About BulletProof
Who am I?
Hi! I’m Holly Akins. I’m here to help small businesses and independent authors make their writing stronger by providing high-quality writing and editorial services.
I worked my way up in the business world from being a file clerk to a customer service representative, then from an accounting clerk to an accounting department manager. I am a graduate of the University of Richmond and three editing programs. Every course I took and job I had taught me more about people and provided the experience I needed to step out on my own. I’m committed to giving my best to my clients and helping them accomplish their goals.
Why am I doing this?
Right after high school, I started a part-time job at a local bookkeeping firm. I had no idea how that job would shape my life for the next fifteen years. I learned a valuable trade, but more importantly, I discovered that I really enjoyed helping people, especially small-business owners. I loved how partnering with them was actually investing in our community. Even after I changed jobs, the part I enjoyed most about my new company was how we supported nonprofits across the country, helping advance their causes in their communities. And that’s what I love so much about being an editor. I work with people who are passionate about their businesses and products, and I help them express their ideas more clearly so that they can spend their time doing what they love without worrying about problems in their copy.
I’ve built a strong network within my community of business associates. I started at the bottom of the corporate ladder and excelled at my work through each promotion. Now I help small-business owners directly, and by investing my time in their businesses, I’m also investing in our communities. I love being part of that.
FAQs
I have a BA in philosophy from the University of Richmond and fifteen years of experience working with small businesses in accounting departments. I’m a graduate of three editing programs: Proofread Anywhere, Knowadays (formerly the Proofreading Academy), and Poynter. I’m a member of ACES: The Society for Editors, the Editorial Freelancers Association, and the Freelancers Union. I’m also a volunteer contributing proofreader for Distributed Proofreading and the Gutenberg Project.
I’ve worked with publishers, communication teams, entrepreneurs, and small-business owners who needed help with their websites, blogs, presentations, newsletters, social media, and books.
I’ve also worked with independent authors on their book proposals, sample chapters, manuscripts, articles, and blogs.
When you work with me, you get peace of mind. You don’t need to worry about embarrassing typos. You don’t need to wonder if that comma is in the right place. You have a professional editor on your team watching your back.
Plus, you get your time back. No more spending hours rereading copy until your eyes burn. No more internet searches to learn about passive voice sentence construction. No more research about which format is best for your copy. Instead, once you hand your file over to me, you can spend your time focused on what’s most important to you.
So if you can spend your time on what’s important to you, what will you do? Play with your kids? Take a mental health day? Focus on that presentation you’ve got coming up? Finalize the contract for your new client? Take your dog to the park? What are those things worth to you? Shoot, what is just having the option to do those things worth to you? Because that’s freedom.
Partnering with me gives you the freedom to stop worrying about your writing and focus on what you value—your dog, kids, mental health, clients, or business. That’s worth a great deal in itself. Plus, you’ll receive customized feedback with each project to help you improve your skills as a writer.