Allison Turner

Professional Member
Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Web http://onwords.ch
LinkedIn Allison Turner
Telephone +41-44-841-09-14
Mobile +41-78-854-03-20

About me

I am a language editor and proofreader driven by precision and polish: a textual healer.

When I edit, my goal is always to bring out the true meaning of the text. I find the most precise words so that you as the writer say exactly what you want to say. I use my language skills (German and French), English as a Second Language teaching experience, and natural empathy to understand what you mean, and write it the way you would have wanted to: clearly, correctly, and a pleasure to read.

When I proofread, I let my love of perfection guide me. I’m detail oriented, and in proofreading the details are everything. I can't guarantee perfection, but it's always my aim.

Services

  • Language editing for multilingual authors writing in English or translated books and articles
  • Line and copy-editing
  • Proofreading student work
  • Grammar coaching for ESL writers

Background

I earned a BA in Humanistic Studies from McGill University in my hometown of Montreal, Canada, in 1991. I put that to good use working in a bookstore for several years... I eventually went back for a BEd in Teaching English as a Second Language. I found my favourite part of teaching was correcting essays and gradually transitioned to being an editor full-time. I have lived in Switzerland since 2001.

Clients

  • Books:
    • Rams Barathy, Savvy Blockchain Investor, 2020: language editor and proofreader 
    • Samuel Vozeh, Why Do We Exist? 2018: line editor for the English translation
    • Fatma AlHaidari, The Discourse of Business Meetings: Agency and Power in Financial Organizations, Palgrave Macmillan, 2018: pre-submission language editor
    • Ulrike Laubner, A Product Manager's Cookbook, 2017: editor for the English translation of Fitness-Training für Produktmanager.
    • Selina Man Karlsson, Step Out of Your Comfort Zone, Espresso Books, 2016: proofreader
    • Mohammad Shahabuddin, Ethnicity and International Law: Histories, Politics and Practices, Cambridge University Press, 2016: copy-editor (pre-submission)
    • Jane Bingham, Usborne Illustrated Grammar and Punctuation, 2016: proofreader and US grammar checker
    • Tulia Lopes, Leading in High Heels2015: copy-editor/proofreader
  • Editing Agencies:
    • English Editing Experts
    • Supertext AG
  • Business clients: 
  • Magazine:

Experience

  • Academic: editing and proofreading PhD/Master's theses (dissertations), journal articles and books in the humanities (including history, literature, linguistics, philosophy), arts (including art history, graphic design, textile design, film studies), social sciences (including economics, sociology, public health), education (especially English language teaching), information technology (blockchain, digital assets), business, and science 
  • Commercial: proofreading, editing, and copywriting marketing and communication materials (websites, advertisements, blog posts, Facebook posts, newsletters, sales presentations) for entrepreneurs and small and medium-sized companies in fields such as Emotional Intelligence coaching, language teaching, luxury goods and services, event planning, IT, and cryptocurrencies/blockchain
  • Leisure: writing and editing travel and tourism articles, especially about places, events and activities in Switzerland
  • Personal and professional development: editing and proofreading books, websites, and training materials for coaches, trainers, and event coordinators as well as CVs and cover letters

Testimonials

Allison Turner edits and proofreads my texts for trainings on Emotional Intelligence. I am very satisfied with Allison’s professional services. She has a lot of creative ideas for the speech craft and helps me to enhance my English. I highly recommend Allison Turner and ensure that with Allison’s contribution your materials will be well structured, nicely crafted, and grammatically perfect.

Marina Riedi, EQ Power

Allison Turner (OnWords) worked on my first book manuscript back in 2015. I was so impressed with the quality of her work and the very high professional standard that I subsequently requested her service for four more projects, including my second monograph. On all occasions, Allison has been thorough, attentive to details, creative in finding better expressions, and meticulous in ensuring coherence. She never missed a deadline; her sophisticated sense of humour comes as a bonus. It has been a great pleasure working with her all these years. And I will surely recommend OnWords to anyone who is in need of finding better expressions for their great ideas.

Professor Mohammad Shahabuddin, University of Birmingham

I have been dealing with many editors and proofreaders during my masters and PhD research work in the US. I worked with numerous ones and to be honest, I was dissatisfied most of the time. Today I am enjoying the success journey of one of my biggest dreams, which is to publish my own linguistics book. Turning my PhD work into a book was challenging and daunting. What was more difficult is to search for a competent and professional editor/proofreader in a very short time. This is where I have found Allison. Without Allison’s help, this dream would not have been possible. Allison was always dedicated, consistent, and supportive. She rigorously edited the manuscript, adding her business expertise and feedback. I learned so much from her questions and editing comments. Most importantly, Allison has never changed my voice. Thank you Allison for your commitment to details and for helping me to see my own way of improving the manuscript. I was lucky to find you! 

Fatma AlHaidari, Assistant Professor of Linguistics, Kuwait