FAQs

Copyediting fixes errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar and style. Also, it identifies where the writing could be improved, e.g. very long/complex sentences and unclear phrasing.

The role also includes:

• working on raw/draft text
• improving the flow and tone for the intended readership
• ensuring a consistent style – of spellings, punctuation and terminology, particularly – and following a style guide, if supplied
• formatting references and citations
• numbering tables, figures and illustrations, and checking content against text and captions
• querying obvious factual inaccuracies
• flagging potential legal issues.

Please note: the above list is not exhaustive.

Proofreading is the quality check and tidy-up of written material prior to publication. To paraphrase the CIEP, a proofreader will:

• check page numbers and headings
• check the table of contents against chapter titles, page numbers and endmatter (appendices, index, etc)
• ensure a consistent style – of spellings, punctuation and hyphenation, particularly – and follow a style guide, if supplied
• watch out for omissions and inconsistencies in typography, layout and content
• judge the need for changes in view of the budget and schedule – changing just one word can sometimes have drastic knock-on effects
• check or insert cross-references, where appropriate
• eliminate inelegant or confusing word, column and page breaks, including ‘widows’ and ‘orphans’ (short last or first lines of a paragraph at the top or the bottom of a page, respectively)
• ensure that illustrations, captions and labels correspond with each other and with the text
• check that the content looks right and is logically arranged.

Please note: the above list is not exhaustive.

Proofediting is a combination of copyediting and proofreading carried out at the same time. It is a compromise between undertaking each stage separately, but for many clients this is perfectly acceptable (e.g. students using English as a second language).

In short, anyone with written material: publishers, businesses, academia, independent authors, charities, the public sector, etc.

Written material could include printed publications, corporate reports, research papers, features and articles, sales and marketing brochures, newsletters, journals, and web content, for example.

Reading your own work thoroughly is certainly a good idea, but often you’re too familiar with the content to objectively review it. In a battle between what the brain expects to read and what the eyes actually see, it is usually the brain that wins.

Also, software/AI to check spelling and grammar is far from perfect and can fail to spot lots of errors and inconsistencies that I will identify. Only a human will understand the meaning and nuances of your writing.

No. I offer a service for most subjects, although I specialise in science and engineering and can provide particular expertise in environmental matters. However, editing skills are transferable to any subject matter; prior knowledge of a subject often helps but isn’t always essential.

The only subjects that I generally will not work on are complex legal and medical matters.

Probably not. Apart from being highly subjective, creating perfection is likely to be very time-consuming and therefore very expensive.

At the end of the process, however, you should be reassured that 1) your material doesn’t contain many (if any) glaring errors or inconsistencies, and 2) the vast majority of readers will be able to read – and understand – it.

This generally depends on the format of the document itself, but the output can be tailored to your individual requirements.

Microsoft Word documents can be edited with ‘Track Changes’ switched on, allowing you to review and then accept or reject my suggested amendments. Alternatively, on PDF documents the amendments are usually marked up using the Adobe ‘Comment’ tools (N.B. this method does not actually change the source text; you will need to apply these changes yourself to the original document).

Prices will vary depending on the complexity of the document and also the level of service required. As a guideline, the CIEP has provided suggested minimum rates. A fixed price quotation is usually given for a piece of work, but a rate per hour, or per thousand words, etc, can be calculated if required.

Please contact me for a quote or to discuss your requirements. To enable a quote to be returned to you quickly, please send a representative sample of the text (e.g. 1000–2000 words or the first chapter) and state the total word count of the entire document.

Payment is usually requested in GBP by bank transfer. Other methods of payment may occasionally be agreed prior to work commencing.

It’s easy! Please use my contact form.