You’re probably wondering why I've called myself The Helpful Puffin.
My name is Emma Le Poidevin. I was initially (pun intended) thinking of using ELP – initials are a fairly common and professional way of branding oneself. But there were a couple of problems. ELP is the abbreviation of a famous music group from the '80s; I would never show up on a Google search. Also, ELP looks like I've forgotten how to spell 'help'. So I thought I’d use the word 'help' – it describes what I do whilst also being a subtle nod to my initials.
Puffin was the name of my dearly beloved car. A black Ford KA, with the number plate PFF, it looked just like a puffin to me. When I was thinking of business names, my husband bought me a notebook with puffins on it and that was the inspiration. I turned to him and said “Puffin Proofreading!” But then we thought that a broader business name would encompass the copy editing aspect of my services, too. And so, remembering about ‘help’, I put the two together, and The Helpful Puffin was born.
Proofreading is the final check before you get your work printed, published, submitted – wherever it needs to go. By asking me to proofread, you’re telling me that you’re happy with the content and you’re not looking to have anything major edited.
Copy editing, by contrast, is more in depth, and in fact it may not even be necessary depending on what it is you’re writing. (A promo flyer or a menu for your cafe most likely just needs proofreading.) By asking me to copy edit, you’re telling me that you’re not quite sure about some aspects of your work and you want some suggestions for improvement.
