Surya M

Melbourne, Australia

“Raindrops and keyboards, Whiskers and kindles, Tottering book piles, ESL editing, These are a few of my favourite things.”

Specialist subjects:

Creative Writing English Fiction Marketing Women's & Gender Studies

Editing formats:

Education:

MA Cross-disciplinary studies

Deakin University

2018–2019

Favorite referencing style

Harvard, possibly because I've used it the most. But also because I just love the simplicity of it.

Why I became an editor

I spent a large chunk of my childhood destroying magazines, newspapers, and unattended homework with (what I deemed to be) important "corrections." As I got older, I realised I’d have to find a better outlet for my "correcting" or risk alienating every person and paper I'd ever meet.

A couple of scribbles, some buckets of coffee, and two master's degrees later here I am – a proofreader. Now I spend my days getting paid to "correct."

Mini-me would be very proud.

Background and experience

I started out as an English teacher, jumped over to content writing for a market research company, and then moved continents to work for a publisher in Australia. During that time, I also picked up an award for academic excellence, created and edited content for multiple Australian organisations like Crohn's and Colitis Australia and Deakin University, and even walked a few beautiful dogs.

Why I love proofreading and editing

You know that satisfaction you get when you finally unscrew the lid off a tough jar, or the joy you feel when you complete a really hard puzzle? That's the same feeling I get when I edit or proofread a piece. Every line is my personal mini-puzzle just waiting to be solved. Over the last seven years I've also sailed through a storm of academic papers, which has left me with a special love for reference systems. My favourites are Harvard, APA, MLA, and Chicago.

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Favorite book:

Anne of Green Gables by L M Montgomery

Hobbies:

When I'm not proofreading, I'm usually gobbling up fiction, dreaming of delicious meals, or overwhelming my family and friends with dog memes.

Editing tips:

I always start by reading through the document to understand both the intention of the piece and the author's style of writing. Once I've made my edits, I always go back to the original for a quick check to ensure my changes haven't affected the authenticity or intention of the original.

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