Johanna Robinson | Proofreader in law, business and the arts

I am a legal editor and proofreader who is also passionate about the arts.

I offer a tailored editing and proofreading service for companies, organisations and individuals, in subjects ranging from business and law to arts, culture, international development and branding. A former lawyer for over 11 years, I will bring more than 12 years of editorial experience to your project, as well as a professional approach, attention to detail and respect for your words. I'd be delighted to talk about what you need and what I can offer; you can contact me by email here or via my website.

Each client is different, and so is each text. Some need only a light touch, while others benefit from a deeper edit. Below are some of the aspects of editing I can help with, so that your text and your message are as clear and effective as possible:

– grammar

– spelling

– punctuation

– capitalisation

– consistency of the above

– sense (ambiguities, clarity, flow)

– word use (repetition, correct/best use, consideration of audience, effectiveness)

– formatting (MS Word – spacing, bold/italics, consistency of paragraphs, headings, tables, charts, footnotes)

– flagging issues of intellectual property and copyright

– referencing and citations (according to specific formats), cross-referencing

– checking names/dates

– checking images and captions

– streamlining text written by multilingual writers

– MS Word, PDFs, PPT, Google Docs, bespoke platforms

I work flexibly and am often available on short notice and for a quick turnaround. Feel free to get in touch to discuss your timescales. I am based near Liverpool, UK, but work with clients all over the world, in UK and US English.

I am also a writer; my historical novella was published in 2019 and I am working on a novel, having signed with a literary agent in late 2023. I understand when words do and don't work, and how a text can be improved, and I think this applies as much to a humanitarian report as it does to a piece of creative writing.

Examples of editing projects

• Reports: consultancy, policy, annual, sustainability, ESG, CSR, auditors, inception, mobilisation, synthesis, progress reviews, case studies, expert witness

• Legal documents, including websites, patent applications, T&Cs, GDPR, privacy policies, contracts, legal case summaries, journal/academic articles

• Medico-legal reports

• Training and course materials, manuals

• Web content and blogs, online courses

• External and internal communications – brochures, catalogues, magazines, leaflets, programmes, press releases, adverts

• Social entrepreneur materials

• Magazines (creative writing, film, airline, landscape/architecture)

• Brochures, captions, wall texts for museums and exhibitions

• Multi- and single-author books for trade, specialist and academic publishers

• Theses, dissertations, academic works and self-published books

• Translations

Recent clients (a sample)

• MUBI streaming channel Notebook biannual magazine – copy-editor and proofreader

• Mslexia – bestselling creative writing quarterly magazine – copy-editor and proofreader

• Itad Consultancy – copy-editor and proofreader

• Landscape Institute internal quarterly magazine – proofreader

• Darkhorse Design

• Typotheque

• Brand the Change

• Korean Film Council

• Blacks Solicitors

• CBRE global real estate services

• Clever Marketing

• Fontstand

• Informa: Lloyd's Law Reports (bi-monthly) and Lloyd's Medical Law Reports (monthly)

• Qualifications Network

• Centre for Justice Innovation

• Siebeke Lange Wilbert, law firm, Germany

• Marenthe Otten – online art courses

• EachOther: human rights charity

• Headlines Network charity

• International Finance Reporting Standards (IFRS) Foundation

• Goethe Institute, the Bible Museum, the Austrian Cultural Forum

• Briefed: training for barristers

• Rotkel Textwerkstatt, Germany – translated work

Law and legal proofreading

Intellectual property | Patents | Trademarks | Property | Human rights | Humanitarian law | EU law | Personal injury | Negligence | Maritime/shipping | Insurance | Aviation | Employment | Family | Commercial/contract | GDPR | Freedom of information | Experts' reports | Crime | Legal history

Subjects: non-law

Humanities: Sociology, history, culture, cultural theory, politics, ecology, fair trade, First World War/Second World War, Scandinavian history and culture

General: Fashion, architecture, art, design, fonts and typography, film and cinema, interior design, property construction, property development, investment, finance, travel and tourism, photography, autobiography, memoir, interviews and entertainment

Travel: I have lived in and worked in the UK, Norway and Australia, and travelled to many countries around the world. I worked for several years on airline in-flight magazines and their travel content. I have French and German to A level (A, A) and basic colloquial Norwegian

Website: www.ascribe-editing.com

Qualifications and awards

• BA English Language & Literature (First Class (Honours))

• MA Postcolonial Literature

• Postgraduate Diploma in Law

• Graduate Diploma in Law

• Publishing Training Centre Distance Learning Proofreading

• Society for Editors and Proofreading/CIEP courses (online and classroom)

• Various creative writing awards and acheivements (see my author website)

Testimonials

Very pleased with Johanna's meticulousness. She was willing to go the extra mile. Excellent work. — Peter, editor, Works that Work magazine

Johanna is very meticulous and has a great eye for detail. Communication with her was easy from the start and any grammatical or linguistic concerns were resolved with a helpful email. Also she has made suggestions that I believe will improve the readability of the novel. All this done within the agreed deadline. I would highly recommend her services and would not hesitate to use her again. — Caroline, author

Johanna's performance was great, as we've now come to expect: she worked efficiently and met our tight timescales easily. — Shireen, author and solicitor, Legally Branded

I don't imagine ever having to look for another proofreader again. We will always send our work to Johanna. — Rob Shaloe, Qualifications Network

Extremely professional, very reliable, a real pleasure to work with. — Franca Simpson, translator

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Art & culture
• Biography, autobiography & memoir
• Business & finance
• Communications
• Design
• Environment & nature
• Medical & dental
• International relations
• Law & legal
• Television, film & radio
• Public policy
• Health, fitness & wellness

• Copywriting