I have more than twenty years of editorial experience working with everything from fiction to scientific/technical reports. An English major, I worked for an association magazine as an editorial assistant when I graduated. Those were the days of using an X-ACTO knife and waxed paper to create camera-ready copy. I learned the basics there, from advertising design to being part of the editorial team deciding on content, to the basics of layout and artistic design.
I went on to work for a defense contractor working on technical documentation for military hardware. I also learned about the high pressure and tight deadlines of corporate proposal work. As the communications manager for a nonprofit association, I wrote quarterly newsletters and moved the organization from outsourcing all aspects of production to in-house desktop publishing, cutting almost a quarter of a million dollars off departmental costs.
With an internationally known scientific organization, I’ve written and edited scientific reports that are still being used as references today. From informal departmental newsletters to material used by the United Nations, I’ve worked with deadlines, style guides, and personalities across the spectrum. Recently, I’ve been working as an editor for distance learning lessons (e-learning), coordinating online materials ranging from Word scripts and matching PowerPoint slides to websites and videos used for teaching. I am regularly assigned quality control duties at my various positions.
My graphics experience includes producing matching documentation (brochures, pamphlets, advertising, invitations, signage, and giveaways) for conferences. I have also proofread and critiqued websites to ensure that, in addition to being accurate and professional, they match the authors’ brand and messaging needs. I have also provided feedback and design suggestions to fine-tune cover and cover copy for authors collaborating with freelance designers.
Throughout my career, I have successfully interacted with speakers of English as a second language on their technical documentation, with scientists and academics on making their material accessible to a general audience, and to governmental organizations in producing documents accessible to those with a varying levels of reading abilities.
Let me put my diverse skills and background to use on your editorial project.
Robin Allen
Executive Editor, Griffin Editorial Services
Griffin Editorial Services 