John is a skilled writer who is knowledgeable about his subject, thorough in his research, professional about meeting deadlines, and careful about the quality of his work.             
                               

John is a top-notch editor. He brings a wealth of experience to a broad range of topics and skills to turn manuscripts and articles into masterpieces.

 — Marilyn Boess
  Editor
  Arizona Human Services Magazine

 — Cheryl Honey
 Founder
 Family Support Network Int'l

Wordswallah.com

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What I do 
 
Writing
  • Want assistance writing a family history?
  • Need help with a business letter or organizational report?
  • Could you use a ghost writer to work with you on your memoir?
  • Have technical text that needs to be simplified for a lay audience?
Writing projects come in all shapes and sizes and present different challenges. As a graduate of The Writing School (London, UK), communications director for an international non-governmental organization, and a freelance writer, I have done a variety of writing from magazine articles and promotional brochures to literary biography and personal memoir.

Having lived in five countries and visited 35 more, I bring a strong global perspective and cross-cultural sensitivity to my writing, something that is increasingly valued in today's shrinking world.

As a writer, I pay particular attention to:
  • Organizing material in a clear, logical manner
  • Doing thorough research to ensure accuracy and authenticity
  • Maintaining balance between the big picture and the details
  • Saying what matters with fewer words
  • Revising and rewriting text until it sparkles
After working with clients to discern the purpose and audience for their writing projects, I produce a draft copy for scrutiny and invite comments. I then incorporate their feedback into the final copy, which I proofread before publication.

For samples of my writing and a cost/time estimate, contact me at (360) 375-6244 or e-mail me at info@wordswallah.com.


Editing
  • Have a book or article manuscript that needs professional editing?
  • Need a second set of eyes to polish a report or thesis?
  • Your English second-language skills not quite up to the mark?
  • So close to the subject that you need a fresh perspective on it?
Editing encompasses a wide range of tasks from proofreading and copyediting — such as grammar, punctuation and spelling — to more complex substantive and developmental editing — design, structure and content of an entire book or document. I have worked in all these capacities on non-fiction projects that include books on social change, life stories, newsletters, articles, theses and reports. 

My clients have varied from experienced professionals to novice writers, including a number for whom English is a second language. Since I have lived and worked in different countries, I am familiar with American, Australian, British and Indian English. I also have a solid working knowledge of French and German, as well as some Spanish.

As an editor, I pay particular attention to:
  • Honoring the voice and intent of the author
  • Expressing prose as clearly and succinctly as possible
  • Eliminating repetition, jargon and overlap
  • Ensuring consistency of word usage and style
  • Honing the essence of a piece of writing
I work with clients to discern what kind of editing they need and how best to accomplish that. If it doesn't exist, I create a "style guide" that documents consistent editing practices for the client's reference and future use.

For a sample of my editing and a cost/time estimate, contact me at (360) 375-6244 or info@wordswallah.com.
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