Richard C

Westcliff, United Kingdom

“A perfectly pleasant pedant.”

Specialist subjects:

Advertising Art & Design Art History Cultural Studies Fiction Fine Arts Graphic Design History Language & Literature

Editing formats:

Education:

Port Elizabeth Technikon

1982–1986

Favorite referencing style

My favorite referencing style is definitely APA, as it's the closest to the one used by the OU.

Why I became an editor

An early nerd, I was reading Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Dickens at thirteen before being fortuitously waylaid by sport, motorbikes, and life. Now, happily, I'm back on track. Having read voraciously, travelled extensively, and painted continuously over the last thirty years, I have certainly improved my communication skills, and my pedantry has enabled me to help many friends. For me, literary pedantry is best served with a healthy side of empathy for those brave writers who put themselves out there.

Background and experience

As a graphic designer and studio manager working in advertising, I have frequently had the responsibility of signing off on major projects. These could entail anything from full-page ads in newspapers to print runs of 50,000 booklets. Whilst working in marketing, I have researched and written many blog articles and proofread colleagues' work in many formats. I am very aware of how costly mistakes can be when the stakes are high!

Why I love proofreading and editing

As an avid reader of both fiction and non-fiction, I'm intrigued by what makes any given piece 'work'. And I love spotting errors in books published by established printers with big reputations (The Open University for example!). Resisting the urge to write in can be tough!

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Favorite book:

I love Voltaire's Candide. It sounds highbrow but is very accessible, and just awesome. Conrad's Chance is brilliant too. And Bleak House... and Vonnegut and Bukowski and...

Hobbies:

I swim, I scuba-dive, I go to art galleries and exhibitions. I write bad poetry and paint watercolours. I shout at the telly watching rugby with a pint down the pub, ideally. And then go back to study!

Editing tips:

I like to feel organised, so everything in my workspace has to be just so. Stepping away from work, to be able to bring a fresh perspective on a subsequent sitting, is absolutely key.

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