Doug S
São Paulo, Brazil
“If it's wrong, let's fix it.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA (Hons) Applied Photography
Film and Television at Harrow College of Higher Education (now Univ. of Westminster)
1979–1982
Favorite referencing style
I have only worked with APA so far but am willing to adapt to the other styles as well.
Why I became an editor
As a trainee, I was responsible for correcting all English telexes (!) and later, fax messages that were sent from the paper trading company that I worked in. Many of these were from ESL executives. I thus developed a knack for speedily spotting both typing mistakes and poor grammar. As an avid reader, my eyes are drawn immediately to typos.
Background and experience
My background can be summed up as a Scottish person who has lived mostly internationally, be that in Brazil or even Spain. My education per se was in the UK at boarding school and university. Multilingual and multicultural apply to me with ease, and I quite often refer to myself as an Anglo-South American or a Mid-Atlantic baby when asked about my roots.
My career has been dominated by working in the pulp and paper trading field with large multinational companies be it as an employee or local representative. Speaking three languages every day is second nature.
My proofreading experience started with studying at Proofreading Academy, and then my role with Proofed.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I enjoy the fact that, after proofreading and perhaps some added editing, the message in the article or essay will be understood clearly as per the original intention of the writer. There can be few things worse that saying, "but that's not what I meant."
Favorite book:
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis
Hobbies:
I am an avid photographer (portraits and florals) and have even been slightly successful selling prints of fine-art-style orchids printed on aluminium sheets with rusted and distressed frames.
Editing tips:
A quick initial glance lets you know if the work is going to be more focused on grammar and punctuation or on re-wording and clarification of meaning.
