Kathleen Austin

she/her

Qualifications and education

  • Graduate Certificate of Editing and Publishing, University of Southern Queensland

  • Professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), Australia

  • Professional member, Canberra Society of Editors

  • Bachelor of Business, Management/Marketing, Western Sydney University

  • Certificate in Creative Writing, Australian Writers’ Centre, Sydney

  • Experienced academic editor specialising in thesis work

Why work with me?

Even the most skilled writers can slip up sometimes. No matter how many times you’ve read it over, chances are you’ll miss mistakes that matter. When you’ve worked hard on your document, you want to put it in the hands of someone who will ensure it’s not only free of errors but that your message is clear and concise.

I work hard to find a balance between the complexity and plainness of English. I also know it’s important that your writing speaks to your audience, without leaving anyone out.

I know the rules of language, and sometimes I’m happy to break them. It’s not always based on personal preferences though. I use guides to back my decisions, such as the Macquarie Dictionary, The Style Manual: for Authors, Editors and Printers (the Commonwealth Style Guide), the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the Conscious Style Guide or your house style guide.

Like many editors, I use AI tools, but only for mechanical or consistency checks. I always review every suggestion manually, and I make all editorial decisions myself. I do not use generative AI to rewrite or generate text. I also do not upload or copy text into large language models.