Wendy Ogilvie Portfolio
Kardy Laguda – International Fitness Guru
Project: Copyediting and Proofreading
I have been working with Kardy on his non-fiction books and have recently begun editing the content of his newest projects. I will then be checking across all his platforms to improve the grammar, punctuation, and impact his posts and blogs have on his readers.
“Hi Wendy, thank you for all your hard work on my project; thorough and professional as always. You have been a joy to work with! Thanks again…”
Kardy Laguda
Project: Proofreading
This was a project I did free of charge for the Basildon Writers as all proceeds were going to charity. It is a collection of tales based around Essex. I really enjoyed the variety of work within this one book as it had been written by ten different writers. One author had even included wingdings in his science fiction story, so that was new for me!
“Hi Wendy. Thank you so much for all the work you did on our anthology, It Happened in Essex. Having to deal with ten different authors, producing twenty different stories, not all adhering to the punctuation guidelines laid down, that was truly professional. To do it in the restricted time frame due to a fixed publication date was almost as amazing as the fact that I have not had a single contact from anybody pointing out errors, having sold one hundred and fifty books, so far.
Thanks for the load you took off my shoulders.”
Colin Payn – Basildon Writers’ Group
Project: Forensic500
I was asked by an established writer to take a look at the first 500 words of his new novel. Even though he has been writing for many years he was still open to critique and learning more about the technicalities of writing. This is what he had to say about the report I sent him:
Wendy, forgive me if I go a bit gushy. But thanks so much for those incredibly insightful comments. I tend to embroider, to show off by demonstrating my knowledge of the subject with detail, even get a bit preachy. This time I purposefully kept descriptions and opinions minimal, so thanks for permission to add a little embroidery, just a little. I masochistically enjoyed being beaten up over the clichés. As soon as I have worked out what a subordinate clause is I’ll start work on it. I feel like I’ve just been given a deep tissue massage!
Author Saul Ben
https://amzn.to/3ocHXZy The Other Worlds of Eliot Prufrock, Saul Ben
https://amzn.to/3HrbUN6 Death of Souls, Saul Ben
https://amzn.to/3GkrM2v The Bethnal Green Book of the Dead, Violet India Cummings
www.publishingbuddy.co.uk Graphic design website
Project: Editor Sweep
I was asked by the authors of this eco-thriller novel to read the book and note any discrepancies. This was not a full copyedit but a general ‘clean up’ and edit before a final pass. I managed to find quite a few errors that hadn’t been noticed by previous readers. It was hard not to get caught up in the story as thrillers are a passion of mine but the authors were extremely grateful for my ‘Editor’s Eye’ on their novel.
Brilliant, thank you so much! We’re really grateful!
Dawn Knox & Colin Payn
Project: Editor Sweep
This is the third in the series for the author, Colin Payn, and although I didn’t edit his first two books, I was pleased that he asked me to edit this one.
Wendy I’m learning so much from your edits that it will take you half the time to edit my next book!
Colin
“Dear Wendy, bless you, you are a gem. I’ve learnt so much from working on my novel with you…”
Rev. N Paul
Project: Copyediting
One day, whilst sipping a Margarita by the pool in Croatia, I was contacted by a priest who needed someone to proofread his novel about his life growing up in the foothills of the Nepalese mountains. I was curious and asked him to send me a sample of his manuscript. Once I had read the first page, I realised, as is often the case, that he needed a copy-editor before he could even think about proofreading. As English was not his first language, some of the elements of grammar and sentence structure had been replaced by the author’s unique voice. As an editor, it would be easy to correct all the text to comply with the conventions of style and rules of grammar but I had to tread carefully. I wanted to ensure that his words could be understood and enjoyed without losing his unique way of telling his story.
I collaborated closely with the client to help him understand how he could improve the readability of his novel and how some things could be left out without diluting his message. We worked on tightening up his writing and then I wanted to help him with sentence structure so he would be able to edit his work to a better standard next time. This would ultimately save him money on any future edits.
Whenever I take on a project, no matter what size, I strive to give more than the client is expecting. Luckily, this lovely man didn’t live too far from my home and he cooked me lunch while I taught him about the mechanics of sentence structure. We still keep in touch and I wish him every success with his future writing projects.
Project: Proofreading
Award-winning author, Dawn Knox
Dawn asked me to proofread this novel which is part of a series. Dawn always makes my job easier as she is such a talented writer.
Wendy has helped me with several writing projects. She is always professional, friendly, and never misses a deadline.
Author, Dawn Knox
Wendy Ogilvie 