How can I help?

I have helped businesses, such as universities and translation companies, and individuals to check subtitles and scripts beforehand. As a native-English speaker I have helped them to check the following points:

• ensure the English sounds natural,
• no grammar or punctuation errors,
• that the text matches what the people are saying.

Especially enjoyed helping people who have created documentaries check for errors and ensure they give their audience a good impression.

An example of a TV series

In a moment like this one on the tv show Love is Blind (Japan):

script and subtitle proofreading

It would be a shame for the focus to be on a typo. Or to confuse the readers of subtitles between who is speaking. Imagine a name typo, or special word in Japanese is incorrectly typed (as I research key terms and check consistency of these) or translated.

I don’t need to tell you that small errors make a big audience impact. Yet it’s part of my job to mention that here.

Jumping in at the start of a project I can also find early errors in scripts and subtitles before they are applied to the program and reach a more expensive point to correct. I have also read over subtitles for meaning (once for an Italian detective series that needed English subtitles).

Who is Emma Parfitt?

Emma Parfitt is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Get in touch for all script and subtitle proofreading services here!

L’article Subtitle & script proofreading est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

Recommendations for proofreading on Google Business

Everyone is familiar with Google Business when they are looking for businesses, and you can search for trusted editors, proofreaders, and copyeditors too.

Recommendations for proofreading and copyediting on Malt

Malt is more for business clients looking for web text, brochure and document help (a French site).

Recommendations for proofreading on Facebook

Facebook needs no introduction. I tend to find more clients through word-of-mouth, demonstrating that personal recommendations are everything.

proofreading and copyediting

Recommendations on LinkedIn

I have had a few successes on LinkedIn, though not as much as I would like as I prefer to work, rather than social media posting. Can you guess, I am not a very social media person. Yep, I prefer to read books and spend quiet time in my garden watching the birds, or writing. A work and life balance matters.

business proofreading

Who is Emma Parfitt?

Emma Parfitt is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Get in touch!

L’article Recommendations update est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

I love writing

I started proofreading and editing theses when I finished my first postdoc. The reason? I have always loved writing. Hearing about friends’ awful experiences with unqualified proof-readers (not all are unqualified) I knew I could help. Imagine a master’s student trying to proofread a thesis of 90,000 words when they are more used to shorter documents. You can see why issues arise. Plus there is a big leap from a MA to a PhD.

A lack of qualified proofreaders

What I felt was needed, were targeted PhD editing services by someone who has gone through a proof read and edit of their own work. A doctor, like me, who has read, researched and written a 90,000 word PhD. Who understands the thesis format and how to proof read a thesis. And who also understands the pressure you are under during those final months.

I had the qualifications

Therefore (oh and check out this article on ‘therefore grammar’), I realised that my time spent as an MA creative writer, working in the business world and returning to university provided a grounded perspective. A view point from which I could aid people finish their thesis, and to the best possible quality. I know what words to cut from your writing to make it read well and be more concise. Also, I understand academic writing having, since 2017, proof-read social science theses. Contact me if you would like to know if I have experience in your area (as I also have experience with business, economics and biology, for instance, as well as sociology and politics).

Consistent recommendations

My proofreading portfolio consists of my clients who have consistently given five-star reviews. Even better, they then recommend me to others. I have helped many people learn how to structure their work, I have assisted writers with dyslexia, for example, to polish their prose. Grateful to have read many wonderful theses for my thesis copy editing service, I would not change my job. Formatting confusion? Not a problem!

A proofreader you can trust

So if you are looking for proofreading and editing services at an advanced, or even a typo level, please get in touch.

Who is Emma Parfitt?

Emma Parfitt is a proofreader with +20 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Get in touch!

L’article Why do I proofread? est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

Cut these filler words to tighten your writing.

Cut those words and still stuck? If you would like futher proofreading help get in touch. I can help you with a quick typo check, or more detailed grammar check.

Who is Emma?

Emma is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

L’article Cut these words to improve your writing est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

Communication is a general phenomena. Wherever life exists, communication also exists. You cannot have human relation without communication. However, good and effective communication is essential not only for good human relations but also for excellent and successful business. If we talk about the professional world, what professionals do more than anything else is communication—with different types of people and above all with their own staff.

(Dr R. Gupta)

Why are business communication skills important? According to Dr Rashmi Gupta (2019), great communication is important in the workplace for the following reasons:

• It affects a company’s reputation and credibility;
• Enables the creation of strong partnerships with clients, as well as between and within teams;
• Ensures businesses understand client needs and address them;
• And promotes products or services.

