I have always loved reading, writing, and, perhaps more than anything, correcting errors. To pursue that passion, I attended Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA, receiving a bachelor's in English and graduating summa cum laude. I went on to earn a master's in liberal arts with a focus on literature from the University of Pennsylvania.
I also worked for a medical journal for 15 years, and many of the skills I learned in that editorial office, such as my attention to detail, style, accuracy, and consistency, translate seamlessly to proofreading a myriad of projects.
At the beginning of 2018, an author (Nick Jones) whose book I really enjoyed (The Unexpected Gift of Joseph Bridgeman) asked his readers for help with the sequel in the form of alpha and beta readers and proofreaders. Errors in books make me (and many readers) crazy, and I've seen authors lose review stars due to comments like "could have benefited from a proofreader." These errors pull the reader out of the moment and can easily impair the entire reading experience or even the author’s reputation. When presented with the opportunity to help an author I enjoyed to produce a cleaner book, I jumped at it and I LOVED IT. I found myself so happy to read and correct and offer feedback that I thought to myself, why am I not doing more of THIS? So I went online and tooled around a bit and discovered that, yes, there's a market for proofreaders. In addition to general proofreading, I branched out with the course Transcript Proofreading: Theory and Practice, designed to give students experience proofreading transcripts for court reporters. During the course, I proofread over 3,000 pages of transcripts of depositions, EUOs, and hearings on a variety of topics while referencing Morson's English Guide for Court Reporters by Lillian I. Morson, Court Reporting: Bad Grammar/Good Punctuation by Margie Wakeman Wells, and the Merriam-Webster Dictionary. And here we are!
I love to catch errors and inconsistencies and return my corner of the world (and yours!) to a state where words, stories, and experiences can be appreciated without distractions.