Helen West
As an experienced English copywriter, technical editor, writing trainer/coach, my ambition is to make every word your write work for you. I support you to write clearly, concisely, accurately, and convincingly for your target audience.
“You can have brilliant ideas but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere.” Lee Iacocca, well known US automobile executive
And this where Helen West can help you. Effective written communication is very often an underestimated challenge. This is especially the case when presenting complex information to a target audience who may not have the same specialist knowledge as you, the writer.
Some people are looking for support in writing and editing a key document for their business, or in preparing a conference presentation. Others are looking for writing training and coaching to help them improve their own writing skills. I can help you to find and develop the best writing solutions for you.
Whether you’re working in business, industry, research or government, writing is certain to be a key part of your job. It makes sense: the better you can write, the more efficient and productive you are. That’s what I do: help you bring your writing skills up to speed, whether you want someone to write for you; edit your document; or teach you new writing skills.
About Helen West
Hi, I’m Helen West: copywriter, technical editor, writing trainer/coach.
I’m committed to helping managers, engineers, scientists and technical specialists to write more effectively in English. Over the years, I’ve helped people in many different professionals and organisations. My clients are in industrial multinationals, Dutch companies operating internationally, research institutes and universities. Government ministries and the European Commission in Brussels.
Even if I say so myself, my experience is wide ranging from copywriting for websites; writing content for policy documents; QA on consultant’s report; to fixing English language for non-native speakers And It’s all great fun.
Maybe, you’re wondering what sort of background qualifies Helen West for this work. In a nutshell, I graduated from the University of New England (NSW) Australia. And I’m trained and accredited teacher and trainer. I keep up to date with the latest professional developments by participating in short, intense language and writing courses.
Where do I come from? Helen West is an Australian, living and working in the Netherlands for 30 years. How did Helen get here? That’s quite a long story. Before settling in the Netherlands, we lived and worked in Australia, UK and Nigeria.
Copywriting and editing
Since coming to living in the Netherlands, I’ve worked freelance as an English business copywriter; and technical editor.
I’ve refined techniques to write complex information so that it’s quickly and easily to understood by the target readers. On the way, I’ve picked up all sorts of tips and tricks to streamline the writing process.
Over the years, I’ve gained wide experience working with managers, engineers, scientists and technical specialists in industrial multinationals, Dutch companies operating internationally, research institutes and universities. Government ministries and the European Commission in Brussels.
Training and coaching
And along the way, I’ve picked up many practical tips and tricks that really work in technical and business writing. These tried and tested ways make your writing clear, concise and coherent.
I’ve discovered at first had what works and why, and of course, what doesn’t work. And how to streamline the writing process so that writing is quick, easy and fun.
Over the last 20 years, I’ve trained and coached engineers, technical specialists, economists, managers and scientists in many different sectors. To write more clearly and concisely in English.
“Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer makes all his sentences short, or that he avoids all detail and treats his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”
The Elements of Style, William Strunk Jr., 1918
