about

My personal editing philosophy:

I've been a grammarian-in-training for years: during high school I edited papers at red lights while driving home, complained about the misuse of commas on the bathroom posters, and made sure to find a typewriter with a backspace button, so my own mistakes were hidden with correction tape. I've been preparing to be an editor for my whole life. (Insert: practically). And now it's happening.

I've found a sweet spot at the University of Wyoming Writing Center, where I get to work with writers and help them develop voice and vision for a variety of projects and purposes.

But sometimes there isn't enough time to get to the level of detail that a project requires, to polish it up, and to declare it done.

Wordsmith Services exists to move a project past the "processing" stage and through the final proofreading and polishing steps.

I want to help you create clear and effective communication. Drawing on my studies as a Communication major and Professional Writing minor, 2+ years of experience and training at a university writing center, and a lifetime of language-loving, I believe I am up for the task.

In short, seek to help writers develop their voice, write with clarity, and reach their intended audience with purpose and persuasion, no matter the project.

Emily Smith; photo credit Aisha Balogun

A bit more about me:

I'm a logophile: a fancy way to say I'm a lover of words. I am currently studying Spanish, Communication, and Professional Writing at UW because of my passions for language and connection with others through written and verbal means.

I first practiced giving advice with my three younger sisters, but moved on to work with clients at the UW Writing Center when they weren't a very receptive crew. I also attended my first writer's conference (Writers on the Rock) when I was fourteen, and returned for several subsequent years, hungry for growth and inspired by the writers I saw all around me.

I spend years volunteering at Belmar Public Library to help quench my thirst for books (and find over 400 missing items among the shelves), and love that I can now help writers share their own stories by perfecting their punctuation and streamlining their style.

I believe that the stories we tell ourselves and others have the power to shape worlds. I'm a wordy Smith, and through Wordsmith Services, I hope to help you find your voice, share your story, and make this world better, one writer at a time.