Professional Editors

Josephine has degrees in English literature with extensive postgraduate studies at Oxford and elsewhere. She has gained a substantial body of professional experience over the past 25 years including management roles in laboratory accreditation, law, medical publishing, marketing, music distribution and copyright, and DNA testing. She brings her significant administrative and management skills, as well as extensive experience in the editing of academic papers, fiction and non-fiction manuscripts, self-help manuals, and scientific and commercial documentation to WordsRU. Josephine teases out that which writers may find elusive or beyond their writing know-how to express. She has established an international reputation for sound editing judgment and possesses a remarkable empathy in assisting authors to achieve their potential. Josephine has been associated with WordsRU for several years. Her wide-ranging experience and insight will ensure the editing of your documents is not only managed effectively, but matched to the editor best suited to the nature of your work and your individual requirements.

Albert has a passion for speculative thought and precise argumentation. After studying politics and law in the United States, he went on to earn degrees in philosophy, religious studies and theology in Europe, culminating in a PhD. from Louvain, Brussels. His academic work has required research in English, German, French, Dutch, Latin and Greek. Teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, he has directed and corrected numerous theses and papers, developing a keen eye for clarity, concision and minute detail. While his own published works have been mainly academic, he has experience in business, and is currently engaged in writing his first novel.

Tara has a BA (Hons) in English literature. While working towards this degree, she also studied film, television, English literature from 1500, grammar and language, drama, gender, politics, psychology, Ancient Greek, Italian and Latin. She developed a keen appreciation for literature at an early age and has been composing her own stories since she was ten years old. One of our most versatile editors, Tara has been editing academic papers including essays and dissertations, corporate advertising material and manuscripts—both published and unpublished—since leaving university, and is a skilled fiction and ESL editor.

Tim's studies at Oxford University established his exceptional command of written English and he went on to achieve a first-class degree in geography. After Oxford, he worked for four years with a history publishing firm in rural England. It was during this period he developed his editing and proofreading skills and gained experience in book layout and jacket design. By the time he left England to travel the world, he had progressed to the position of publisher, commissioning a list of titles in archaeology. A musician, Tim writes music reviews for an Internet Web site, and has worked as a freelance editor since moving to Australia with his wife four years ago.

Matt holds a PhD in historical theology from the London School of Theology and an MA in modern history from Oxford University. He has taught many different age groups and nationalities in Belarus, Austria and England. During his studies he read extensively in Latin, French and German. Matt has written, produced and directed a musical, as well as a play, both of which were performed by students in Belarus. Matt is currently writing articles arising from his studies, as well as editing and lecturing in London. He has substantial experience with ESL students in both teaching and editing roles.

Clare is an Honorary Research Associate at St. Martin’s College, Lancaster University, UK. After her BSc (Hons) in combined science (with philosophy minor), she became a researcher with the Natural Environment Research Council in the UK, and received her MSc in health science in 2001. Her work has appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals and she has extensive experience editing and proofreading academic papers for journal submission. Her areas of expertise include biomedical sciences, environmental sciences, philosophy of the life sciences and evaluation of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). She also writes fiction (both adult and children’s) and has 20 years experience in editing manuscripts for her writer’s group.

A native Spanish speaker, Diego has always loved foreign languages, and is totally bilingual. He is an ABD in romance languages and literatures at an American university, and holds an MA in literature and a BEd in English and Spanish. A language instructor (ESL) for more than 10 years, Diego specializes in the humanities and combines his teaching duties with copyediting, proofreading and translation, especially Spanish and English language textbooks. Diego is a member of the ATA (American Translators Association) and expects to become a certified translator very soon. As a PhD student in the US, he is particularly adept at applying styles such as MLA, APA, and Chicago.

