Ms Ruth Learner | Nonfiction Editor / Fiction Editor / Academic Editor

Skype
ruth.learner1

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I've been a professional editor since 1996, copy and structural editing, and proofreading for all digital platforms and across all print media. I've worked for government, non-government and corporate clients across specialisms, including education, legal, academic, healthcare, and more general trade/fiction, corporate and marketing content. 

My areas of special interest are education (prescriptive and descriptive, textbooks and methodology), healthcare, legal, literature and the arts. I have completed a PhD by research (English Literature) and edit academic research reports and articles, as well as dissertations at PhD, MA and postgraduate level, according to protocols and university oversight. 

My editing practice increasingly encompasses fiction editing and fiction manuscript assessment. I have worked for many self-published authors, as well as for The London Ghostwriting Company, Melbourne Books and other fiction publishers.

I have an established writing practice, with a portfolio of published articles and books, and have six years teaching experience in Professional Writing and Editing programs at further education and undergraduate levels, developing course content to ensure currency, seeking advice from external professional employment bodies. I've taught (in-class and online) editing, industry practice, non-fiction and fiction writing.

As a writer I work to briefs and initiate ideas for content. I was arts columnist for the Sunday Age and have written general features and reviews for websites, newspapers, magazines and journals. I have been commissioned to write textbooks and have broad experience in interviewing for radio, film and print projects, as well as researching for journals and academic publications.

I offer all levels of editing – structural/developmental, copy and proofreading – and have an excellent eye for detail and for literals (grammar, spelling and punctuation) and for voice, sense, coherence and readability. I have strong analytical skills, from offering substantive structural advice through to querying meaning and noting inconsistencies, contradiction and repetition. My strong written, verbal and interpersonal skills mean that I am always succinct and tactful in my communications with team members and, importantly, in all feedback to clients and authors. I have updated client style guides and applied a range of styles, and referencing and footnoting systems, ensuring consistency and accuracy across documents. I am well informed about copyright legislation and have worked as a permissions editor in-house and on a number of large projects.

For writing and research projects, I am a natural interviewer and have a strong affinity with people from across the spectrum and adapt to each job. I am an excellent listener and can encapsulate points quickly and easily. I also have very strong research skills and am careful to make information engaging, accessible, accurate and instructive.

Media

Educational materials, government reports, online materials, manuals, books, websites/blogs, theses and dissertations, law reports, company literature, newsletters, journals, directories/yearbooks, multi-author books, integrated media.

Experience

Freelance since 2002; Publishing Assistant, Allen & Unwin Publishers, Australia, 1986–1987; Legal Proofreader, Jacques & Lewis, 1989–1991; Assistant Editor, Board of Studies, Melbourne, 1994–2000.

Training

Editing in DigiPubs, an online digital publishing system (used by Department of Education, Australia) 2015, AELLN401A, Units 1 and 2 (Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Training) 2015, Adobe InDesign for Editors (intermediate) Council of Adult Education, Melbourne 2013, Practical Strategies for Engaging Students and Promoting Learning, Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Centre, La Trobe University 2013, TAE40110, Certificate IV in Assessment & Training, NMIT, Melbourne 2013.

Clients

The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), Melbourne

Standards and Testing Agency, Department for Education, UK

Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), Melbourne

Educake Ltd, Oxford

Kognity (interactive textbooks), Sweden

The London Ghostwriting Company

Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) School, UK

Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE), London

Gravity Global, UK

Linguistica Australia

Indeed Recruitment Agency, US

LocalEyes, Dublin

RMIT University, School of Education, Melbourne

Melbourne Polytechnic (formerly NMIT)

Subjects

Arts: Contemporary and art history, catalogues, instructional, visual

Education: Kindergarten to Year 12 (primary through to VCE/GCSE) and tertiary curriculum materials, textbooks, study designs (STEM through Humanities), teacher training, and e-learning/online resources, educational policy and planning, educational theory and research, philosophy of education

Education subjects (compulsory and tertiary): Accounting, Agriculture and Horticulture, Algorithmics, Applied Computing, Art, Australian and Global Politics, Business Studies, Biology, Chemistry, Classical Studies, Dance, Design and Technology, Drama, Economics, English as a Second Language, English Literature, English, Environmental Science, Foundation English, Geography, Health and Human Development, History, Industry and Enterprise, Languages Other Than English, Legal Studies, Mathematics, Media Studies, Music, Philosophy, Psychology, Physics, Religious Studies, Systems Engineering, Theatre Studies, Visual Communication

Entertainment: Fiction, manuscript and film script assessment

Childcare: Policy, administration

Community education: School–Community partnerships, sustainability, shaping future cities

