Since 1985 I have been working as a freelance text writer in the field of pr and information. Often for and sometimes at businesses and organizations. Together with an existing team in the organization or in my own ad hoc team of creative persons (graphic designer, photographer, webmaster, printer).

Big and small clients, some mentioned here: Municipality of Apeldoorn, Nachenius Tjeenk, Centraal Beheer Achmea, Gastec (now Kiwa Gastec), SenterNovem (now Agentschap nl), housing corporation De Marken, De Wellen/GGNet, photographer Jacintha Bierens, graphic designer Willemieke van den Brink and Rijkswaterstaat. A sampling of the subjects: the care sector, town planning, social housing, asset management, energy saving, gas technology, recreation, music and fine arts.

Clients asked me to write or edit text for newsletters, handbooks, press releases, web pages, lectures, annual reports, interviews, pr-adverts or business presentations.

Editing is more than ‘just check the letters d and t’ (i.e. these letters are often wrongly used in Dutch). Editing starts with: what are you aiming for and who is the target group? What do or don’t they know? Explain concepts or ideas which you may assume are not as clear to the reader as they are to the writer. Sometimes making a clear layout for the chapters or sections, headings and sub-headings or creating a search function. Always checking all the names of all the committees, all posts, all laws and of all policies. Just like all references to websites. And when you also correct grammatical, spelling and idiomatic mistakes and remove the excess of certain words, shorten long running sentences, make personal pronouns really personal, then in the end it will be all right.

Clients and readers have the following to say about my texts: clear use of language, summaries that capture the essence. About me: she shares our thoughts. Strong points: translating technical subjects into texts that can easily be understood by interested laymen.

Do you want to hear a client’s opinion about this? Please contact:

• Irene de Negro – Simons, managing director of housing corporation De Marken, Schalkhaar 0570 676125, [email protected]
  0570 676125, [email protected]
• Willemieke van den Brink, Echter ontwerp, Zwolle 06 135 90 149, [email protected]
  06 135 90 149, [email protected]