Content/line editing

“I have made this [letter] longer, because I have not had the time to make it shorter.”
— Blaise Pascal, French mathematician and philosopher

We check out the forest and the trees in your writing, making sure the overall product is well organized and meets intended objectives while also going line-by-line to ensure that it meets the highest standards for clarity, style and tone. This attention to detail includes examining the content’s use of sources, making sure points and conclusions are well supported and documented, and eliminating repetitive ideas or language.

Copy editing

“Language is more fashion than science, and matters of usage, spelling and pronunciation tend to wander around like hemlines.”
— Bill Bryson, author

We correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, word choice, sentence structure, and verb tense, all with an eye toward maintaining clarity of content and consistency in style.

Proofreading

“Good proofreading shows your reader that you take pride in your work; sloppy proofreading shows that you don’t care much about your work. Your instructors generally respond accordingly.”
— Handout from an instructor at Chabot College in Hayward, Calif.

Before sending the final version to the printer, we give it that all-important final once-over, hunting down typographical errors, incorrect punctuation, spelling errors and inconsistencies in style. We’ll also go over typeset proofs in search of ways to improve the look of the product by fixing such quirks as widows and orphans.

Research

“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, author

We’ll hit the library and/or the Internet to help find just the right statistics, surveys, quotes, comments and background to support your writing project.