"If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend six hours sharpening my ax." - Abraham Lincoln

Some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about this website and the background and expertise of...

Derek K. Miller, B.Sc., Dip.A.C.N.F.

What kind of writing and editing experience do I have?
What do I specialize in?
Who(m) have I done all this stuff for?
How about school and such things?

What kind of writing and editing experience do I have?

My first editorial experience was with a class newspaper in elementary school, nearly 25 years ago. By 1984, I had helped start The Plague, an inter-high-school newspaper in Vancouver, and had my first "editor" title, for the newsletter of the Apple Alliance, a computer club. After working on my high school annual and several university publications, my first paid editorial work came in 1990, when I put together the UBC student handbook.

A little over a decade later, following time as a drummer, magazine advertising sales coordinator, technical writer/web guy for a software company, and stay-at-home dad (still ongoing), I went freelance in 2001 and joined the Editors' Association of Canada in 2002. Most recently, in early 2004, I found a job writing, editing, and working on web content and user interface design for Navarik Corp. in Vancouver. Over the past decade and a bit, I've done a fair bit of stuff:

Writing: newspaper columns, news articles, magazine features, manuals, software online help, web content, sales proposals, press releases, marketing communication materials, packaging copy, print advertising copy, academic papers
Editing: newspapers, magazine articles, newsletters, manuals, software online help, web content, sales proposals, marketing materials, annual reports, advertising and packaging copy, academic papers, guides, handbooks, fiction (short stories and novels)
Copy Editing and Proofreading: magazine articles and columns, newspapers, newsletters, documentation, marketing materials, annual reports, websites, short stories, novels, correspondence, cookbooks, reports, advertising and packaging copy
Layout and Design: desktop publishing, paper layout, newspapers, guides and handbooks, posters, flyers, brochures, forms, websites, album covers, advertising design
Web Design and Content Development: Designing websites was my job for a while—now I focus on web usability, cross-platform and cross-browser compatibility, and standards compliance. You can see some of the sites I have worked on recently on my clients page. And there's this site here, of course.

What do I specialize in?

I'm a generalist, which means (depending on your point of view) either (a) that I have wide-ranging tastes, or (b) that I can't make up my mind. I'll write about pretty much anything, in other words. And I'll edit even more.

Most recently, I've been working on:

End-user instructions for wireless communication devices and hardware (including editing, writing, layout, and photography).
Marketing writing, web content, and interface usability for software used in managing maritime shipping transactions.
Writing, editing, photography, and layout for medical conference newsletters.
Press releases for online technical services.
Website design, video editing, and sound file manipulation for musicians.
Writing general-interest computer and technology articles for magazines and online publications.
General Macintosh and Windows troubleshooting and consulting.
Playing the drums.

There are a few things I haven't yet learned to like writing about (finance and professional sports, for instance), and I do have some specialties, or at least subjects that I've either worked on or have an interest in. Even these cast a pretty wide net:

Language: Writing itself, linguistics, literature, the brain and language, cognition and understanding, media and communication, and publishing.
Science: Especially biology, oceanography, geography and geology, astronomy and space science, environment and ecology, meteorology and climatology, speciation and evolution, archaeology and anthropology, and most other stuff that doesn't take too much heavy-duty math.
Computers & Technology: Macs and PCs, hardware and software, a little Unix, troubleshooting, appropriate use of information technology, usability and interaction design, privacy and freedom of information, technology policy, Internet and web design and standards.
Education: Schools, universities, colleges, student politics, learning, academic culture, administration, educational planning, and student publications.
Politics: Government, public policy, non-governmental organizations, international and cultural relations, human rights, current events, and regional and land-use planning.
Imaging and Design: Photography, graphic design, layout and desktop publishing, typography, digital imaging, and document management.
Miscellaneous Stuff: Music and musical instruments, the outdoors, mountain biking, transportation, plants and gardens, and travel.

Who(m) have I done all this stuff for?

See my Clients and Employers page for some of my customers. E-mail me if you'd like to know more.

How about school and such things?

Diploma in Applied Creative Non-Fiction Writing, University of British Columbia, 1992
Bachelor of Science (Class I), Marine Biology, University of British Columbia., 1990
High School Diploma, St. George's School, Vancouver, B.C., 1986

I'm also a voting member of the Vancouver Musicians' Association (part of the American Federation of Musicians) and the Editors' Association of Canada.

Template BBEdited on 17-May-04

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