The Proof Fairy is the creation of me, Alison Neale. I live in Oxfordshire, UK with my two children and our cat and I have worked in the media and publishing industry on and off for the last 20 years.
Prior to starting a family I worked in publishing, as Copy Manager for a bustling group of local newspapers, then as Production Manager for a small independent publishing house. Both roles involved proofreading and copy-editing as well as designing and laying out adverts and editorial. I then spent several years at home bringing up my family but kept busy with part time work including childminding, bookkeeping and administration for a small haulage company.
On becoming a single parent in 2001 I returned to college, studying for a BSc in Media Technology and Production, in which I gained a First Class Honours Degree. During my study I worked for two local radio stations and on graduation I switched to visual media and joined Alamy, one of the world’s top stock photography libraries, where I became Picture Research Manager, remote training and managing a team based in India.
Wanting to have more flexibility and a better work/life balance it was a simple move back to publishing, and I took on the fresh challenge of producing a community magazine. However, the inspiration for The Proof Fairy came when I visited the website of a business acquaintance and spotted several silly mistakes that really altered my perception of the professionalism of the business. Knowing that the company had probably spent a lot of money on the design of the website, I saw an opportunity to help by offering my editorial services at an affordable rate – and The Proof Fairy was born!