Helen Galloway – Editor

Proofreading dictionaries is not for the faint-hearted, but that’s how I cut my teeth as a proofreader over twenty years ago. As a freelance compiler working on bilingual dictionary projects for a variety of German and British publishers, proofreading was an essential part of the job. And, at the end of a long project, it often needed to be done in a fraction of the time originally allocated to it. That certainly taught me speed and accuracy.As well as my dictionary background, I have also worked for many years as a freelance copy-editor, mainly on language-learning materials, but also commercial and academic texts. I am now hoping to expand the range of subjects I specialize in as a copy-editor and proofreader to reflect my personal interests in all types of fiction, literature, history, art, cookery, gardening, health and the natural world. Much of the work I edit has been written by non-native speakers of English, which adds an extra dimension to the editing process. It has taught me how to shape a natural-sounding text, and has also turned me into a self-confessed pedant who pounces on any inaccuracies or inconsistencies in style, spelling, grammar or punctuation. It can make reading for pleasure really tricky sometimes, but gives me great job satisfaction.Not only can I offer you a fast, accurate and efficient copy-editing and proofreading service, but I also take great pride in my reputation as a reliable and flexible worker. After so many years as a freelancer, I’m still amazed at how grateful clients are when I deliver a piece of work on or ahead of time or respond flexibly to their requirements. Aren’t reliability and flexibility an essential part of being a freelance copy-editor and proofreader, as well as accuracy and speed? They certainly are in my book.I look forward to assisting you with your project.