Overview
I'm a writer with with 15 years of experience. I have worked with a number of high-profile publishers. I was an editor for Encyclopedia Britannica for seven years and have bylines with Earth Island Journal, National Geographic Learning, Areo Magazine, Arc Digital, and The American Gardener. My work for Britannica has been cited in a number of publications.I provide writing, editing, and fact-checking services for a wide variety of clients, from financial service firms to human rights organizations to marijuana advocacy publications, to name a few. As a writer, I bring a flare for language and a willingness to adjust my style to the needs of the client. I am a scrupulous editor, with an eye for clarifying syntax, simplifying meaning, and reorganizing for readability. And I have a gimlet eye for factual accuracy, with a wide and ever-expanding knowledge of reliable sources and a deep understanding of how even minor adjustments in framing can affect the veracity of a statement.
Services
Non-Fiction
Education & Reference
Entertainment
History
Home & Garden
Life Sciences
Nature
Political Science & Current Affairs
Languages
English (US)
Awards
- Winner, Friends of the Chicago River photo contest, 2019
Work experience
Self-employed
Aug, 2016 —
Present
After seven years as a research editor at Encyclopedia Britannica, I set up my own shop in 2016. Since then, I have written, edited, and fact-checked materials for a wide variety of clients, from financial service firms to legal marijuana information sites. I have an extremely flexible generalist skill set and am always happy to discuss potential projects, no matter the industry.
Portfolio
Richard has 2 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Anne M.
Aug, 2023
Anne M.
May, 2023
Most recent contributions
What were the key challenges you faced when transitioning from in-house to freelance editing?
The guardrails are off when you transition to freelancing. House style, common understanding of basic editorial principles, industry standards ... they often don't apply. Unless you are working with another editorial professional, you will have to establish the fundamentals in a concise, clear wa...
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Can you share an example of how you guided a first-time indie author through the editing process?
I had a fascinating experience guiding an author through developmental editing on a YA book about sanitation and the management of transmissible disease. She wrote a highly original narrative about a young woman who guided her family through an outbreak of the flu. While the narrative was straigh...
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