Michael G
Picton, Canada
“Good writing always involves rewriting.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA in Peace and Conflict Studies
University of Toronto
1999–2003
Favorite referencing style
MLA was the referencing style I had the most experience with as a student, though I have come to appreciate other styles (APA and Chicago in particular). I'm not sure I can choose just one favorite.
Why I became an editor
I studied political science and philosophy at university and am currently a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto (still working on my dissertation). About seven years ago, I started teaching English as a second language. To me, proofreading is another way to help people who know English as a second language. I also hope to help academic writers.
Background and experience
I have a BA from the University of Toronto, an MA in philosophy from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and I am a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto's Department of Political Science. My experience includes over six years as a university teaching assistant for courses on Ethics and Political Philosophy. I also have two TESL certificates from Seneca College in Toronto. For the last six years, I have taught English as a second language in South Korea.
Why I love proofreading and editing
Writing for me has always been a struggle, but a satisfying struggle. I am interested in accuracy, precision, and details, and nothing focuses more on details than proofreading! Mistakes are easy to make and it takes a lot of hard work and effort to make a piece of writing flawless. I want to be a part of that. I've spent years reading academic work in politics, philosophy, and related subjects. I've also spent years reading undergraduate essays (before and after submission).
Favorite book:
Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco is my favorite. A used copy was given to me when I was in high school. It took me weeks to finish, but it became the first book I ever read more than once.
Hobbies:
Lately, I have spent too much of my spare time reading science fiction novels.
Editing tips:
From the very beginning, it’s important to get a sense of the author's goals. Overall, the most important thing for me is patience: going slowly and deliberately is the best way to catch errors.
