Edvenson Consulting

Question:  Are you a copy editor, then?

Yes, if that is what you need.  However, most of my editing goes beyond copy editing, into the realm of what the writer is trying to say, and how best they can say it.  This is closely tied to the audience that will be reading it.  I do, however, reject the notion of changing people’s personal or creative style, and I try to avoid this at all costs.  There is a rather fine balancing point between the two, on occasion, but I and my client usually walk it successfully.  As for my English editing services, I am also mixing them with my background in social science work, statistics, survey work, and auditing.  The result is a service that tends to uncover problems of intention or logic, and I have more than once caused a doctoral student to re-evaluate precious hypotheses, and re-state conclusions.  An international company's CEO also made late changes in his international Annual Report remarks after my review, based on differences in the way certain English words are used and understood in different cultures.

 Question:  Give me an example of how I would work with you.

Alright.  You have a text ready on a Friday evening, and need it polished by Monday morning.  It is the draft of your company's annual report, or an especially important letter of proposal, a Powerpoint presentation, a speeech or an article.  You call me or e-mail me, and we discuss it.  You e-mail the document to me in a format I can read and work with (for example, in Word).  I work on it, as you wish - either directly on-the-computer with track-changes, or creating a mark-up pencil copy.  I deliver the polished product on schedule by e-mail - or as we arrange, by other mail service or delivery or pick-up.  I also include a 'report letter.'  The report letter, briefly, describes the work, summarizing the issues and my suggested areas of correction, line by line, and includes some discussion of substantive issues as well as suggested directions and thoughts.  The primary purpose of the report letter is to point out areas of similar English mistakes, and the reasons for particular changes suggested.  It gives the client the greatest amount of information to learn from, so that, as they continue with the language, they learn to use it more effectively, naturally.

With my student clients, I get their thesis copy or dissertation a few weeks before they must deliver it, and work on it for 1-2 weeks.  It is best if they then have 1-2 weeks to review the edit and decide which of the changes they will accept, and what amount of re-writing they might need to do.  I have sometimes reviewed these twice before they are final and ready for submission to their faculty advisors or committees. 

Generally, payment is due within 30 days of work completion, depending on our arrangements.

Question:    What about your auditing services?

I can help you design an audit of your company's operations and/or management that provides you with sensitive and important company information that you do not now collect.  I can work with your existing audit professionals, under contract.  I can also provide you with administrative oversight of your certified or state auditors' work, or arrange for you to receive a Sarbanes-Oxley Act opinion from certified auditors under subcontract with me. 

I meet with you or your staff to identify the areas of concern to you, and devise a fieldwork program to answer those concerns.  For smaller jobs, the fieldwork segment can be conducted by me in coordination with your staff.  For larger jobs, I am coordinating with experienced survey and accounting professionals to obtain the data we agree on.  This can involve an evaluation of your marketing and sales activities, for example.

I create a report of the findings and recommendations of the work after consultation with you.  The final report, or an Executive Summary, is an excellent working document for any Board of Directors or shareholder concern.

Question:    What about your legal services?  Do you practice law in Norway?  How does that work?

I do not practice Norwegian law in Norway.  I am currently authorized to practice American law.  Generally, I give American legal advice in a number of topical areas, and recommend resources for clients to use to inform themselves more fully. I also create American legal documents and forms for suggested use in various States which are designed as a starting point for discussion with an attorney in that state.  I am actively licensed in the state of Illinois, and can provide legal services to you directly in the state of Illinois.  I can also assist you with your attorney service needs in any specific area in the United States by affiliating with actively-licensed lawyers in that jurisdiction.  I can help you, also, to identify reliable and affordable local counsel in any geographic area in which you need help.  I can then affiliate with them to monitor your legal case concerns, if you'd like.  I can also assist you as your consultant on legal issues arising in Norway:  for example, I am presently assisting an American client in a Norwegian court case, working with the Norwegian attorney I helped the client to identify and select.

I also provide case management and legal administration services.  These are more in the nature of paralegal or legal administrative services, and I can provide those to you across legal jurisdictions - anywhere in the world.    

I work for you or your company, maintaining the highest standards in legal recordkeeping and administration.  I am bound by the Illinois Code of Professional Conduct, including standards of professional ethics, and am bound by restrictions concerning client confidentiality.

I can work for you on a continuing or contractual basis, and on a per-case or per-project basis.