Sue is a communications professional with more than five years experience in writing, editing, publication production and Web site design. She has a master's degree in science communication from Imperial College and a bachelors degree in environmental policy with economics from the London School of Economics in England. A graduate from the United World College of the Adriatic in Italy, and editorial consultant for several environmental news sites on the Web, Sue is interested in sustainability and international development, and committed to environmental issues, peace and human rights. Originally from Singapore, Sue enjoys living in Toronto, Canada with her family and likes scrapbooking and contributing to papercraft-related blogs. Sue travels frequently, reads widely and dives whenever she can.

Michael has taught tertiary English and communication courses in the USA and many foreign countries including Thailand where he now lives. He holds an MA in English and enjoys editing a broad range of topics, including academic theses, dissertations and papers, manuscripts and anything concerned with media, communication and emerging technology. Michael has worked as an instructional systems designer and programmer developing e-learning applications and simulations for online delivery. His frequent advice to writers is Thoreau’s famous adage “simplify, simplify.”

Jason is a freelance environmental journalist and former newspaper editor. Holding a bachelor’s degree in economics and a postgraduate qualification in environmental management from English universities, he has more than five years’ experience editing articles and publications on a broad range of topics. A keen writer, Jason has written two novels and numerous short stories and it is his stated aim to help writers communicate their “inner voice.” As a qualified ESL teacher with teaching experience in Denmark, Spain and the Czech Republic, he has helped a wide range of people to communicate in English. Jason currently edits a news website and is fluent in Danish and Spanish.

Dennis holds a PhD. in philosophy from Emory University and an MA in art history from New York University's Institute of Fine Arts. He has edited hundreds of scholarly articles and book reviews for one of America's leading philosophy journals, and taught logic and critical thinking to undergraduates. He has also lectured on early Netherlandish painting and abstract expressionism, and written art criticism and book reviews for a major gallery guide and metropolitan newspaper. Dennis has a reading knowledge of French, German and Spanish, and is comfortable editing Italian, Latin and Ancient Greek. He is perennially fascinated by the rhythms and structure of the English language, and loves helping others express themselves as cogently and stylishly as possible.

Kerrin has been writing professionally in the fields of science and technology since 1989, and holds a BA in computer science, cum laude and an MS in software engineering. She has authored and edited manuscripts in a host of fields including her own, as well as family medicine, bioinformatics and agriculture. Kerrin has held positions in both government and industry, and her work has appeared in leading peer-reviewed journals. In addition, she has assisted in the development of several award winning grant proposals. Kerrin takes great pleasure in helping authors realize the full potential of their writing and is a talented ESL editor.

Angus holds a BSc (Hons) in organic chemistry and has a wealth of experience editing a wide range of academic papers from scientific and medical research manuscripts, to doctoral theses, speeches and academic presentations (mostly for the ESL market). He has facilitated the publication of more than 1,600 research papers from medicine to pure science to architecture and the social sciences. He has a thorough and in-depth understanding of English grammar and usage, and strives to render text that is powerful, persuasive and a pleasure to read. An avid linguist, he also has translation experience in the Japanese market.

Steve is a freelance writer and editor. He holds an MBA in marketing and management and a BA (English with philosophy minor) degree from a top-tier university. His writing and editing experience includes magazine and newspaper articles, dissertations, Web sites, marketing materials, user guides, resumes and CVs, cover letters, business plans, brochures and blogs. Steve has a strong interest in the Bible and Christian apologetics, as well as societal and cultural issues. He loves the English language and ensuring clear expression in writing and editing, which he does with passion and creativity.

Sarah holds a BA in English with emphases in literature and creative writing, in addition to an AS in Japanese language and culture. She has 10 years of experience in editing screenplays, scripts, short and long fiction, poetry, critical and opinion essays, research papers and verbal presentations. Sarah’s poems, essays and short stories have been published in a variety of online and local sources, and she has worked for the past year as a member of the editorial staff of her local newspaper. Proficient with MLA and AP citation styles, Sarah is particularly fond of science fiction and Japanese literature.

