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Member since Jun '07

Working languages:
English (monolingual)
Dutch to English

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November 2009
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Suzan Hamer
Fussy editing for fussy people.

Nunspeet, Gelderland, Netherlands
Local time: 17:11 CET (GMT+1)

Native in: English Native in English

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About me

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




"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 placing your blog or website text on line or submitting a manuscript for publication, make sure it's written in the best English possible.

An experienced native English-speaking editor, proofreader and writer, I check for and correct any 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, comprehensible and reads like native English.

This will increase your chances of publication and avoid any embarrassment on your part. It may even prevent costly misunderstandings or loss of business. Like it or not, potential customers do judge you and your business by the English on your blog or website and in your brochures and correspondence.

Read on for details about my editorial services and how I can help you.

Perhaps you can benefit from my free blog and website text assessment.




EDITORIAL SERVICES

 PROOFREADING
EDITING (Basic and Intensive)
WRITING ASSISTANCE, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE
   WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH
TRANSLATING NL > EN
WEBSITE TEXT ENHANCEMENT (Free blog and website text assessment)




 THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROOFREADING AND EDITING

METHOD

RATES

(Click on each item listed above to see details.)



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 English texts, from academic 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, reliability, and for being a stickler about accuracy and excellence in English writing (but still easy to work with). My clients also appreciate the personal attention and care that I give to each project.

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

Among my current clients are large international corporations, smaller businesses and translation agencies as well as individuals including psychologists, writers and graduate students.

An American tempered by living more than a decade in Israel and now almost 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.



____________________________________________________________________________________


PROOFREADING

"Proofread carefully to see if you any words out." (Author Unknown)

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

Traditionally, proofreading referred to reading and marking typeset copy (a "proof) of a manuscript against an original document, to identify and correct typographical errors. Nowadays, proofreading more often means reading "blind" (without checking against any other document) a finished and edited piece of writing to identify and correct typos, incorrect punctuation and spelling, and other minor errors.

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.


WRITING ASSISTANCE, PARTICULARLY FOR
   THOSE WHOSE FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT ENGLISH

"Writing is thinking on paper." (William Zinsser)

I specialize in working with 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. More often, writers whose first language is not English may have good ideas but find it difficult to express them in writing that is ready for publication.


"Editing should be, especially in the case of old writers, a counseling rather than a collaborating task. The tendency of the writer-editor to collaborate is natural, but he should say to himself, How can I help this writer to say it better in his own style? and avoid, How can I show him how I would write it, if it were my piece?" (James Thurber)

Working closely with the writer, I help them say what they mean, in easily-understandable English writing that conveys the intended message in their own voice. This generally requires frequent contact with the writer by phone or email and is more rigorous and time-consuming than even intensive editing or rewriting. The end result is a polished, professional text written in coherent, concise and correct English.



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 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 skills and experience ensure an end result in perfect English.



WEBSITE TEXT ENHANCEMENT

Forget business cards. Nowadays people give out links to their blogs and websites.

English is the major language of the Internet, so a blog or website text in English makes information about you and your company or product accessible to a broad international audience.

Because your blog or website represents you and your business, it is important that your text is well written in correct and easy-to-understand English.

A website text enhancement improves your website text, polishing and perfecting the English and removing any errors which might leave a poor impression on prospective clients.

Imagine you have googled to find companies or people to provide a particular service. Would you choose the one with a well-written error-free website or the one that apparently did not care enough to take the time to proofread and correct the text (or was not smart enough to realize there were errors)?

I edit websites already written in English but perhaps containing errors a native English speaker would not make. I also write original website text and translate Dutch websites into English.



Free Blog or Website Text Assessment

If you would like to know if your blog or website can benefit from a text enhancement, email me a link to your website. I'll assess it from a native English writer's point of view and tell you if and how I can improve your text.

____________________________________________________________________________________


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.

It is my opinion and experience that an editor can proofread but a proofreader cannot necessarily edit. Proofreading requires not much more than a sharp eye and knowledge of only 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.



METHOD

For online 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. Proofreading rates are generally about one-third of my translation rate, but again, depend upon the specific assignment.

Every project is different so rates must be individually discussed. Feel free to contact me, without obligation, to assess your needs and see how I can help you.

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"Evolution"(anthony mathieu ©)		This user has earned KudoZ points by helping other translators with PRO-level terms. Click point total(s) to see term translations provided.

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Profile last updated
Nov 24



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