuals including psychologists, writers and graduate students.

An American tempered by living more than a decade in Israel and now more than 20 years in the Netherlands, I have a BA in English Literature and Composition from UCLA (University of California at Los Angeles).

You can read more about my work experience in my CV by clicking on the CV tab above.



¶ RECOMMENDATIONS

"Suzan, I have no words to thank you for your extremely professional and meticulous work, and most useful suggestions. Your knowledge of Dutch is excellent; you “felt” my original text very well and your broad general, literary and cultural knowledge, together with your rich vocabulary and expression, made the final text so close to the original text that one would never guess it was translated in the first place.

On a personal level, it was an equally great pleasure to work with you. You were always punctual, true to your promises, very agreeable and absolutely respectful towards me, your client.

I have no need to look for another translator Dutch – English ever again!

Working on [my book] with you was one of the happiest events in my life (hey, you can quote me!)."
(TMLC, author, Luxembourg)

¶

"Suzan is a translator++. She loves her work - I think that's why she goes far beyond just translating. Suzan translated mijneigenwoord.nl to ilovethatword.com. She has done a great job. It's nice working with Suzan, because she shows high personal involvement. Certainly not a hit-and-run type. On the contrary!" (JB, the Netherlands)

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"Suzan is great! Not only is her editing excellent, but she's also proven herself worth her money by checking facts, proofreading texts and giving me a mirror to look in! She's the professional friend when you need one!" (PV, author and businesswoman, the Netherlands)

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"Suzan Hamer is een échte professional!

'Professioneel' betekend voor mij dat Suzan heel goed is in wat zij doet. Suzan is zeer betrokken en grondig; zij leeft zich volledig in de aan haar gepresenteerde opdracht. Suzan weegt op creatieve wijze “het gewicht van ieder woord", waardoor de betekenis en de klanken volledig aansluiten bij de behoeften van haar klanten. Deze zeldzame performance leidt binnen ieder vakgebied, dus ook bij haar, tot een meesterwerk!

Suzan Hamer is a true professional!

'Professional' means to me that Suzan is very good at what she does. Suzan is fully involved and thorough; she devotes herself completely to the project at hand. Suzan creatively weighs "the weight of each word," making sure the meaning and tone fully meet the client's needs. This exceptional performance leads to a masterpiece within every discipline, which obviously includes hers!" (NK, the Netherlands)


¶ PROOFREADING

"Proofread carefully to see if you any words out." (William Safire)

The goal of proofreading is to make sure there are no errors in the final version of a text.


As a proofreader, I read an edited text to identify and correct typographical, punctuation and spelling errors and minor grammatical problems. The text is already well organized and understandable with easily correctable errors. It does not require rewriting or reorganization.

Some people refer to proofreading as checking, reviewing, or "fixing the English."



¶ EDITING

Basic Copy Editing

"Omit needless words." (Strunk & White, The Elements of Style)

As with proofreading, a basic copy edit will correct typographical, punctuation, spelling and minor grammatical errors, but goes further to correct word usage and sentence structure, clarify content and check internal consistency and basic formatting. Again, the text is already well written and organized, and requires no rewriting.

Some people refer to this as light editing or copy editing (also written "copyediting" or "copy-editing"), and again, as "fixing the English."


Intensive Editing

"Remember the waterfront shack with the sign FRESH FISH SOLD HERE. Of course it's fresh, we're on the ocean. Of course it's for sale, we're not giving it away. Of course it's here, otherwise the sign would be someplace else. The final sign: FISH." ( Peggy Noonan)

An intensive edit begins with a basic copy edit but is more extensive, dealing with the substance of the text as well as the words. I rework confusing and awkward writing and, if necessary, reorganize content and structure to achieve clarity of subject, logic and consistency.

Sometimes referred to as line editing, substantive, content or structural editing or moderate to heavy (copy) editing.



¶ TRANSLATING DUTCH TO ENGLISH

"Translating should be an enriching intellectual experience and you should end a job as a different person." (Danilo Nogueira)

Although my forte is writing and improving English texts, I also translate competently and accurately from Dutch to English, at a certain level. If I think an assignment is beyond my capabilities, I will say so. Recent assignments include a children's book, advertising copy, newsletter articles, an employee manual and website texts (see my portfolio for samples).

Believe me, I do end each project a different woman; every assignment presents new information and challenges which enrich me intellectually, making me an even better translator, editor and writer.


"Translating is writing." (Marguerite Yourcenar)

Yes indeed it is. Translation is not merely exchanging a word in the target language for one in the source language. Nor is it only understanding the content of the source text. A good translation reliably transmits that content in a well-written final document. My writing and editing skills result in a translation written in perfect English.


¶ METHOD

For editing and proofreading, I use Track Changes (MS Word), which allows you to see the changes I have made and then accept or reject them.


¶ RATES

Proofreading, editing, rewriting and translation rates are based on the difficulty of the task and the time it takes to do it.

Every project is different so rates must be individually assessed. Feel free to contact me, without obligation, to discuss your needs and the cost of meeting them.


¶


¶ THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROOFREADING AND EDITING

I find that many people are confused about the difference between proofreading and editing and the various levels or types of editing.

The difference between proofreading and editing is mainly a matter of degree, with editing the more intensive process of the two. The term "proofreading" is often interpreted to mean "light editing" or indeed, any kind of editing, but editing is distinctly different from proofreading.

Briefly, proofreading is identifying and correcting typographical, spelling, and punctuation errors. Editing involves modifying a text to ensure that it is accurately written and makes sense to the reader. The basic distinction is that proofreading does not involve any rewriting of the text while editing does.

In practice, proofreading and editing overlap somewhat. Editing addresses proofreading but also focuses on word usage, sentence structure, content logic and writing style. An editor shows writers how to improve their writing so it is comprehensible, free of errors, and as well presented as possible. This goes far beyond merely checking for and correcting errors as in proofreading.

In my opinion and experience, an editor can proofread but a proofreader cannot necessarily edit. Proofreading requires not much more than a sharp eye and knowledge of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Editing demands command of the English language, excellent writing skills, and a broad range of knowledge in addition to proofreading skills.



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