About Mike

The Editor With a Financial Services Background

Most copyeditors come from English or journalism backgrounds. They're skilled at the craft — but they're learning your industry while they work on your copy. I'm not.

I spent more than a decade working in financial services before becoming a full-time writer and editor. Before that, I worked as a journalist and photographer, including time overseas. I've spent years writing B2B marketing content for companies across the financial services and technology space.

That means when I edit your copy, I already understand the terminology, the audience, and the stakes — and I'm not billing you for the time it takes me to get up to speed.

I understand the difference between a registered investment adviser and a broker-dealer. I know what a basis point is. I know when "yield" needs a qualifier and when a claim is going to trigger a compliance review. I know the difference between copy that sounds authoritative and copy that is authoritative — and so does your reader.

That background is what I bring to every edit.

Mike Sweeney, B2B copyeditor based in Atlanta
What I bring to the work

The knowledge that matters in financial services copy

Industry terminology

I know the language — and when it's been used incorrectly, imprecisely, or in a way that will make a sophisticated buyer raise an eyebrow. That instinct takes years to develop.

The skeptical B2B reader

B2B buyers in financial services don't read for pleasure — they read to evaluate. Copy that doesn't establish credibility immediately gets ignored. I edit with that reader in mind.

A compliance-aware lens

I'm not a compliance officer or attorney — but I flag language that seems likely to draw scrutiny: unsupported claims, unqualified superlatives, promises your legal team will want to review. A smart first pass before the formal review.

The writer's voice

Good editing doesn't replace the writer's voice — it amplifies it. My job is to make the copy sound more like the writer at their best, not more like me.

Background

Credentials

Financial journalist & photographer International reporting experience 10+ years in financial services B2B content specialist Member, AWAI Professional Writers Alliance Based in Atlanta, GA

A note on what I don't do

I'm not a compliance officer or attorney, and I don't provide legal or regulatory advice. What I do is bring a trained editor's eye and deep domain knowledge to your copy — and flag anything that might warrant closer review by your compliance team. That's a meaningful distinction, and I'm always clear about it with clients.

I got into editing because I love what happens when copy finally clicks into place. There's a moment when you read a piece and everything flows — the argument is clear, the tone is right, the reader can't help but follow along. Getting a piece of copy to that place is genuinely satisfying work.

If you're a copywriter who wants a trusted editor to make your work shine, or a marketer who needs to know everything going out is the best it can be — let's talk.

Work With Me