About
The Proofreading Guru
Margie Riley is more than a proofreader, she is a wordsmith. If you want to produce a professional manuscript or document that flows, conveys your meaning precisely, is accurate and grammatically correct then Margie, with her writing skills and qualification in editing and proofreading, is the person for you.
Margie’s writing skills and experience have expanded exponentially over the past few years with her membership of a writers’ group. She networks frequently and assists others with presentations, copy, advertising material and website content.
Her proficiency with the English language makes Margie invaluable for the final reading of important documents, major assignments, papers, submissions and speeches. Margie has a thorough grounding in English and she recognises that even though English is an evolving language and some of the more rigid rules of grammar have been relaxed, faulty spelling and punctuation, jumbled sentence construction and incorrect choice of words will never be in style.
Work in the training industry, both as a trainer and writer of training manuals, has equipped Margie with knowledge relating to WH&S, training methodology, and readability and clarity for the trainee.
Experience in the recruitment industry added another layer to Margie’s already substantive editing skills. Amongst other things, her work involved advising candidates on the writing and presentation of their résumés and application letters, and proofreading submissions and tenders. During her recent tenure with a well-known children’s not-for-profit organisation Margie was actively involved in producing easy-to-read, informative and eye-catching newsletters, as well as again assisting with the proofreading of proposals, tenders and a complex re-working of methodology.
Margie is a member of the Queensland Society of Editors, a local writers' group and a number of professional and networking organisations.
From a personal point of view Margie has been married (to the same man) for over 37 years and had two sons. She has an exquisite granddaughter. She lives on a hillside on a block of land in a semi-rural area just outside Brisbane in southeast Queensland, Australia. She and her husband grow vegetables, keep some chickens and have a dam stocked with fish. They are regenerating rainforest where they can, and encourage the native wildlife to take up residence on the land. She can’t do without yoga sessions, enjoys walking, and in the past was a keen horse-rider. She has a dog she takes to visit residents in an aged-care facility. He vacuums up the crumbs from morning tea before providing the residents with affection and attention. She has a mind for trivia, a passion for words, a sharp wit and a well-developed sense of humour.
Margie is a volunteer for the Delta Society Pet Therapy program, the Starlight Children's Foundation; she is an advocate for the organisation Family Drug Support and is a supporter of national drug reform.
