Interview with Professional English Language Copy Editor Ms. Cheryl Stewart

Professional English language copy editors are the unsung heroes in the scholarly and scientific community. Our expert team of copy editors work on several different types of work to detect and remove a wide variety of grammatical, punctual, and typographical errors, honing every detail of the work to provide the most polished, high-quality version of the document. Today we are thrilled to shine a spotlight on an exemplary member of our team of copy editors, Ms. Cheryl Stewart. Ms. Stewart has recently had the pleasure of working with the editors of the new IGI Global book publication Women Community Leaders and Their Impact as Global Changemakers Ms. Stewart offers more than 20 years of experience as a writer and editor. Ms. Stewart holds dual bachelor’s degrees in organizational management/human resources and in counseling psychology from the University of LaVerne (USA) as well as an associate degree in journalism from Chaffey Community College (USA). Her areas of expertise include website copy, blogs, white papers, corporate manuals, scriptwriting, resume writing, business letters, report writing, book layout and editing, technical editing, medical editing, and copywriting for small businesses and healthcare practices and her breadth and depth of experience are part of what makes her an excellent copy editor.

1. Why, in your opinion is copy editing so valuable?

Copyediting ensures that a document is as error-free as possible. No matter how well-written a document is or how valuable the subject matter, credibility is lost if the reader encounters typos, grammatical errors, and misspelled words. Writers are focused on their message, and it is easy for the human eye to miss a simple error after reading through a document many times. There is the tendency for an author’s eyes to fill in a word when the word is actually missing because the author’s brain will just fill in the missing word as though it is there. Also, authors frequently over-use pet words, or they may become so married to presenting their message a certain way that redundancies can happen, and repetition then becomes a problem. Every writer needs a good copy editor to ensure their best work.

2. So much of the work you do is for academic publications, what specific subject areas do you find most interesting?

I enjoy editing a variety of subjects, but particularly enjoy health-related topics and those dealing with medical procedures and advancements. I learn something from every subject that I edit because editing also involves researching to ensure accuracy. Thus, I learn something new with each assignment.

3. If you could provide just one piece of standalone advice for early-career authors, what would it be?

Know your subject and do the research needed to present it well.

4. Is there a certain story/stories that personally stood out to you or resonated with you most while copy editing Women Community Leaders and Their Impact as Global Changemakers?

I was very impressed by Laura Archuleta, the CEO of Jamboree Housing in California. This female leader was instrumental in building affordable housing for nearly 30,000 homeless or housing-challenged residents in Orange County, California. Her philosophy is that by providing people with stable communities and a home, they would have a platform upon which to create a healthy life. When Archuleta first became a part of Jamboree Housing, there were only three employees. Within two years, she created a company of 150 employees and a multitude of partnerships that enabled her to house thousands of homeless individuals.
Another female leader I was inspired by is Nadia Patel Gangjee. Nadia created a WhatsApp online group that provided female homemakers with an opportunity to buy and sell products in a safe way that would allow them to work from home, care for their families, and earn a living. Nadia eventually created Pakistan’s first online marketplace and award-winning venture called SHEOPS, a secure online platform. SHEOPS now has a Facebook page with over 130,000 members.

Both of these strong leaders have made a positive difference in the world. They are both wonderful examples of what one determined woman can do to improve the lives of others.

5. Why do you think our audience should read Women Community Leaders and Their Impact as Global Changemakers?

These true stories about some of the strong female leaders throughout the world are tremendously inspiring. All of these women leaders have a passion and desire to improve the lives of others. They all come from different backgrounds, and each has her own unique way of fulfilling her vision of creating positive change. These amazing changemakers are an inspiration to all women. They show us all that even one person can create positive change in the world by following their passion and staying focused on their goals.