✉ lisa@editwrite.co.uk
Welcome to Editwrite: clear, consistent and accurate text for you and your readers
Editwrite is me, Lisa Robertson: professional proofreader, experienced business writer and fan of plain English.
I work freelance from my home in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, helping businesses and individuals to produce clear, consistent and accurate text.
Each piece of work is unique, so whether it’s proofreading, plain English services or business writing you’re after, I will tailor my services to your needs, your purpose and your readers.
Get in touch today for a free estimate or no-commitment chat about your requirements.
The Editwrite approach to good writing
- Clear
Clarity is the most important thing I aim for at Editwrite. I put myself in your readers’ shoes and think carefully about how they will receive your text. Will they understand it? Will they act upon it? So I can do this most effectively, I will ask about the purpose of your text and who your intended readers are.
- Consistent
By consistent, I mean using the same spelling, hyphenation and capitalisation preferences throughout, making sure things like headings are styled in the same way, and checking terminology is used to refer to the same things consistently. I will aim for consistency within your text, as it helps to achieve that clarity we’re looking for. Consistency is about looking after your readers, guiding them and making them feel safe and confident in the message you are trying to convey.
- Accurate
Accuracy is about applying what some people call the ‘rules’ of spelling, grammar and punctuation. I prefer to call them ‘conventions’ because I think they are more flexible than sometimes we are led to believe! They help us to achieve consistency and, in turn, clarity. I will work to the strictest of style guides if you need me to, but otherwise, I will prioritise clarity over hard-and-fast ‘rules’.
Latest from the Editwrite blog
Polite proofreading: five golden rules
When I tell people I’m a proofreader, I worry that they’ll immediately have me down as a picky, smug pedant. I often see social media posts ridiculing someone else’s mistakes, and it bothers me that some people think this is OK. Along with thousands of other editorial professionals, I am a polite proofreader. I am committed to sharing this tiny aspect of kindness in the hope that it will spread, so here are my five golden rules for polite proofreading in everyday life. Please join me on this crusade.
Lockdown language
I’ve been thinking a lot about lockdown language since the coronavirus outbreak began to really take hold in the UK. We have heard so many new words and phrases in such a short space of time. We all use terms like ‘social distancing’, ‘the new normal’ and ‘unprecedented times’ like they are … well … the new normal. Somehow these thoughts and phrases have morphed themselves into a poem. I’ve never shared a poem before, so be gentle with me. I hope you like it.
How to use plain English when communicating with the public
Today, I felt compelled to write a piece about plain English. I go on about plain English quite a lot, but some of the reactions to the prime minister’s speech go to show just how important it can be in the case of public information. This isn’t a political piece or a rant to add to all the speculation going on. It’s about the importance of clarity, and the lessons we can all learn for our work and everyday communications.
