Take your writing to new heights
Once your work is written, we can take a comprehensive, detail-oriented approach to editing it, pointing out strengths and weaknesses and suggesting specific improvements — in idea development, organization, style consistency, narrative flow, word choice, and other aspects of writing to make your work compelling and valuable to your audience.
When we copy edit, we focus primarily on the details of your work. When we engage in a substantive edit (which includes copy editing), we also look at the big picture.
We usually use The Chicago Manual of Style or The Associated Press Stylebook and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, but we can use other guides on request.
As with all of our editing services, we make sure that we retain your voice while bringing out the flair and professionalism in your writing.
IN ADDITION TO COPY EDITING, SUBSTANTIVE EDITING INCLUDES MAKING SURE THAT:
- Your ideas are developed clearly and logically and are expressed persuasively
- Your words, sentences, paragraphs, and elements flow smoothly
- You’ve written everything you need to get your point across to the reader
- Your style (voice) is consistent and appropriate to your intended audience
- Your writing is not wordy, redundant, repetitive, ambiguous, or passive
- Your sentences are not overly complex – the writing is concise and to the point
- Your titles and subheads are strong, purposeful, and exhibit a logical, parallel structure
- The work is organized optimally – all elements are in the right order
- Your use of jargon or technical terms is appropriate for your intended audience
- You don’t come across as self-serving
- The words you use are the best words for the point you’re trying to make
- Your work is formatted appropriately
- Element titles, headings, and subheads are accurate and consistent
- Previews and summaries accurately reflect the content
- Your tables are optimized – organized in the best way to communicate the information to the reader
- Obvious errors of fact are noted and corrections are suggested