Of course, to write professional business documents and other forms of business communications (websites, social media posts, etc.) requires English skills: grammar, spelling, punctuation, and a little flare. One way to improve communication skills to benefit your business is to hire a proofreader or copyeditor on a long-term basis. By doing so you can negotiate a yearly, quarterly or monthly rate, to cover your exact needs.

Interested in communication skills? You might be interested in this blog article.

What skills does a proofreader bring?

Writers know how to talk to people. In other words, how to organize the structure of your communications so that you reveal the information that’s most important to your audience and in an easy-to-read manner.

A fresh set of eyes can challenge assumptions and check any business document communicates what you want it to.

Proofreaders are used to solving language problems. Rather than sweat over those colons and semi-colons, hiring an expert will save you time and ensure correct punctuation and consistency throughout a big report.

Finally, communication separates a good business from a great one like yours, so get in touch today.

Who is Emma?

Emma is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Reference

GUPTA, Dr Rashmi. Effective Business Communication Skills for Professional Excellence. IJELLH (International Journal of English Language, Literature in Humanities), [S.l.], v. 7, n. 2, p. 10, Feb. 2019. ISSN 2321-7065. Available at: <https://www.academia.edu/43478912/Effective_Business_Communication_Skills_for_Professional_Excellence>. Date accessed: 12 Apr. 2019.

L’article Effective Business Communication Skills est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

As someone who had been testing out Grammarly’s services for a few months, … nothing the company does could allay its true underlying problem: its services just aren’t that good.

…many of the “fixes” in Grammarly’s advertisements are either unhelpful or actively wrong. For example, in the sentence, “Let’s suppose you’re writing a really important email to a colleague,” the program proposes a variety of alternatives to the phrase “really important.” While blanket injunctions are almost always absurd, the impulse here is understandable (weak modifiers such as really sometimes feel out of place in formal prose), but Grammarly goes even farther than the strictest writing instructor ever would.

Continue reading Jacob Brogan’s article here.

If you’d rather hire a proofreader, check this out.

Who is Emma?

Emma is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

L’article Grammarly: its services just aren’t that good. est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

First, drop the filler words.

These are redundant words that take up space, but don’t add additional meaning. The opposite, even; as fillers get in the reader’s way.

Second, use the active voice.

It’s shorter and to the point.

For example, compare the following:

1. The meetings that occurred in quarter four were useful; in that, basically, we learnt that X, Y and Z, needed to be changed in our corporate strategy.
2. From the quarter four meetings, we learnt to change X, Y and Z in our corporate strategy.

Third, proofread sentences well.

Here’s an example of a long and potentially confusing sentence from a legal website.

We are proud to have an exceptional team of Criminal Defence Solicitors with expertise in all of areas Scots Law, committed to representing our clients interests and providing the best defence possible to those who have been accused or charged with a crime.

There are typos: clients’ interests not clients interest, and what does ‘in all of areas’ mean?

There are also missing connecting words which I would place after the comma to make the sentence flow.

What if we rewrote it like this?

We are proud to have an exceptional team of Criminal Defence Solicitors with expertise in all areas of Scots Law, who are committed to representing our clients’ interests and providing the best defence possible to those who have been accused or charged with a crime.

Better?

I would also cut ‘are proud to have’ as it gets in the way of the important part of the sentence: my exceptional team and what they can do for you!

If you’re looking for a proofreader to help polish your final manuscript please get in touch.

Who is Emma?

Emma is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

L’article Be concise: cut the waffle from your business writing est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

When to use who

If you can replace the word with ‘he’ or ‘she’ then use who.
Example: It is written by a practicing manager and entrepreneur who knows firsthand how painful it can be to start and manage a business. (She knows firsthand.)

When to use whom

If you can replace the word with “him” or “her,” use whom. Who should be used to refer to the subject of a sentence. There are some more complex situations involving ‘they’ which I’ll address in a moment.
Example: He is the consultant whom we contacted for feedback on the project with the compamy Analytica. (We contacted him.)

The grammar bit

According to strict grammar rules, we use who to replace a subject (he/she) in a sentence, and whom to replace an object, and after a preposition (after, in, to, on, and with)

Example: I’m going with Roger, with whom are you going?

Of course, we no longer speak like this, so ‘Who are you going with?’ will suffice… Unless you are having lunch with the queen.

What about more complex sentences in formal writing? Consider this example:

Philip has strongly berated Paul [who/whom] has enjoyed hurling mud pies in business meetings.

