Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
Websites
Communication Skills
Timeline
Generic

Meg Hofer

Summary

Professional copy editor who has spent the past 17 years proofreading, copywriting, and developing outstanding content to ensure that the narratives and data clients want to share are flawless, clear, and dynamic. Areas of expertise include comprehensive topical knowledge of creative and publishing production stages, editorial trends, grammar, syntax, long-form content, short-form content, legal compliance checking, and layout review. Experienced with the following industries: marketing, financial, technical, telecom, human resources, education, and assessment / test materials.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Content Development Specialist

Star Autism Support
11.2020 - 02.2024
  • Developed copy in raw content for all neurodivergence educational curricula and teacher instructions.
  • Strengthened written autism education content through proofreading and copy editing.
  • Provided content editing and development for newsletters, daily social media posts, web content, and educational content for classroom.
  • Reviewed copy in layout for visual correctness and appropriate representation of accompanying copy.
  • Increased website traffic by writing and editing more compelling social media content that enhanced brand visibility and attracted new followers.
  • Maintained and updated company style guide, ensuring consistent voice and tone across all company communications and products.
  • Provided training to new education copy editors and proofreaders.
  • Conducted extensive research on industry trends to ensure production of timely and informative content.

Senior Copy Editor, Contract

312 Advisors
07.2021 - 11.2021
  • Short-term contract, copy editing, developing, and creating content pre- and post-layout for WM Waste Management's 2022 human resources annual open enrollment employee benefit materials, which included medical, wellness, healthcare, and financial industry-specific copy with complex terminology.
  • Enhanced content quality by editing and meticulously proofreading in direct coordination with graphic designers, page designers, and project managers to produce long-form brochures and short-form letters, mailers, emails, data sheets, and signage materials.
  • Conducted thorough research on industry topics to enhance credibility and relevance of written materials.
  • Reviewed articles for grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, accuracy, and compliance with quality standards.

Content Manager, Contract

AHA Inc.
05.2019 - 06.2020
  • Provided daily copy editing, proofreading, and quality assurance on long- and short-form marketing letters, email, brochures, copy decks, packaging, web content, social media, data sheets, and reports, maintaining high standard of grammar and style consistency.
  • Managed content and copy edited for financial and technology industry accounts such as Charles Schwab, JPMorgan Chase, 2019 Google Environmental Report, 2020 Google Supplier Responsibility Report, Moody's Corporation, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and Hewlett-Packard packaging.
  • Managed projects and coordinated team members toward completion of deliverables, ensuring timely delivery of high-quality marketing materials.
  • Created, organized, and maintained systems for tracking changes to deliverables and global style decisions.
  • Tracked and communicated questions to be sent to client.
  • Compared deliverables in various forms to reconcile differences.
  • Conducted thorough research to ensure accurate, informative, and relevant industry-related content.
  • Consistently met tight deadlines while managing multiple projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks effectively.
  • Maintained content marketing calendar to schedule creation and delivery deadlines.

Copy Editor, Freelance

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
06.2015 - 05.2020
  • Proofread state Department of Education assessments, testing materials, and educational textbooks.
  • Copy edited exam items and passages for highly regulated governmental testing materials and performed read-behinds for textbooks, Grades K-12.
  • Raised overall quality of company publications through rigorous adherence to internal editorial guidelines and industry best practices.
  • Enhanced document readability by meticulously proofreading and editing content for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax errors.
  • Collaborated with contributors to improve clarity, flow, and coherence in their drafts while maintaining original tone and intent.

Copy Editor

Aspen / Epsilon
05.2015 - 04.2019
  • Copy edited for telecom industry marketing materials on over 100 deliverables for several high-profile AT&T accounts, implementing consistent style guidelines to establish a strong brand identity.
  • Reviewed marketing presentation decks, copy decks, direct mail (DM), email (EM), web content, social media (for Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), print media, digital media, and landing page creative.
  • Managed the AT&T Digital Life account's legal handbook.
  • Maintained and provided expertise in AP style manual for team.
  • Collaborated with writers to refine their work, resulting in clearer communication of ideas.

Freelance Proofreader / Content Editor

CTB / McGraw-Hill
01.2007 - 07.2017
  • Wrote and copy edited for student state assessments, both items and reading passages (poetry, fiction prose, and nonfiction informational articles), Grades 1-12, content areas: Reading, English / Language Arts (ELA), Writing.
  • Utilized Lexile scores and Flesch–Kincaid readability statistics to establish appropriate grade-level writing.
  • Edited passages for content with strict regulations and guidelines using Chicago Manual of Style.
  • Authored reading passages routinely featured in educational testing materials across country.
  • Modernized Georgia state style guide.

Proofreader / Quality Assurance Coordinator

Apartments.com / CoStar Group
10.2007 - 05.2015
  • Improved web content accuracy by meticulously proofreading and performing QA for various types of content in real estate market website.
  • Worked seamlessly with graphic artists and post-production team members to produce captivating and successful product.

Volunteer Instructor

Rose City Self Defense
01.2024 - Current
  • Led lectures and group physical skill training in city-offered free community safety class series aimed at girls, women, and LGBTQ+ community, with focus on engaging communities of under-served populations.
  • Improved student information retention by incorporating holistic teaching methods and materials in following areas: using intuition, escape options, negotiating consent, domestic abuse information, boundary-setting, assertiveness skills, avoiding attack, and self-defense against attack.
  • Evaluated students on materials presented in workshops and classes.
  • Directly petitioned city hall commissioners in round-table meetings to advocate for keeping our community program's funding.

Education

MA in Clinical Psychology -

Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL
05.2015

BS in Communications / Public Relations -

Illinois State University
Normal, IL
05.2006

Skills

  • Copy editing
  • Proofreading
  • Content development
  • Content writing
  • Fact-checking
  • Detail-oriented
  • Chicago Manual of Style
  • AP style
  • APA style
  • Microsoft Office Suite
  • Google Suite
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro

Communication Skills

Directly addressed client feedback and participated in client kickoff and review calls. Also negotiated daily editorial returns and detailed requests for corrections with writers, managers, and graphic design teams.

Timeline

Volunteer Instructor

Rose City Self Defense
01.2024 - Current

Senior Copy Editor, Contract

312 Advisors
07.2021 - 11.2021

Content Development Specialist

Star Autism Support
11.2020 - 02.2024

Content Manager, Contract

AHA Inc.
05.2019 - 06.2020

Copy Editor, Freelance

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
06.2015 - 05.2020

Copy Editor

Aspen / Epsilon
05.2015 - 04.2019

Proofreader / Quality Assurance Coordinator

Apartments.com / CoStar Group
10.2007 - 05.2015

Freelance Proofreader / Content Editor

CTB / McGraw-Hill
01.2007 - 07.2017

MA in Clinical Psychology -

Roosevelt University

BS in Communications / Public Relations -

Illinois State University

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Meg Hofer