From Engineer to Author: Bob's Business Book

“Yoanna did the proofreading and editing of my new business book. She did an amazing job, a 10 out of 10 work! It was 250 pages of not very well-written material. She made a lot of great changes, in a relatively short amount of time. I'm an engineer by education, so as you might guess, not a great writer. She did a great job comprehending the material in my book and made fantastic changes so the book reads like a professional writer wrote the book. She is smart, talented, friendly, very responsive and easy to work with. I highly recommend her to help with any of your proofreading or editing needs.”

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🌍 Who They Are:

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Bob, an engineer-turned-author, approached me with his non-fiction business book (55,000 words, 240 pages, with 40 images/charts). While knowledgeable in his field, he was concerned about his writing skills, unsure if his text flowed naturally and engaged readers. He needed comprehensive editing and proofreading to refine his manuscript and prepare it for publication.

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💡 The Challenge:

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✔ Ensuring the writing was engaging and natural while maintaining a professional tone

✔ Improving structure and flow so ideas built on each other logically

✔ Streamlining technical sections to keep readers engaged without oversimplifying content

✔ Maintaining a consistent voice and terminology throughout

✔ Polishing the text to eliminate errors and enhance readability

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🔍 The Solution:

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✔ A call to discuss Bob’s goals, audience, and concerns

✔ A step-by-step editing plan covering structure, clarity, consistency, and tone

✔ Comprehensive editing (developmental editing, line editing, copyediting, and proofreading)

✔ Refined language to make the book reader-friendly while keeping Bob’s expertise intact

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🛠 The Editing Process:

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📌 Phase 1: Structural & Developmental Editing
✔ Reorganised certain sections for better logical flow
✔ Clarified ambiguous points to ensure key concepts were understood

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📌 Phase 2: Line Editing & Refinement
✔ Streamlined verbose sentences to improve readability
✔ Adjusted tone to make the book engaging yet professional
✔ Maintained consistency in terminology, formatting, and style
✔ Changed “sales people” to “sales professionals” to reflect industry professionalism

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📌 Phase 3: Copyediting & Proofreading
✔ Eliminated grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors
✔ Ensured formatting consistency for a polished final product

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📑 Deliverables:

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✔ Full structural review with improvements to organisation & clarity

✔ Line edits for smoother flow & engaging tone

✔ Copyediting & proofreading for final polish

✔ Consistent, reader-friendly business book

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✨ The Outcome:

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Bob’s manuscript turned from a solid but technical draft into a refined, engaging, and professional business book. The changes helped enhance readability, improve flow, and ensure clear, compelling messaging. Now, Bob has a great published book that presents his expertise clearly and confidently.

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🎯 Takeaway:

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Even experts in their field benefit from strong editing—a book that’s structured, polished, and engaging not only conveys knowledge but keeps readers hooked from start to finish.

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