Should it be who or whom?

A simple trick is to think about what the replacement represents. ‘Who/whom’ refers to one of the characters in a business meeting (Paul). A ‘he’, and also ‘the subject’ of the sentence. In those two things (he & subject) we have our clue. The correct sentence is:

Philip has strongly berated Paul who has enjoyed hurling mud pies in business meetings.

Or thinking of it another way (more correctly!). The highlighted word is linking one clause to another: Philip telling Paul off for hurling mud pies.

Which of these is correct?

The man whom you met yesterday is coming to the business conference.

Bob, the man who you met yesterday is coming to the business conference.

Trevor, the man that you met yesterday is coming to the business conference.

Trick question as they are all correct. Wait a minute! I’ve just used both who and whom before you?! Think of it as a quirk of the language: one is correct in formal writing (whom) the other informal situations (who), and the third example works in all cases (that).

Whom and quantities

In one specific context whom seems obligatory: when it is preceded by quantifiers such as all of, both of, few of, many of, several of, etc. For example:

The Millennium Stadium accommodates 72,500 spectators, all of whom are seated.

Although strict grammarians may love this use, it sounds old fashioned to most ears. Better to write it in another way: The Millennium Stadium seats 72,500 spectators.

Sentences can often be re-written to avoid using who/whom.

Any time you get confused and the two simple rules of replacing he/she with who and his/her with whom, then try rewriting the sentence to make it more precise. Business writing should be straight to the point and clear.

Who is Emma?

Emma is a proofreader with 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Get in touch here for help with your writing.

You can also read more about who/whom here.

L’article Who or Whom? Getting it right for business documents. est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

Don’t be like the book or movie lost in translation; instead, anticipate hiring a proofreader for the final polish of your document (known as translation proofreading).

I have proofread film scripts and websites that have been translated via software and via people. The process of translating words or text from one language into another can be tricky. As well as a way to convey basic information, the languages we use are full of hidden and symbolic meanings. Consider how different languages can be structured. Arabic and English and Chinese, for example have their own unique ways of saying things. Which is why I recommend hiring a proofreader to check translations. Language isn’t simply about translating word for word; it also conveys a meaning and a way of thinking.

Here are my 5 reasons why translation and proofreading are well-matched.

ONE

For clarity. Consider this product description: can you understand it?

2. The grinding wheel mounted to the engine shaft, the fixed screw position higher than the engine shaft. The position of the grinding wheel on the axle must be at least 1/8″ diamond part above the operating table.

The above text was translated from Chinese to English. A native-English speaker is going to struggle to understand how to put the glass grinder together from a page of instructions like this. The entire instruction document was full of incorrect terminology. That’s why technical writers exist as specialists in their field. To end up with a coherent and intelligible document consider translation proofreading.

TWO

For flow. ‘Flow’ means checking that the text is easily read by a native-speaker, is unambiguous in meaning, and is structured via manageable paragraphs or connecting words. For instance, when proofreading a business report I look for ways to improve the relationship between ideas: by indicating when a new concept will be discussed; and checking the text’s conjunctions which are small connective words crucial to get right for reader understanding.

THREE

For confusing words. We’ve all done it. Typed a document then noticed an obvious error. Or not noticed until someone points out an embarrassing word misuse. Coop (a cage for chickens) and coup (to overthrow) are easily confused words…

…when someone is translating a document word usage may be, literally, lost in translation. A fresh set of eyes by a native-English speaker trained to proofread makes all the difference.

FOUR

For grammar expertise. Translators are very good at what they do (I couldn’t begin to translate Arabic into English), but they might not know spelling, grammar, syntax and punctuation, inside and out in their second language. Some native-English speakers can’t get the use of the apostrophe right.

FIVE

For the quality of the final piece of work. Editing and translation are not the same: translation produces a document from its original language while proofreading checks and improves the text. So the translation process does not cease after its first interpretation. Proofreaders find inconsistencies in sentences and paragraph structure, key terms, and so on. Very important if multiple people have been working on a single document. Therefore, combining professional translating and proofreading services ensures the quality of the final text for its intended end users.

Who is Emma Parfitt?

Emma has 18 years of writing experience with businesses, academics and creative writers. She obtained a Creative Writing MA (St Andrews University) and a PhD in Storytelling (Warwick University). Then set up her own proofreading business and became a published author of fiction as well as academic literature such as Young People, Learning & Storytelling (Palgrave Macmillan).

