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Karen Francis

WRITER AND EDITOR

So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.

- Dr Seuss

ABOUT ME

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I'm a freelance editorial professional living in the beautiful Pennines. I’m a fan of language that is crisp and concise, and am used to translating complex terms into plain English — but if your article or website needs a touch of flamboyance, I’m good at that too.

I’ve been writing and editing in various capacities since 2012, following five years in design management for a major housing developer. I’ve carved out a bit of a niche for myself by understanding construction and engineering terminology and actually enjoying writing about it; as it turns out, there aren’t many of us who can do both! This has allowed me to work for some key players in the industry, developing my review and content creation skills in a fast-paced corporate environment — so if you need fresh copy, a review of existing text for clarity and consistency, or a fresh pair of eyes directly before a submission, I’ve had plenty of experience of all three.  

I also love to edit in a traditional publishing context, and have been working with a growing number of academic and trade publishers over the last five years. There’s a lot of overlap between a Latin degree and the skills required for copyediting and proofreading, as I’ve found: my approach is methodical and forensic, and always respects the message and voice of the writer. My background in analysing and translating other languages also means that working with non-native English authors is a particular strength. I’m an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, which means I've demonstrated a high level of competence and substantial experience of working in the publishing industry.

Take a look at my LinkedIn page for more details, or get in touch below.

SERVICES

Copyediting

Copyediting

Checking existing copy for grammar, punctuation and style in line with client brief. This can be done via:

  • Mark-ups on hard copies 
  • 'Track Changes' function on Microsoft Word
  • Comment tool on Adobe Acrobat

Proofreading

Proofreading

Final checks for errors in spelling and grammar, layout or design introduced during copyediting or typesetting. This is done:

  • Using BS 5261 marks or 'Track Changes'
  • Against copy or blind

Copywriting

Copywriting

Content creation for a range of themes and sectors, from architecture and technology to culture, sports and leisure. Examples include:

  • Project and product profiles
  • Company CVs
  • Web content and website project management
  • Social media posts and campaigns

Bid Writing

Bid Writing

Working with contractors to generate winning strategic responses for public and private sector PQQs, ITTs and frameworks. Subject areas include:

  • BIM / Digital Engineering
  • Modern methods of construction
  • Sustainability and social value

Bid Reviews

Bid Reviews

Reviewing bid responses prior to submission for spelling, grammar, layout and sense, as well as ensuring that key win themes are addressed and answers are clear, compelling and concise.

PROJECTS

I work with a range of publishers (some trade, some academic) on manuscripts and proofs for books and journals. Some recent titles and themes are listed below, but if you want to see my full portfolio, just ask!

Classics, Culture and Literature

Dynastic Politics in the Age of Diocletian, AD 284–311

Greek Maritime History. From the Periphery to the Center

Historical Understanding

Historicising Ancient Slavery

Images at the Crossroads: Media and Meaning in Greek Art

Pindar’s Centaurs

The Afterlife of Virgil

The Afterlife of Plutarch

The Afterlife of Cicero

The Agora in Ancient Greece

The Alexander Romance

The Journal of the Sylvia Townsend Warner Society

The London Journal of Canadian Studies

The Ocean Class

The Royal Workshops of the Alhambra

Theatre Translation

BLOG

TESTIMONIALS

Karen has been working with us at Accuracy Matters for over two years. During that time she has copy-edited and proofread a variety of publications. I'm very impressed with her attention to detail, the care she takes over each job and her general 'can-do' attitude.
 
Most recently, she has worked very intensively on some annual reports for a client of ours. They were also really pleased with her work, and told us that their end client singled out Karen's work for praise, describing her proofs as 'thorough, clearly marked and helpful' and 'the best set of marks [they'd] received from us'.
Rhiannon Gilbertson, Head of Client Account Management, Accuracy Matters https://accuracymatters.co.uk/
It has been a tremendous experience working with you - in my fifteen years of publishing with academic presses, I think you have been by a very wide margin the best copy-editor I have ever had.
K. Vlassopoulos – Associate Professor
Karen has been a pleasure to work with, communicating well and working hard to deliver high-quality editing. She consistently receives strong feedback from our production editors and project managers, as well as from our authors. I would have no hesitation in recommending Karen to other clients for freelance work, as I’m confident she would be a huge success.
D. Lewis – Oxford University Press
I enjoyed the collaboration and learned a lot in the process. I have published quite a few books but it is the first time I have so much interaction with a copy editor. You have a gift for highlighting ambiguities and inconsistencies. You also picked up a few potentially damaging typos. Your work has definitely added value to my book.
P. Denis – Senior Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Karen did a very thorough job of proofreading my book. She worked quickly so that I could make an important deadline. Communications went very smoothly. I would definitely recommend her as a copy-editor to colleagues.

C. Dickenson – Postdoctoral Fellow
Karen performed admirably on a job which, for various reasons, became more complex than originally anticipated. The edit was completed in-line with the brief, and Karen's communication with both myself and a sensitive first-time author was timely and well-worded. Many thanks for all your hard work, Karen. It's much appreciated.
M. Patterson – Oxford University Press
We had the pleasure of working with Karen on two difficult projects and look forward to working with her again in the future. Although faced with challenging deadlines, Karen's work quality was consistently high. Working with Karen was a breeze as she was communicative and helpful throughout. She has great knowledge of technical terminology and was able to translate some complex IT-based text into passages that actually made sense! Would recommend to anyone looking for a talented and professional proofreader.
C. Monahan – Torry Harris Business Solutions

CONTACT

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