John has a strong background in ESL, having lived, taught and studied in Taiwan for almost 10 years. This inspired him to study for firstly an undergraduate diploma, and then an MA in Chinese from New Zealand's University of Waikato. His original undergraduate degree was in history. Since then he has worked for one of Taiwan's leading translation companies, editing everything from TV subtitles, academic essays and company SOPs to instruction manuals and business letters. He edits and writes to either British or American English as required. During his employment with an overseas study center, John edited, proofed and sometimes translated from the Chinese various documents necessary for university applications around the English-speaking world.

Traci earned a Master’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Connecticut in 2004. As a university graduate and academic writer, she has over six years experience utilizing the APA, MLA, Chicago Style and Harvard citation styles and is proficient at proofing articles for publication, theses and dissertations in the social sciences. She instructed junior and senior undergraduates at the University of Connecticut, Storrs from 2002-2004 in researching and writing research papers. Traci has worked as a copy and structural editor of magazine and journal articles, advertisements, oral presentations for conferences and books translated from Spanish to English since 2006.

Simon holds a BSc. in human biology from the University of Toronto and is in the course of completing his medical degree and PhD. His own research has been published in several professional journals. He has considerable experience in the editing of scientific and medical material for journal submission to ensure clarity, structure, formatting and compliance with citation styles. Simon’s expertise lies in editing academic papers, mainly in science, medicine and the humanities and he is a skilled ESL editor. He has proofread a wide range of materials for students and academics, ranging from essays and master theses to journal articles.

Ernesto was born in Guantánamo, Cuba and is a novelist, professor and editor. He holds degrees in English literature and is the author of two novels, The Lazarus Rumba and The Second Death of Única Aveyano. He has also translated two novels from the original Spanish. Ernesto is a member of the creative writing and Latin American literature faculty at Sarah Lawrence College where he is Professor of Fiction and Latin American Literature. He teaches in the undergraduate school and the Master of Fine Arts program, and has received fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.

Ruth’s fascination with the English language led her into publishing and she has been involved in it for the past 12 years in a number of roles including the management of an international magazine for which she also contributed a regular column. Ruth has also worked for a medical publisher as an editor and has edited academic theses and manuscripts in all genres, including non-fiction, short stories, children’s books and numerous types of novels, as well as Web sites. Ruth has written, edited and proofread business articles, promotional material and newsletters, and published a fictional short story. Proficient in editing to both American and British styles of English, Ruth gains enormous satisfaction from helping authors improve their writing skills and ensuring their projects become the best they can possibly be.

Roger is a specialist science and technology editor. He has been providing academic and business editing services for the past eight years. Roger has edited in excess of 10000 pages of manuscripts and his editing focuses on bringing clarity and conciseness to documents while retaining the author’s voice and original text. Roger holds a masters degree in science and a diploma in technical communication. He has worked with top international publishers such as Elsevier, Springer and Blackwell. He also edits user manuals, white papers and other IT documents, and has more than five years experience in ESL editing.

Hannah holds a master's degree in English literature and modern history from the University of Oxford. Since graduating she has gained more than 10 years of publishing experience working as an editor on a variety of business publications, both in print and online. Hannah is familiar with all aspects of publishing, including production, marketing, internal communications and advertising. She is a qualified TEFL teacher and lived for five years in Barcelona, where she taught business English. Hannah has worked for an international finance consultancy as their Web site and publications editor, and enjoys helping ESL students improve their written English and anything on anything else to do with Spanish.

A very versatile editor, Richard has degrees in political science from George Washington University in Washington D.C. and the University of Waikato in New Zealand. He has been a Hollywood publicist, an advertising copywriter, a freelance writer and journalist, a reporter for a daily newspaper, a journalism teacher, a lecturer in politics, management, and international business, an ESOL tutor and a magazine editor. Richard is a thespian of some local note, and has written a play that has been produced on stage, and three novels. He is currently preparing a collection of short biographies for publication.

