Skilled editing can dramatically improve any document’s presentation. Compelling arguments and brilliant ideas aren’t worth much if they’re not getting through to your readers, obscured by poor structure or illogical flow.
Scope of Editing Depends on Your Needs
Editing services and pricing vary depending on the assistance you need or request. Some editing levels are quick, superficial and easy, while others are more involved and substantive. The editing time and effort required depends on the editing level. The main editing types are:
Proofreading Even capable writers often overlook mistakes, inaccuracies, and "typos" in their own work, especially overworked business operators. Our professional proofreading service ensures that your documents are accurate and error-free. It's as easy as sending an email. On receiving your document, we quickly review, make suggested revisions, and return. Pretty simple.
Proofreading is the simplest form of editing, and is limited to catching and removing cosmetic and surface language, spelling, and punctuation errors, and correcting line and page breaks. Proofreading is typically the last step in the writing/editing process—a final run through after other revisions and editing is complete. It is not comprehensive or substantive and doesn’t involve reworking text, improving layout, or rearranging content. This service is often used to check page proofs received from the printer.
Copyediting
Copyediting assumes the content is set and aims to improve style, formatting, and accuracy, while ensuring content consistency, an appropriate style and flow, and correct grammar. Copyediting can be light, medium, or heavy.
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Light copyediting includes punctuation, verifying accuracy and addressing most grammatical issues.
- Medium copyediting is more thorough, like correcting flow, reworking text, ensuring appropriate word choice, and rephrasing awkward sentences, maximizing clarity, removing unnecessary words.
- Heavy copyediting often includes restructuring some paragraphs, eliminating redundant, unnecessary or inconsistent material, or aggressively improving style, flow, and grammar.
Copyediting your text includes checking and correcting grammar errors, correcting all spelling errors, correcting all punctuation errors, ensuring a consistent style and well-organized textual structure free of unnecessary words. Copyediting does not include writing development (apart from ensuring consistent structure and clarity), rewriting, ghostwriting, or text critique or evaluation.
Content Editing
This is an intensive, substantive editing process that, in addition to standard copyediting tasks, can include writing and placing important additional content, and rewriting existing content, and in-depth changes in the following areas:
- Sentence and paragraph structure
- Organization and cohesion
- Development and impact
Editing-Related Articles:
If you want to improve your business writing, we recommend these articles:
Ampersand Usage: And or "&"?—Business Writers' Blog. This article is a useful "how-to" guide detailing the when and why of using the ampersand in place of the word "and," and the exceptions to the general rule. The article allows business writers to clear up common confusion about when each form is appropriate.
Em Dash, En Dash, or Hyphen (Dash)?—Business Writers' Blog. Not too many business writers really have a grasp on when each of these dash forms is used, how they differ, or why it matters. This article explains these dash types and allows you to straighten your writer's hat.
Hyphenating Phrasal Adjectives—Business Writers' Blog. This article is a succinct "how-to" guide detailing the how and why of using hyphens in compound adjectives, and the various key exceptions to the general rule. The article allows any business writer to get this sometimes-vexing style issue right all the time.
Punctuation of Bullet Lists—Business Writers' Blog. This article allows any writer to properly punctuate bullet lists, which is good since very few business writers have a clue about this mundane but important style issue, much less consistently get it right. With examples to help you see, the article will definitely improve your writing reputation.
Is Bad Grammar Hurting Your Business?—Business Writers' Blog. Employees and associates with subpar grammar skills are bad for business and for the bottom line. This article explains the nature of this pervasive problem and what to watch out for.
Hubpages.com—Plain-English-Writing-Rules. This page is a great compilation on Plain English writing concepts and ideas that well illustrates the importance of plain English as writing discipline.
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