Tom M
Little Neston, United Kingdom
“When I write essays in German, I have them proofread. Knowing what it's like on both sides, I’ll ensure clear, practical, empathetic feedback.”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA in History and Ancient History
University of Exeter
2014–2018
MA Geschichte (History)
University of Vienna
2019–Present
Why I became an editor
I've always been the wordy one in my family. When I did my Erasmus year abroad in Berlin, as the only native English speaker among my friends, I was often asked to check over their essays. I found the challenge of reworking the sentences and language a really interesting puzzle. It's fascinating to me how different mother tongues affect how one writes in English, whether I'm checking over someone's work whose first language is German, Italian, French, or something I've yet to encounter.
Background and experience
I've proofread a variety of documents, including fantasy stories, personal statements, and dissertations. I've also been at university for a while now, studying a broad range of subjects in a variety of fields, from Anglican theology or pre-Socratic philosophy to critical race theory and transcribing medieval sources, both in English and German. As a result, I possess a familiarity and confidence with a multitude of academic discourses in the humanities, social sciences, and cultural studies.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I love puzzling out the best way to arrange a sentence and figuring out the best way to improve flow and preserve meaning. The majority of my experience is for people who speak English as a second language, so I'm familiar with substantive editing where a greater degree of interpretation is required. I enjoy solving the riddle of how to rework a sentence and make sure it sounds right, whether it's changing the word choice, reviewing the prepositions, or figuring out an unusual idiom.
Favorite book:
My favorites are either White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton or Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson. I also love urban fantasy, because magic is awesome.
Hobbies:
Walking the dog, scrolling through TikTok, listening to podcasts, and sending memes to friends pretty much sums up my life right now. I also like to travel and meet up with my mates.
Editing tips:
I find going to a thesaurus website to look up alternative word choices really helpful.
