Brian Clarke
Editor Writing Consultant
Services
Editing, proofreading, plain English writing & copywriting
Writing can be hard work. That’s when you need an experienced, professional editor to help you get your message across.
I help all sorts of writers—technologists, researchers, business people, government workers, non-profit groups, students, and self-publishers.
I work on just about anything—research papers, annual reports, web content, industry newsletters, biographies, magazine articles, training material, fact sheets, education packages, conference papers, and ebooks.
I love to work individually with writers and help them with the big picture (structure, focus, and format) and the nitty-gritty (spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, grammar, and word use).
Personal service
As a sole operator, I do all the editing, proofreading, and writing. When you hire me, you deal with me on the whole project.
If I need other professionals to complete your project, I'll use designers, photographers, and an illustrator I work with.
Plain English
What is plain English?
Plain English writing is clear and readable. It uses everyday words, not euphemisms, clichés, or thickets of nouns strung together as adjectives. It avoids trendy phrases and double negatives.
You understand it because it is precise, efficient, and free of jargon. Often, it speaks directly to the reader. In short, writing in plain English is just plain common sense.
Subject Areas
I've worked in many subject areas, including:
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agriculture and animal health
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biography
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distance education
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education
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engineering
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environment
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fiction
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fisheries science
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health
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history
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humour
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infrastructure and planning
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journalism
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music
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recreation
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small business.
Editing Services
What I can help you with:
> annual reports
> books and book chapters
> ebooks
> conference papers
> web content and blogs
> magazines and magazine articles
> technical manuals and how-to sheets
> science papers and reports
> training documents
> education materials
> government reports
> program guides
> fact sheets and information kits
> marketing material
> newsletters and brochures
> self-publishing
> memoirs
> short stories.
What I can do:
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structural editing – the big picture, to ensure the structure is logical and complete
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copyediting – using a style guide, working line by line for grammar, spelling, punctuation, cross-references, consistency, correct language use, figures and tables
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proofreading – the essential, final check to ensure all changes are in place
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copywriting – factual, persuasive, credible, appropriate, stylish
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plain English – workplace writing that is readable, precise, clear, efficient, and free of jargon