Konversai recently launched its Global Small Business (GSB) Partnership Program, where small businesses are joining our platform to connect with our exponentially growing user base (all potential clients), easily manage payment and scheduling, and access a variety of services for their personal and professional needs. Over the next few weeks, our Konversations series will be featuring the people behind our small business partners. This week, we interviewed editor extraordinaire Pavita Singh of pavEDITa, a freelance editing business based in New York City. Not only do we want to learn more about our partners’ businesses, we want to know who they are as people. Therefore, we’ve included some fun questions throughout the interview. Learn more about quirky, nerdy, and fun Pavita and all that she can offer you below.

Konversai: For our readers who are not familiar, what is pavEDITa? What do you offer?

Pavita: pavEDITa is an editing business offering freelance copy, line, and content editing services for any and all English written content. No matter what kind of writing you do—college essays, dissertations, fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, blog posts, articles, grant applications, resumes and cover letters, or marketing material—pavEDITa has experience with it all.

Konversai: What inspired you to start pavEDITa?

Pavita: In the Fall of 2015, my Sunday evenings were spent sitting at my kitchen table in front of my laptop with my friend across from me in front of hers. We spent hours each week together replacing “which” with “that,” “between” with “among,” and “less” with “fewer;” inserting Oxford commas; eliminating redundancy; and portraying her personality within anywhere from 200 to 500 words. This weekly tradition took place until December 2015, when she finally submitted all of her college essays. These Sunday evenings were the highlight of my week and provided me a necessary reprieve from my day job at a biotechnology startup. It was during these weekly college essay editing sessions that I realized that my passion for language, composition, and grammar could be of benefit to many other people in various other stages in their personal and professional lives. Thus was born pavEDITa. As an editor, there is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes from helping an author turn great writing into excellent writing. I am acutely aware of subtle grammatical and stylistic rules and norms and I enjoy obsessing over the small details. The hard work is all the clients’—pavEDITa just helps put the icing on the cake.

Konversai: How many clients have you served to date?

Pavita: I’ve served over 200 clients since I started pavEDITa in 2016. Customers have included high school, college, and graduate students; bloggers; novelists; poets; life coaches; mental health professionals; teachers; chefs; entrepreneurs; small business owners; nonprofit organizations; and large businesses across a wide range of industries, including healthcare, biotechnology, and hospitality. I enjoy working with a diverse set of clients because it’s an exciting opportunity to dive into and learn about a variety of subjects and gain new perspectives.

Konversai: What are some of your most impressive accomplishments so far?

Pavita: I think my most impressive accomplishment so far is from April 2018. April tends to be one of my busiest seasons, as many college and graduate students are handing in final papers and dissertations. One particular week I had three separate graduate dissertations to edit, each around 100 pages, and a turnaround time of 48 hours. I worked my magic and was able to get the students their dissertations in tip-top shape in time for their deadlines. It is also very satisfying whenever I see something that I edited published or when a student writes to me telling me they got an A on a paper I edited.

Konversai: Would you rather be at the beach—with a mountain of paperwork? Or lodging in the Alps—with Jack Nicholson from The Shining as your neighbor?

Pavita: Definitely the beach with a mountain of paperwork. I love my editing work, so I wouldn’t mind editing papers on the beach. Notice that the word “meditate” has “edit” in it? For me, editing is indeed a mEDITative experience, and what better place to enjoy that than by the peaceful ebbing and flowing waves?

Konversai: What do you believe sets pavEDITa apart from other businesses in the industry?

Pavita: I believe the prices I charge for the quality and turnaround time of my work are competitive. I also care about my clients as human beings and really try to get to know them outside the context of the particular editing project I am working on. I treat my clients as I would my friends—and as it turns out, many of my clients are now also close friends. I am invested in their work and want to be part of their success. Plus, I don’t know anyone else who loves editing as much as I do!

Konversai: You wake up on the set of The Transformers, and all your electronics walked out. How are you going to spend your day?

Pavita: Oh my—no electronics! I’d probably sleep in as long as possible, and maybe also get a nap in. I love my naps! Or maybe I’d get on a plane, where I wouldn’t be able to use my electronics anyway, and take an impromptu trip somewhere—I wouldn’t put that past myself. In all seriousness though, it’s a good question, as I’m trying to spend less time on my electronics. I still enjoy reading actual books and writing in an actual journal. I would probably spend hours in a bookstore. I live in New York City, so I might also walk around and just see where the universe wants to take me that day. Maybe I’ll talk to random passersby—one of my favorite ways to make friends!

Konversai: What are you most looking forward to as a GSB member?

Pavita: I have been a Konversai advocate from the very beginning, so I am excited that the GSB will benefit both Konversai and pavEDITa. Mostly I am looking forward to connecting with more potential clients (and friends) from all over the world.

Konversai: You’re given a time machine. Where do you go, and what do you do?

Pavita: New York in the 1920s! I’d put on my pearls and my flapper dress and go out on the town—champagne at a speakeasy, dancing at a jazz club, and enjoying the glamour and glitz! And all without electronics.

Need editing? Connect with Pavita on Konversai—a global knowledge platform that allows for one-on-one live video conversations with anyone, anywhere, about anything. Knowledge providers on the platform have the opportunity to make extra money sharing the things they know and love, while knowledge seekers can enjoy personalized sessions with a live human being catered to exactly what they’re looking to learn on any topic. Sessions are scheduled at times that are mutually convenient for both parties, and neither has to leave the comfort of their home.  All users are encouraged to both knowledge providers and knowledge seekers on any and as many topics as they wish. Any and all knowledge, skills, and experiences have a place on Konversai—the only limit is your imagination. Konversai’s mission is to democratize knowledge, put the human connection back into the heart of technology, and make the world better by enabling meaningful and authentic conversations that can improve people’s lives. Don’t miss the opportunity to be part of realizing this mission. Join Konversai today!

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