Diana D

Missoula, United States

“Good proofreading is invisible.”

Specialist subjects:

Art & Design Art History Communication & Media Studies Creative Writing Education English Fiction Fine Arts Language & Literature Photography

Editing formats:

Education:

MA in English

University of New Hampshire

1993–1996

Favorite referencing style

MLA referencing is my specialty. It is ingrained in me because I used it as a student for so many years. I appreciate that it's based on gathering puzzle pieces and putting them together in logical order.

Why I became an editor

I studied English, art, and literary analysis at the University of New Hampshire, and I got my first editing job while in graduate school there. It was in that position as an editorial assistant that I learned from professional writers, copy editors, and proofreaders about the editing and publishing process. I had found my niche, and I was hooked. All of my work since then has involved crafting words in some way.

Background and experience

I have nine years of full time experience in a corporate environment proofreading educational assessments, curriculum materials, and marketing materials. I have another 10 years of experience with copy editing educational content across the curriculum, both in-house and as a freelancer. Recently, I have worked on a contract basis as an editor and proofreader for individual authors, small non-profit clients, and a major corporate client.

Why I love proofreading and editing

I love putting the finishing touches on a text. When done well, proofreading is invisible. I get great satisfaction from making sure punctuation is consistent, words are used correctly, and formatting is tidy so that the meaning and ideas of the text can shine through.

Request This Editor

Favorite book:

If on a winter's night a traveler by Italo Calvino is my favorite book.

Hobbies:

My favorite activities are hiking and exploring the great outdoors. In the winter, I can be found playing late night ice hockey as a member of Missoula's adult recreational league.

Editing tips:

Using a checklist that includes multiple levels of editing/proofreading is essential. It's tricky to check for italicized commas while reading for noun–verb agreement and parallel structure.

More editors

Mary G
Osceola, Arkansas, USA
Creative Writing, East & South Asian Studies, Education, English, Fiction, Language & Literature, TESOL
View Profile
Ann L
California, United States
Business & Management, Economics, Education, English, History, International Relations, Politics, Social Sciences
View Profile
Nina G
United Kingdom
Linguistics, Medieval & Modern Languages, Mental Health, Music, Nutrition, Psychiatry, Psychology, TESOL, Translation Studies, Zoology
View Profile
Carolyn B
Barnstaple, United Kingdom
Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Botany, Environmental Science, Genetics, Medicine, Microbiology, Pathology, Public Health, Zoology
View Profile
Virginia M
Reenboy, Ireland
Biological Sciences, Food Science, Nutrition
View Profile
Courtney Z
Glendale, United States
Advertising, Business & Management, Creative Writing, Fiction, Marketing, Mental Health, Philosophy, Psychology
View Profile
Hannah D
Rock Hill, United States
Advertising, E-commerce, Human Resources
View Profile
Alex P
Conder, Australia
Anthropology, Archaeology, Classics & Ancient History, History
View Profile