Home › Posts tagged spelling

Introducing the first in a new series of mini blog posts about common writing mistakes. The difference between compliment vs. complement is one that catches a lot of people out. I often see them used incorrectly, as in “complimentary therapies”,…

You know that idiom that refers to comparing yourself to your neighbours as a benchmark for social class or material wealth? Whereby failure to ‘keep up’ with their practices or possessions is perceived as evidence of socio-economic or cultural inferiority.…

What are your pet grammar peeves? Which grammar mistakes set your teeth on edge? Is it the misuse of apostrophes for plurals? Perhaps the incorrect your/you’re or their/there/they’re? Maybe it’s dangling modifiers or stray semicolons that get your goat. Top of my…

I’m not a technical writer per se, but I have a proven track record of producing intelligible web content and marketing material for technology clients. Find out more ↦

Organisations offering professional or financial services require a wealth of content that is factually correct, well written and easily understood. Find out more ↦

Companies operating in this highly competitive sector need to stand out from the crowd through the use of interesting, engaging and persuasive content. Find out more ↦

The requirement for copy within this dynamic sector is fairly universal: it needs to be alluring and informative – with a compelling call to action. Find out more ↦

Home › Posts tagged quotations

As a copywriter with a linguistic background I am – unsurprisingly – more than a little bit interested in language. Not just the finer points of grammar, spelling and punctuation, but also its etymology, usage and evolution. Following on from previous…

Like many freelance copywriters, a large portion of my business comes via personal referrals from people I’ve previously worked for – sometimes several years ago. Not surprisingly, word of mouth is considered to be the most effective marketing tool, because…

Following hot on the heels of National Freelancers’ Day here in the UK, this week’s post aims to dispel a few common myths about freelancing and the freelance lifestyle… Myth #1: Working from home is so easy As anyone who works from…

I’ve recently noticed a growing trend of people misusing – or, to be precise, failing to use – apostrophes in expressions of time. It seems to be fairly widespread, ranging from emails and newsletter content to blog posts and social…

Inspired by the OVO Energy Tour of Britain 2018 cycle race, which whizzed through leafy Warwickshire this week, I thought I’d check to see how many cycling phrases, idioms or other expressions I could find. Quite a few, as it…

As the final of this year’s Eurovision hits our screens tonight, I thought it would be apt to focus attention on English sayings that include a reference to a European country, city, nationality or language. So let’s kick off this post…

However many times you reread your own words, the chances are that you’ll still see what you wanted to write rather than what you actually wrote.

Whether yours is a multinational company or a micro business, first impressions really do count. So it pays to employ the services of a professional proofreader.

For a small outlay, using a proofreading service can make a huge difference to how your company is perceived. An embarrassing typo, missing word or misplaced punctuation mark could prove costly!

As an experienced and qualified freelance proofreader, I can check your words with an objective and – more importantly – fresh pair of eyes.

The subject, format or length don’t matter.

I’m happy proofreading online marketing collateral such as blog posts, websites and newsletters. At the other end of the spectrum, I can give technically challenging user manuals or corporate documents like annual reports a final ‘sanity check’ before they go to print.

As part of my proofreading services, I also offer website validation. In addition to spotting any spelling mistakes, typos, stylistic inconsistencies or grammatical errors, this involves following every link and clicking on every tab – allowing you to iron out any glitches before the site goes live. This service is also available to clean up existing websites to enhance the overall user experience and increase conversions.

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Effective copywriting will ensure that each and every word works hard for you, compelling the audience to take your desired action. Find out more ↦

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Data collection

When you initially contact me about my services, I request the following:

• Your name / company name
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• Project details and any samples (where appropriate)

If we decide to work together, I then collect the following additional information:

• Your postal address for use on invoices to fulfil my contractual obligations to HMRC (the UK tax authority)
• Any files required for me to undertake the work

The only other data I might collect about you is if you choose to leave a comment on my blog, in which case the Jetpack plug-in captures your name, email address and IP address to help spam detection. Only website administrators have access to this information. In addition to being SSL certified, this website is hosted on a secure server.

