About

What’s In The Name?

An odyssey is “a long journey full of adventures” or “a series of experiences that give knowledge or understanding to someone” (Merriam-Webster’s Learner’s Dictionary).

My life has been an odyssey, allowing me to experience an array of cultures at home and abroad. I even lived on an island visited in Homer’s epic “The Odyssey.”

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I’ve traveled to 43 states; I’ve lived in 8 states in the Southeast, Northeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West

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I’ve traveled to 25 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, and Central America

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I’ve lived in 4 countries outside the United States: France as a graduate student; Italy (Sicily) as a fellow/employee at ISISC (International Institute for Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences); and Bonaire (Dutch Caribbean) and Slovakia while on staff with TWR (Trans World Radio).

Helen Overmyer

While working in Washington, DC, I met my husband John, who had already lived in 7 countries and was in transit, moving from Russia to Central Asia. After we married, we continued our odyssey together.

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Visiting an intriguing destination

Revisiting the Paris apartment building where I lived as a graduate student

Living on the island of Sicily

Living on the island of Bonaire

Living in Slovakia

Visiting an intriguing destination

Revisiting the Paris apartment building where I lived as a graduate student

Living on the island of Sicily

Living on the island of Bonaire

Living in Slovakia

How Am I Qualified?

I’ve had a lifelong love of words, and I’ve sharpened my English skills through the study of eight languages: French, Latin, Spanish, German, Italian, Russian, Papiamento, and Slovak. I’m fascinated with the art of language interpretation and translation.

Each time I’ve moved to a new state or country where I wasn’t familiar with the culture or the language, I’ve learned to thrive through the art of observation. I inherited detailed observation skills from my engineer father, my classical pianist mother, and my business manager grandfather who enjoyed reading encyclopedia entries before bed each night. When I was young, my father awarded me an “FBI badge” each time I made a keen observation of something.

Copyediting, Writing

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Academic monographs for Yale University Press, Stanford University Press and Penn State University Press

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AI-generated video transcripts for Chance Multimedia

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Scientific and management journal articles for Cambridge University Press

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Blueprint and other international development reports and proposals for the World Bank, Palladium Group, Save the Children, Food Enterprise Solutions

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PhD dissertation and over 1000 hours for seminary graduate students, including international students

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Familiarity with various style guides, including The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), AP Stylebook, MLA, SBL, APA Style, and CWMOS

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B2B marketing materials for several small businesses; church-based communications materials

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Nonfiction book for publisher Radius Book Group

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Articles for proposals to magazines and rough draft book copy for a published author

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Wrote articles for organization’s in-house news magazine in Slovakia; attended writer’s workshop sponsored by the communications department

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Wrote bios for church newsletter and conference publications

Marketing Communications

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As senior market analyst for COMSAT International Ventures in Washington, DC (COMSAT Corporation later merged with Lockheed Martin), wrote and edited marketing materials for satellite business communications ventures in Latin America, Turkey, Russia, and India

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As marketing communications coordinator for NetSolve in Austin, TX, an information technology company (NetSolve was later bought by Cisco Systems), wrote and edited marketing communications materials for wide area network management services

Language Translation

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Translated technical documents from French to English on a freelance basis for Ralph McElroy Translation Company, Austin, TX

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Evaluated children’s animated videos for accuracy and quality of translation from English to French for Nest Entertainment

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Translated informal conversations French-Italian-English for conference participants from the Arab World at ISISC in Siracusa, Sicily

Education

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MA, French Language and Literature, Middlebury College Language Schools, Paris, France

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Received certificate of French business from the Paris Chamber of Commerce

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BA, French and Political Science, Wheaton College, Illinois

Memberships

Testimonials

“As a PhD candidate, I rely on Helen’s expertise as a copyeditor. I trust her keen eye for detail, her close attention to the finer points of grammar, and her extensive knowledge of various formatting guidelines. She also provides excellent feedback and always completes her work in a timely manner. I consider Helen an excellent and invaluable partner in the writing process and highly recommend her.”

Cas Monaco, PhD candidate, Cru Executive Director

“When it comes to writing and publishing, having the right editor is essential. Helen has been my primary and sole editor for over a decade through my graduate and doctoral seminary studies. I have come to rely on her expertise, integrity, and continual pursuit of perfection. I cannot imagine a finer editor.”

Sue Bailey, MDiv, DMin candidate

“Helen has worked as a volunteer at our church for many years in the area of copyediting. We know that when she reviews a publication for the church, it is ready to be presented without errors. She is also a very gracious and kind person while still very professional. It is always a pleasure to work with her on projects.”

Julia Grauberger, Church Administrator