Welcome to Checkword

Professional editing and writing services

CHECKWORD provides high quality writing and editing services. Full details of my experience in both areas are on my WRITING page and EDITING page. Please contact me at info@checkword.com.au to discuss your editing and writing needs and negotiate fees.

NEWS – Editing & Writing 

I continue to edit a range of educational texts and examination papers. They include a text book for Oxford University Press (Science), a range of VCE study advices for the VCAA, examination papers for Insight Publications, vocational learning resources for Aspire Learning as well as books for private individuals and academic theses for students.

In April 2023 a book that I edited hit the bookshop shelves: ‘Jimmy Little: A Yorta Yorta Man’ by Frances Peters-Little, published by Hardie Grant.

Another private client engaged me to edit/proofread and prepare three books for publishing. One was an academic book; the second, a modern novel and the third, a family history retold as a children’s novel – ‘The Cromartys of Port Stephens’. The author and I are very proud of the final products.

In 2021 I was approached by an international publisher to write/develop ten short books for early readers through to older readers; fiction and nonfiction.

My short fiction stories continue to be enjoyed by readers. In late 2019 one of them was awarded Highly Commended in the Odyssey House Short Story Competition, with the theme of ‘New Beginnings’.

News – Publishing

Ann Scotchmer’s Diary 1918–1919 was officially launched on 27 November 2022. This historical fiction is set in New South Wales during the Spanish Flu. More details on the Book Sales and Writing for Children pages of this website.

For many years I enjoyed publishing success with Storm Cloud Publishing. I have also published my writings online via Draft2Digital (previously Smashwords). These include my Bollywood Kids series (2 novels), a short novel ‘Skater Girls’ and two anthologies of short stories for children and adult readers. (See Book Sales page for details.)

I am also proud of the years I spent writing about and for people who live with a disability. In that time I published these two books.

In My World – a chapter book for children with two short novels between the covers. Two stories that celebrate diversity.

Basketball Tree – Sam wants to be good at basketball. He’s very short and his friend Tess is very tall. Can they both get on the school team? And will Sam ever find out what’s wrong with the class bully who’s behaving very strangely?

Wheels of Fire – When Bec’s new teacher suggests a way for her to join in the school concert in her wheelchair, she’s not so sure. She’s more interested in catching a thief with her friend Damien. But Rima has plans for Bec’s costume and the concert night turns out to be a BIG one!

All copies of these books have now been sold.

Little People Big LivesPublished in 2013 to shine a spotlight on people living with dwarfism.  All copies of this book have now been sold.