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Data retention

Your personal data, i.e. name and address, is kept for a minimum of seven years to comply with my obligations to HMRC.

I will keep your files for the same length of time, although I can delete them sooner if you request this.

If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This is so that I can recognise and approve any follow-up comments automatically instead of holding them in a moderation queue.

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I do not subcontract work. Nor will I sell or share your data with any 3^rd parties unless required to do so by law.

If you kindly agree to provide a testimonial for my website, I will only include the name and details you provide.

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This website uses cookies (small text files that are downloaded and put on your computer/mobile device) to collect standard internet log and visitor behaviour information. This helps me provide you with the best browsing experience and also allows me to improve the site.

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Like most websites I also have Google Analytics installed in order to gain strategic insights into the website traffic and search terms used. Under Google Analytics’ new data retention controls the user and event data collected will only be retained for 26 months before it is automatically deleted.

I do not use any paid-for Google advertising features to gain personal data.

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You have the right to request a copy of the personal data that I hold about you. You can also request that some or all of it is corrected or erased. This does not include any data I am obliged to keep for administrative or legal purposes.

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or information I hold about you, please contact me at [email protected]

Last updated 24^th May 2018

Home › Posts tagged terms › Page 2

As anyone who knows me will verify, I’m rather partial to the occasional glass of dry white wine – preferably a zesty Sauvignon Blanc from Down Under. As I’m also a word nerd, a glossary of wine terms seemed to…

Posted in Language Tagged with: glossary, lingo, terms, wine

Recent weeks have seen some pretty extreme weather conditions in certain parts of the world. While many Australians swelter in excessive heat, parts of the U.S. have – quite literally – been buried under several feet of snow. So it’s…

If you’re confused by terms like “PPC” and “CTR” – and completely baffled by “tags” and “bounce rates” – this beginner’s guide to key SEO terms is for you. Whether you’re a small business owner with your own website or you…

Posted in SEO Tagged with: glossary, SEO, terminology, terms

Home › Posts tagged terms

One of the many differences between British English and American English that’s always intrigued me is autumn vs. fall. We use winter, spring and summer on both sides of the pond. Yet we can’t seem to agree what to call this time of…

Posted in Language Tagged with: AmE, autumn, BrE, fall, terms

Most people are familiar with acronyms, homonyms, pseudonyms and synonyms. But there are several other words with the suffix –onym that I’ve only recently discovered. As a linguist and bit of a word nerd, my natural instinct is to investigate further…

Most people will be familiar with the terms gaggle of geese, litter of puppies, pride of lions and school of dolphins. Yet there are many other collective nouns for animals – known as “terms of venery” – that are less…

Home › Archive for Freelancing › Page 2

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve probably noticed that The X Factor is back on our screens for its 12th series. Love it or hate it – I’m a fan but not an addict – the show still…

This week’s blog post was inspired by an email I received from a work contact. After recently leaving an in-house position, she’s now dipping her toes into the world of freelancing. So she asked if I had any advice for people starting out or…

Following hot on the heels of National Freelancers’ Day here in the UK, this week’s post aims to dispel a few common myths about freelancing and the freelance lifestyle… Myth #1: Working from home is so easy As anyone who works from…

Home › Archive for Freelancing

Would you believe it, but it’s been 21 years since I decided back in October 1996 to set up my stall as a freelancer? After initially offering four services – copywriting, editing, proofreading and translation – I soon dropped the latter to…

In most industry sectors, employees get sent on various training courses as part of their continuing professional development (CPD). Whether run internally or by external providers, these courses all share something in common. They’re designed to: Enhance your knowledge Help…

Turning down work as a freelancer is never easy, but I recently did just that. “What?” I hear you say. “You must be mad!” Perhaps. But I like to think it was a rational decision. And the right one for…