Proofreading
Ideal for those writers with a strong command of the English language, confident in their subject matter and believe their copy is ready for publishing. I will:
- Correct any typographical errors, such as spelling, grammar, punctuation, capitalisation, font face inconsistencies, or unnecessary whitespace.
- Ensure consistency of format, while leaving the writing style and tone of voice intact, making changes only where necessary.
- Make sure the document structure is correct, including table of contents, indices, page numbers, etc.
- Check the page layout for inconsistencies in items like images, graphs, captions, and footnotes.
Copyediting
If you manage a team of writers with distinct voices, are less confident in your writing style, or feel your copy is not quite ready for publication at this stage, this is for you! I will not only perform all the tasks as listed in the proofreading service above, but also:
- Suggest amendments or removals for clarity, overuse of jargon, language which may offend or discussion of subjects that are inappropriate for your publication.
- Ensure the structure is clear, logical and flows well.
- Suggest rewrites in case of wordiness, or inconsistencies in tone of voice and writing style.
- Fully check all facts, including names, titles, websites, companies, dates, measurements, conversions and other data.
Copywriting
I also write! While my specialist subject is Information Technology (IT) due to my 13 years' industry experience, I have written content on a wide range of topics such as lifestyle, health & wellbeing, recruitment, finance and more. If you are an editor of a web or print publication in need of an experienced writer with a thorough eye for detail and an engaging style, please get in touch! I will:
- Absorb and understand your brief quickly, clarifying in a timely manner any aspects of which I am unsure.
- Strive to write with the same tone of voice and style as your publication, if required.
- Ensure I fully research and understand the subject in question and thoroughly check all facts.
- Give you peace of mind by making changes to or rewriting aspects of the piece you are unhappy with at no additional charge (within reason!)
I do everything on-screen, which means you are not charged for printing costs and helping in a small way to tackle deforestation.
Whichever service you choose, you can be sure I will never change anything without your agreement. I am comfortable using either Adobe Acrobat Reader DC and its various markup tools, or the Track Changes feature in Microsoft Word to ensure a full audit trail of my work, and you will always have the final say!
I have been formally trained and recognised by the CIEP at an intermediate level, so you can rest assured that my work is of a very high standard.
You may be wondering why I have no prices on this page, and it's a good question. Because there is significant overlap between the proofreading, copyediting, developmental editing and copywriting disciplines, I do not provide a “one size fits all” boilerplate quote for anyone. I listen to each client's needs and provide a tailored quote to their exact specifications.
However, if you want a ballpark figure for hourly rates you can see the CIEP's suggested minimum rates here, as I do not deviate too much from this.
