Notes of a Girl Whose Dad Owns The World
When I’m editing a client’s work, preserving their voice is my goal.
Beyond fixing every error, I make only changes that are necessary to make their writing sparkle.
However, there are times when the client doesn’t want this; they want me to change everything!
I am passionate about rewriting, so it is always my pleasure to do just that.
If you’re looking for an editor to rewrite your document, sentence by sentence without losing meaning, I’m your woman.
Are you counting on tools on your computer to identify errors in your document? Spell check and grammar check have limited uses. There are certain errors that they just cannot pick up; I see this happen all the time.
Semantic errors are not things your computer can fix for you.
For example, “discrete” and “discreet” are both proper English words but not used in the same way. Spell check won’t help you there.
It is wrong to say “I asked her severally” when you mean “I asked her several times” but your computer can’t tell you, because “severally” is also a word- used differently.
Don’t risk turning your readers off. Ensure that your work is memorable for all the right reasons. I’m at your service! #YouNeedAnEditor
“ATM machine” (Automated Teller Machine machine) and “PIN number” (Personal Identification Number number)… RAS Syndrome (Redundant Acronym Syndrome syndrome).
“BVN number” (Bank Verification Number number) is also an example of RAS Syndrome.
Simply say “ATM”, “PIN”, “BVN”. There’s no need to tack on an extra “machine” or “number”. #YouNeedAnEditor
#YouNeedAnEditor is the hashtag I use for tweets via my business handle, @JoyEhonwa. If you’re not following me there already, please do. I would love to interact with you and see how we can make your writing the best it can be.
What makes me a special editor is not my A1 in English, my eagle eye, or even my Linguistics degree…it’s my soul. I care. And because I care, I am always learning, and I always go the extra mile for my clients.
Editing isn’t just about hacking a writer’s work to pieces. The writer’s feelings matter as much as proper grammar does.
Sometimes a writer uses a word that doesn’t belong in that sentence, and I can tell they just love the word. So I replace it with a more appropriate word, and look out for another opportunity to use it so that they’re happy.
My goal as an editor is not to give you my voice; it’s to make YOUR voice as beautiful as it can be.
#YouNeedAnEditor
anafricandiva 