Services

While primarily focussed on editing and proofreading, I enjoy varying my work with research, layout, typesetting, design and indexing. My services on offer are described below.

At the start of any project, I discuss with the client the type and degree of work they would like me to do, the methods of working and communication they prefer, and estimated costs.

Please get in touch if you would like to know more, or to see examples of my work.

Editing and proofreading

I can line-edit, copy-edit or proofread your text.

How much editing or proofreading a text needs will always vary, this depending partly on the complexity of the writing but mainly on the previous experience of the author. I mostly use Microsoft Word’s track changes for editing and proofreading so that the writer can see clearly the edits I’ve made.

People often use the term ‘proofreading’ when they actually need something more intensive, like ‘copy-editing’, and similarly use ‘copy-editing’ when the level of input they are looking for is deeper still, more like ‘line-editing’. These types of editing are usually undertaken in the following order, and ideally by different people.

Line-editing is a deep edit that looks at clarity, tone and structure from sentence level right up to the overall structure of a book, often with a significant amount of back-and-forth communication with the author. It aims to make a text coherent, powerful and factually and conceptually correct. As this can be labour intensive, line-editing is generally less concerned with aspects such as consistency of spelling or stylistic conventions.

Copy-editing comes next and also edits for clarity, although less intensively than a line-edit does. Copy-editing is mainly concerned with correct grammar, punctuation and spelling, as well as with the consistency of stylistic conventions, often with reference to an industry or publisher’s style guide.

Proofreading is for picking up final mistakes, typos and inconsistencies. It assumes that a text has already been copy-edited and will have relatively few mistakes remaining, with mostly consistent styling throughout. It is still essential, however, and is just as skilled as copy-editing or line-editing. In the later stages of a book’s production, after typesetting and layout have been completed, proofreading is often marked on a printed proof using British Standards Institution (BSI) proofreading marks.

In terms of style, my preference lies with Hart’s Rules, but I am proficient and comfortable editing to any other style.

Research

Efficient in the use of academic libraries, databases and journals, as well as in online research, I can assist with research of many kinds. I am based in London and can travel if needed.

Design

I can compose a book design that is easy and satisfying to read and with an aesthetic that suits its content, encompassing its dimensions, style guide, cover and any other necessary elements. In addition to designs for prose, I can present large amounts of complex information in attractive, logical and readable formats, whether this demands extensive tables, large family trees or intricate map drawing. The software I use for this work includes InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Quark.

If an aspect of a book requires techniques that lie outside of my experience, I am able to source workers with the relevant skills.

Layout and typesetting

I can do the typesetting and layout work required to take a book from its manuscript all the way to a printable file. These stages begin once the majority of editing has been completed and the design of the inside of the book has been decided.

Typesetting refers to pouring a manuscript into a book design, most often using a programme called InDesign, and then formatting the text correctly and consistently throughout. This requires careful reference to a design guide, as well as to instructions from previous stages of copy-editing or proofreading. It also involves meticulously avoiding areas of text in which words become crammed together on a line, become too spaced out, or leave widows or orphans at the top or bottom of a page.

Working on a book’s layout can often overlap with both design and typesetting. It entails carefully adding images, diagrams and other elements in the right places and at the right shapes and sizes. It can also involve making sure that any images to be inserted in the book have an adequate resolution and are correctly processed.

When the typesetting and layout are properly in place, and the book has been proofread perhaps several times more, a high-quality file is prepared which meets the various requirements of the printing company.

These stages of production are complex and technical. When they’re done well, they make a significant difference to how a book looks and feels.