Services

I am an experienced copy-editor and proofreader, specialising in work on non-fiction texts; also, I am a tech-editor.

As an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (or CIEP, formerly the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, SfEP), I respect and am bound by the CIEP's code of practice, so please rest assured that you are in good hands.

Service list

I offer the following services:
For further background about each of these services, please follow the links above to Resources.
“Joanna ... did an excellent job. She was extremely thorough, .... I would certainly recommend her to anyone who needs someone to carry out a highly professional proof-reading project.”
Eileen Turner, member of West Cumbrians' Voice for Healthcare

Subjects

My main subject areas include:
  • crafts (especially yarn- and thread-based) and art
  • biology and medicine
  • other natural sciences and life sciences
  • humanities, including history and geography
  • smallholding, gardening, farming and agriculture
  • religion

Client types

I welcome work from:
  • traditional publishers
  • self-publishers
  • academics
  • online-content producers
  • educators
  • students
  • non-native speakers of English
  • businesses
  • translators
“... Joanna has worked on several titles for Crowood. Her extensive knowledge of the subject has proved invaluable, and her thorough and logical approach is a real asset. Joanna's competence and reliability are highly recommended."
Christine Lee, Managing Editor, The Crowood Press

Working methods

My methods of work include:
  • on-screen copy-editing in Word using the Track Changes and Comment functionalities
  • on-screen proofreading of PDFs using proof-correction stamps, comment balloons and text boxes
  • on-paper copy-editing using industry-recognised copy-correction marks
  • on-paper proofreading using industry-standard proof-correction marks (BS 5261C:2005)
  • returning high-quality scans of marked-up paper pages
  • returning Word files, PDFs and accompanying documents via email

Depending on your requirements, I am happy to use the working methods and file formats that best suit your project.

If copy- and proof-correction marks are unfamiliar to you, please note that I will be happy to explain my marks and changes to you.
“I have assigned to Joanna several proofreading and editing projects and I am impressed with the quality of her work: knowledge of language rules, attention to detail, extensive comments and suggestions, timely delivery. She goes above and beyond what can be reasonably expected, because she puts her heart in her work.”
Pavel Tsvetkov, Diligence EOOD and top linguist with Bulgarian and English on www.proz.com
We will work together to decide what is best for your project – its content, budget and schedule – and we will agree in advance what I will (and won't) do during work on your text. Please contact me to start the process!

Here are some other good things to know:
  • I will tailor my approach to accommodate your requirements
  • I will always be transparent, be specific and keep you well informed
  • I always honour deadlines
  • I do not take on work if I don't believe I can complete it to a high standard
  • I am very flexible in terms of schedules, working practices and levels of amendment
  • I truly understand the importance of the author's voice
  • I understand and support the needs of non-native speakers of English, both authors and readers
  • I am here to assist you, and I am happy to help
  • I know when to ask questions and seek clarification
  • I treat every client and project with respect and care
  • I know when its appropriate to use 'everyday' language or precise academic/technical language
  • I am reliable, tactful, enthusiastic and easy to deal with
  • I won't impose rules or styles on your work that you don't want me to

Before starting work

I will always provide you with:
  • a quotation for the work – please see Pricing for further information
  • a detailed description of what I will do during my copy-edit or proofread (as agreed beforehand between us)
  • a copy of my terms and conditions – I tailor these to each project, but these are my general terms
  • a date when I will return my completed work to you

My tools

I use a number of tools to help me to do the best work that I can on your project, including:
  • a PC running Windows 10, plus Microsoft Office programs
  • a graphics tablet – for freehand on-screen annotation of text, images and PDFs
  • PerfectIt software – to assist in achieving consistency and a chosen style within a text
  • Adobe Reader DC & PDF-XChange Viewer software – to annotate, comment on and mark up PDFs
  • proof-correction stamps (kindly provided by Louise Harnby – thank you, Louise) – to efficiently and clearly mark corrections on PDFs using industry-standard symbols
  • a suite of macros (primarily Paul Beverley's excellent collections of macros – thank you, Paul) – to analyse text to guide appropriate corrections and automate repeated changes
I also have a reference shelf of language-related books that I regularly refer to and update, including:
  • style guides
  • dictionaries
  • spelling, grammar and punctuation reference works
  • copy-editing/proofreading instructional works
  • language commentaries
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Want to hire me? Please visit my Contact page or click the button to email me directly:
© 2016–21 Joanna Miles. All rights reserved.