My name is Joanne Gallen and word has it that I can help you with any writing and editing needs you have. Along with a myriad of other services…

I have always enjoyed language. I love to read, I love to write, I adore wordplay, and my Facebook feed is full of puns. French and German were my favourite subjects at school; learning another language is a great way of learning your own, particularly grammar and construction. I appreciate the subtleties of language; how simple changes can convey a very different message.

My rates are deliberately affordable. I’m not here to get rich; I’m more interested in helping you do that. I work on a project basis. You can choose my services to suit your needs, from a 15 minute task to a multi-week assignment.

My professional background is in the travel industry, where I owned and operated a retail agency for 25 years. I hold a Diploma in Business, and a Diploma in Management, and I was one of ten worldwide in my year to gain Distinction in the international IATA-UFTAA Travel Diploma. I am very proud that I have built relationships with clients that have endured over thirty years. Aside from dealing with the wonderful travellers I worked with, one of my favourite tasks was to write newsletters to keep in touch with my clients.

I thrive on feedback – and yes, I count complaints about the quality of my jokes as positive feedback – it shows that people have engaged with my newsletter! I am a firm believer that clients value a relationship with their service or product provider and my newsletters are a simple and effective way of achieving that. I am organised, methodical, and a wee bit pedantic – I like to get it right. My travel industry experience lends itself very well to the skills needed to create and organise systems, and to be able to produce clear and relevant documentation.

Covid was the reason – and the excuse – for pivoting, and I now spend my days with words, free to follow my passion of writing, and bringing order into chaos.

I am a volunteer adult literacy and ESOL home tutor; a challenging but very rewarding service. In my spare time, you will find me watching or listening to comedy, or dancing modern jive.

I am based in Lower Hutt, but able to operate remotely to service national and international clients.