If you have any questions that are not answered here please contact me.


There are several different stages of editing and you need to understand exactly what you're looking for. Here I have explained the differences between the main stages, in the order in which they should take place.

Developmental Editing
This is the earliest stage of editing and addresses the broad issues of structure, theme, audience, plot and characterisation. A developmental editor will also consider timelines, scenes, language and tone.

Copyediting
Once you're satisfied with your overall manuscript, it is time to move to copyediting. This focusses on improving your writing by ensuring there is a consistent, accurate presentation throughout and that the text flows. Additionally, errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation will be corrected. It can also include reference-checking, making sure that figures and images are in the right place, and that hyperlinks work. It can be particularly useful if English is not your first language.

Proofreading
Proofreading is a final check on your document before it is published. This service picks up any last typographical errors and formatting issues.


If you are unsure please contact me. I will work with you to determine what would be most suitable based on your manuscript and budget.

When you are checking your own writing, it is easy to read what you thought you wrote and not what you actually wrote. As an independent reader, an editor will catch those little mistakes that won't be picked up by automatic spell checkers.

An editor will spot awkward sentence construction, discrepancies in documents and, importantly, will know how to fix them. A good editor will help you enhance your work without taking away your individual voice.

I can work in either Word (using tracked changes) or pdf (using the Adobe comment tools). If you are using Overleaf for a LaTeX document I can work in that if you give me editing rights to your project file.

Files and all personal data are stored on my hard drive or on a password protected Cloud account.

A style sheet is a record of the style decisions that you’ve made while producing your text, and the style decisions I have made while editing it. Use of a style sheet is a simple way of ensuring consistency throughout a piece of writing.

I accept payment by bank transfer to my USA business bank account. If you are a UK (eurozone) client, I can quote in British pounds and accept payment to a UK (euros) bank account; please let me know if you want this service before I quote.