HubPro Editor: Meet Betty Wang

Are you a cat or a dog person?

Totally a dog person. I might almost go as far as saying I’m a crazy dog lady. Almost.

Could you briefly tell us a little bit about your previous experience doing professional editing?

I’ve been involved with the world of professional editing since I was on my high school newspaper committee. I’ve freelanced for several regional newspapers and publications, and my most recent job before joining HubPages was as a writer for a series of Thomson Reuters blogs, where I had to work with editors to have up to 5-6 posts edited on the daily. I’ve also edited thousands of papers as a graduate student instructor during law school where I taught several undergraduate classes at UC Davis.

Could you also talk about your academic qualifications?

I have a BS from the University of the Pacific and a JD from the UC Davis School of Law. I’m also a licensed attorney in California, but my full-time passion lies in the world of writing and editing. 🙂

What’s your favorite thing about working in the editing industry?

I love wrangling with words and content, and I also love the fact that I am surrounded by like-minded people who teach me something new every day. I love that we are taking a piece, retaining its main purpose and form, polishing it, and shooting it off into the world (or, Internet) even better than it originally started off. Not to mention, HubPages is unique in that all our content is created by our users, which anyone can sign up to be.

What do you like most about editing Hubs, specifically?

I love that I learn something new and interesting with every Hub I edit. Hubbers are a diverse group of people from all around the world, all tied together by a love of sharing their experiences, expertise, and lives. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to not only help them boost their Hubs, but to be exposed to something new every time I go into work.

Could you tell us a little bit about your personal process for working on Hubs?

Whenever I start a Hub, I make sure that I give it a good read and that I understand the author’s primary purpose and get a good sense of his or her voice. If I’m lost on that already, I’ll contact the author directly for clarification. It’s important to me first and foremost that I don’t change a Hub to the point of it being a foreign piece when compared to the original. I don’t want edit a Hub to make it my own, I want to edit a Hub to make it the best it could possibly be, while still respecting and retaining the Hubber’s intentions, and to ensure a smooth reader experience.

Is there anything you’d like Hubbers to know about you?

I love what I do, and I will likely love reading and editing your Hubs! Please know that I’m here to help you and your potential audience before I help HubPages. This is really important to me, and if you land me as your editor, don’t hesitate to reach out with your concerns at any time. I’m a good listener on top of being a good editor. 🙂