Corporate/Advertising/finance: Marketing, newsletters, annual financial reports, insurance and superannuation fund reports, statements of performance, pensions, tax

Healthcare/Charities: NICE Guidelines, adult social care services, physical and mental healthcare, health and social care integration, tackling loneliness, care homes

Legal: Commercial, contracts, legislation, legal clauses, legal articles, environmental, law reports

Literary studies: Comparative literature, critical editions, literary criticism, literary theory

Philosophy: Ancient, consciousness, Continental, epistemology, ethics, language

Politics: Twentieth century, contemporary, geopolitics

Technical Manuals: (Apple and Procore) translating US to UK/Australian English

Websites: Editing, writing

Qualifications

PhD (English Literature, La Trobe University, Melbourne), BA (Philosophy and Cinema Studies, Swinburne Institute of Technology), Diploma of Arts in Professional Writing and Editing (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne): Writing for Interactive Multimedia (HTML and creating websites); Editing and Proofreading 1A and 1B; Non-fiction Writing, Professional Member, Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPED), Australia, Australian Postgraduate Award for PhD, awarded 2014.

Specialised software

CMSs (editing/localising): XTM, TransX, WordBee, Phrase 

CMSs (designing/organising/editing): Trello, DigiPubs, Contentful, Wordpress 

Testimonials

'Ruth worked with me on my book on Ernest Hemingway and it was an absolute pleasure. Ruth’s editing skills and keen eye are exceptional. She also engaged with me on many analytical points and provided me with astute questions and observations that helped further my argument. I highly recommend Ruth Learner!' 

Dr Peter Rooney, American College Dublin and Trinity University, 2024.

'I must also offer my heartfelt thanks to my editor, Ruth Learner. Her honest belief and encouragement in the project, her intelligent blue-pencil, her clarity of purpose and compassion heavily mark the pages of this novel. While she always championed my agency as the writer, I (most times!) took on board exactly what was suggested!'

Professor Timothy Doyle, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Adelaide, South Australia; Emeritus Professor, Politics and International Relations, Keele University, United Kingdom. Editing the novel Nature's Fool, 2024.

'I have known and worked with Ruth for the past 17 years at the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority as both colleague and manager. In this time, Ruth has worked as a freelance editor employed to undertake the editing of the high stakes Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE) study designs, which are the Curriculum documents for the final year of schooling in Victoria, Australia. This editing involves intense attention to detail, an in-depth knowledge of the VCE and high-level interpersonal skills when dealing with managers. As Manager of VCE Curriculum I continue, and will into the future, employ Ruth in this role. I have great pleasure in recommending Ruth to you.'

Jennifer Quick, Manager, VCE Curriculum, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

'Over the years, Ruth has also been involved in the editing and proofreading of educational support materials, such as the early Victorian Education Learning Standards (VELS) and subject specific materials. Ruth’s work is of a consistently of high standard. She has excellent interpersonal and communication skills, works independently, and has exceptional time management skills and is able to attend meetings in-house when necessary. She is extremely accommodating with our pressured timelines and completes tasks within strict deadlines. I have had the pleasure of working with Ruth for nearly nine years. Her breadth of knowledge and understanding has proved invaluable. I commend Ruth to you and wholeheartedly endorse her credentials as a skilled, knowledgeable and collaborative editor.'

Margaret Mackenzie, former Manager, VCE Curriculum, Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority

'Ruth has contributed greatly to the development of each of her courses over her time with NMIT/Melbourne Polytechnic. With a particular interest in Novel writing and reviewing and as a long-standing professional editor in the publishing industry, she dedicated some effort into ensuring the relevancy and currency of the units taught. In the capacity of industry overview teacher, she made contact with and arranged for professional guest speakers to come into the institute and present to the students, as well as keeping students informed about and active in the shifting landscape in Copyright law and in electronic publishing.'

Carole Littler, Course Coordinator/lecturer, Professional Writing and Editing Cert IV and Diploma, Melbourne Polytechnic

'Ruth is well versed in all aspects of editing: copy and structural editing, proofreading, liaising with authors, briefing designers and production staff. She can manage all these tasks with utmost efficiency within extremely tight deadlines. She has an analytical mind and an eye for detail and precision, qualities that make good editors great. During my past 25 years in educational publishing in Victoria, I had the opportunity to work with many talented editors. I have no hesitation in saying that Ruth was the most capable young editor I had the privilege to work with.'

Surendra Verma, Senior Editor, Board of Studies and science writer

• Editor
• Proofreader

• Non-fiction
• Fiction
• Art & culture
• Dystopian fiction
• Education & training
• English literature
• Humanities
• Literary fiction
• Media studies
• Philosophy

• Editorial training
• Copywriting
• Writing
• Technical writing
• Project management