Proofreading/copy-editing

Having a second pair of eyes look over your work is invaluable - especially as that person is a professional trained to find mistakes and improve the overall meaning and flow of your document/s.

We keep our procedure simple. Clients email us their document/s. We return two documents to the client - a 'final' document and a 'marked' version.

The client can go through the marked version at their leisure. We work with virtually all file types, including PDF.

All documents are treated as confidential, and a non-disclosure agreement is optional.

We have experience with many document types, ranging from legal, medical, marketing, research and ESL materials, to student dissertations/theses and books.  

What is the difference between proofreading and copy-editing: which service do I need?                                                                                                                                            

Proofreading: a simple overview

• Essentially, a proofreader fixes any errors that remain after the work has already been edited. Proofreaders will not re-edit the work. They will fix incorrect spelling, punctuation usage and typographical errors; ensure consistency (particularly of alternative spellings and hyphenation usage); and will query ambiguous grammar but will not restructure it or rewrite it. This option is for you if you have a very good grasp of English fundamentals and really just need someone to check the small details and to provide the 'polish'.
• A proofreader will check that page numbers are correct and that section titles are matched to the contents page and appear in a consistent style (e.g. all in titlecase; or main headings in title case and sub-headings in sentence case).
• A proofreader will point out whether figures and tables do not accord with references in the text.

• Essentially, a copy-editor makes sure that an author's raw text, or copy, is correct in terms of spelling and grammar and is easy to read so that readers can grasp his or her ideas. This option is for you if your grasp of English fundamentals is reasonably good but you need someone to make sure that you are communicating your ideas effectively, as well as to check the small details.
• A copy-editor corrects errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and usage.
• A copy-editor will ensure that appropriate word choices are used and will rewrite things that are unclear and/or restructure long sentences with little punctuation.
• A copy-editor ensures consistency of tenses and removes unnecessary changes between the first and the third person.