Get in touch.

L’article Translation proofreading: 5 reasons translation & proofreading are well-matched est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.

"Emma worked in a time-bound manner and provided detailed and relevant feedback on my chapters. Her attention to detail was amazing throughout. In addition to taking care of my punctuation and typos Emma offered ideas for alternate terminology and paragraph/sentence structure to improve the flow of the text and make it read better. In all this she always kept in my mind the fact that I might be using technology specific to my field (Sociology of Education) and context of research (an Indian govt. school) and I really appreciated her approach. She meticulously pointed out all the terms/expressions with which my external – a British scholar – might also not be familiar (or when I had not introduced/explained an acronym/technical term in the right place). Most importantly, it was very reassuring to have my work proofread by someone who was familiar with the requirements of a thesis like, in-text citation formats and use of acronyms. I also trusted her to keep herself updated on latest changes. She also granted my request to highlight segments where sentences were too long and/or their length made them unclear. Finally, since she is a published author and herself has a doctorate I was delighted when she wrote encouraging and appreciate remarks on my research and writing! It really helped my confidence close to my submission deadline to know that she enjoyed reading my thesis. I am very happy to recommend her to others who need theses or journal articles proofread."

(Reva Yunus, Sociology, University of Warwick)

Rather than spend hours editing this old blog post, which corrupted when moving the new website, I’ll just add a little introduction about myself.

 

Hi, I specialise in plain-language editing, documents for businesses and charities, thesis and dissertation proofreading, and non-native English. Before becoming a freelance editor I worked for five years in academia, and 9 years in complex administration work. I work on a range of different documents with businesses, charities, public-sector organisations, students and fiction authors. Recent projects include proofreading literature such as Miss Darcy’s Beaux for author Eliza Shearer. Please get in touch to have a chat about how I can help with your project.

Dr Emma’s Qualifications

Sociology PhD (Warwick University), Writing MA (St Andrews University), proofreading and editorial skills (Chapterhouse Publishers), interdisciplinary academic writing course (ESRC North-East Doctoral Training Centre, Durham University), social sciences postgraduate writing workshop (Monash University, Prato, Italy). Author of three books: Temptation & Mozzarella, Seascape and Shattered Roses. In addition, I have run writing workshops at Warwick University, Exeter University, Huntercombe Hospital and Scottish Widows. You can check out my other qualifications at LinkedIn.

 

Fees

Because each project is different, I will agree the price with you individually. My price is based on how complex the document is, how long it is and how urgently you need me to return it. To quote an exact price I ask for what you would like to be checked in the document, the word limit, deadline (very important!) and a writing sample. Please get in touch to have a chat about how I can help with your project. Send all queries to emmalparfitt@gmail.comwith PROOFREADING in the subject line.

 

Proofreading

The most basic form of editing, a Proofread will see us correcting commonplace errors in your manuscript, in regards to grammatical mistakes and punctuational mishaps.

 

Copy-editing 

If you want a little bit more than a basic proofread, but not a substantive review of your entire manuscript. In addition to correcting grammatical and punctuational errors, a copy-edit will review your manuscript for continuity errors and will ensure consistency of formatting. Awkward sentences will be brought to your attention, and suggestions provided to rewrite weak, confusing or convoluted segments in your manus0cript.

 

• Editing for punctuation & grammar
• Editing for continuity & consistency
• Editing for complicated syntax & style

Thesis proofreading 

Universities have guidelines on what cannot be altered, such as the argument of the thesis which should be the researcher’s own thoughts, so please check your institutions guidelines allow proofreading.

• Checking spelling
• Editing non-native English
• Editing structure sentence-native to improve grammar (not re-writing the argument)
• Consistency of style e.g. use of italics for book titles
• Highlighting ambiguities (unclear meaning) and monotonous repetition

Please get in touch to have a chat about how I can help with your project. Send all queries to emmalparfitt@gmail.com with PROOFREADING in the subject line please.

"As a non-native English speaker, I wanted to benefit from a reviewing of a scientific article. I am very satisfied with this editing service and find the manuscript much improved. Emma added a lot of comments and suggestions (alongside grammatical and lexical corrections) which helped to improve the readability of the text without altering its scientific meaning. The processing of the order was very fast (a few days before sending back the reviewed manuscript). Therefore, I recommend this serious editing service."

(Corentin Iltis, Universite de Bourgogne)

L’article Proofreading and copyediting est apparu en premier sur Emma Parfitt Proofreading Editing Services.