Before I Start...

These are the things I need to know or assess before I start work on a project:

• The type of text (e.g., CV, blog post, newsletter, website content, novel).
• The total word count (excluding the main title but including all headings and subheadings).
• The language (e.g., British English with -ise/-ize spellings, American English, or other).
• The target audience and/or the purpose of the text.
• Your main concern(s) (e.g., native-like fluency, SPaG, structure).
• Your service expectations, preferences, and needs (e.g., proofread, copyedit).

These are the things we’ll agree on before I start work on a project:

• The timeline.
• The price – see my ‘Services’ page for more information on this.

I will often ask to see an excerpt of (or the full) text before I start work on a project.

Track Changes

I am highly proficient with Microsoft Word and usually use its ‘Track Changes’ feature to edit your document. This way, you can see all my individual changes. I will also add comments to provide more context on certain decisions I have made, make insightful suggestions as to how you might improve upon your work, and ask any questions that I may have about the content. I often, but not always, provide a separate overflow document I call a 'feedback report' that contains more information, suggestions, and queries so that your document is not flooded with an excess of words! I am also able to provide an editorial style sheet as well as a code sheet for a typesetter if needed.

I will often provide two documents:

1. the original piece of work with all my corrections suggested using Track Changes, allowing you to implement them as you please; and
2. the edited piece of work with all my corrections implemented, so you can see the final result of my work easily.

I am also professionally trained in markup tools for PDFs and very familiar with the ‘Suggesting’ mode in Google Docs.

Revisions

Depending on the project, I often offer at least one revision. That is, you can send your text back to me and I can carry out another round of copyediting or proofreading. This is to ensure your utmost satisfaction with my service and confidence in your work. Often clients will have a round of copyediting and then a round of proofreading later on once they have implemented the changes they would like to make.