Jeanmarie holds a PhD and MS in Conflict Resolution, as well as a BA in Jurisprudence from Nova Southeastern University and the University of Baltimore, respectively. Since 1998, she has taught, edited and provided coaching for both undergraduate and graduate students in a variety of subject areas. Jeanmarie has extensive experience in working with students from a number of countries who require assistance in dealing with the nuances of American English. She enjoys applying her editing skills to different types of written works and assisting students, faculty and others in achieving their goals.

Mark has 15 years experience writing and editing for business. He is very passionate about the benefits of communicating in precise, plain language. Mark has degrees in economics and education and an MBA from Monash University. His experience and qualifications give him an excellent grasp of business strategies and concepts. He is adept at understanding the message in relation to the target market, and helps clients to polish and clarify their material so their message is immediately understood. In addition to his eye for detail, Mark ensures documents are logically structured so the reader can easily follow the flow of the discussion or argument.

Kathleen holds an MSc (Hons) in geography from Wollongong University in Australia, and a BSc in geography from Victoria University in New Zealand. Originally from Texas, Kathleen spent 20 years living overseas and has over 13 years of experience as a senior editor, including several years as editor-in-chief of GEOAsia Pacific, a GIS and remote sensing magazine published in Singapore. Most recently, she was the managing editor of the Baton Rouge Business Report, an award-winning business publication. She is also an experienced graphic designer and communications/PR specialist, and enjoys book index preparation, as well as editing and developing online Web content.

Mark holds a Bachelor of Economics, a Bachelor of Communications and a Diploma of Business Computing. He has more than 10 years experience as a professional writer and editor and has worked as a manuscript assessor and editor for an international publishing company. Mark is also an experienced academic editor and has worked on a range of papers from essays through to dissertations. As a writer, Mark has written and produced a screenplay and a television sitcom as well as two novels and a number of children's stories that have been adapted for television.

Ashley holds a master’s degree in English language and literature and an MPhil in the fiction of Henry James, both from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. In addition to her love of all things literary, she has a strong interest in history, politics, art and philosophy. After gaining valuable experience as an in-house editor in the UK, she has returned to the US where she grew up to continue her career as a freelance editor and proofreader. In addition to her professional work, Ashley has been writing her own stories and essays since childhood, and has also contributed book reviews to a student newspaper.

Koskie graduated with merit from Purdue University, Indiana, USA, with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in creative writing with minors in anthropology and Spanish. He then graduated with distinction from the University of Sydney, Australia, and holds a Master of Media Practice degree. He has been an English teacher for more than five years, and has edited a variety of documents from manuscripts (all genres), student papers and university applications, to business documents, articles, Web content and news stories. Koskie has worked in publishing and has professional experience proofreading, editing and formatting books and manuals for publication.  He is a lover of English, writing and languages and holds to the unrealistic belief that nothing in the world is more interesting than language and linguistics.

Janet holds a BA degree in Education with a minor in history from Christopher Newport University. Her editing experience dates back to 1989, where she began editing manuscripts, Sunday school curricula,and financial planning workbooks. The bulk of her experience has been in editing Christian books. Since 2005 she has edited 60 books that have gone on to be published. Janet has worked with authors in all stages of manuscript development, enjoys ghostwriting and has experience in query package creation. She is well-versed in the style requirements of the Chicago Manual of Style for manuscripts and APA style guidelines for academic papers. She has a natural sense of narrative flow and understands how to present a book to ensure it grabs the reader's attention. Janet has been told by many authors who have struggled to put their words on paper that her editing has helped them capture the essence of what they want to say.

Emma has a Master of International Urban and Environmental Management from RMIT and a Bachelor of Arts/Science from ANU. She is experienced at editing a wide range of media, but specializes in fiction. Emma draws out a character’s unique voice and breathes fresh life into fiction. Her own nonfiction work has been published in industry journals and she has worked as a freelance writer for a national newspaper in Asia. Emma spent four years in Vietnam in the international development field, and most recently worked in communications/fundraising at the Vancouver Aquarium and the Australian Museum. Emma is currently working on her first novel.