What are your hours of operation? Do you work over the weekend?

My hours are Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm excluding Public Holidays. You can email me, contact me via my contact me page, or message me via Facebook or LinkedIn anytime, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able. For a face-to-face meeting, other times MAY be available.

What’s the difference between proofreading and editing?

I offer both copy editing and proofreading services.

Copy editing is a comprehensive service. Copy editing catches surface errors, improves the language, word choice, sentence structure and expression, grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Proofreading is the final check before publishing. It checks page proofs for surface errors were missed during copy editing, the layout, check that no errors were introduced during the formatting process (end of line hypens quite often get messed up here), etc.

For more information on the differences, please check out my blog post or click here for more information about the various services.

Some clients ask whether they need copy editing AND proofreading. It depends on your publishing goals. Are you writing an ebook your business is going to be selling to the public? Then it needs both. Is your content to be published your website? You would only need a copy edit. If you are unsure which service/s you may need, get in touch.

What methods of payment do you accept?

I accept PayPal, Direct Debit into my business account, cash, bank cheque or money order. If you wish to make payment by another method, or need further information, please contact me.

What currency are your prices based on?

My prices are based on Australian dollars (AUD).

Do I pay upfront?

Depending on the size of the project. If it is a small project, I will require upfront payment for my services. However, for larger projects, you will need to pay half upfront and half before the work is returned.

What files do you work with?

I edit Microsoft Word files using the ‘track changes’ function. That way, you retain creative control over your work, with any changes clearly visible and comments made in the margin.

I can also edit PDF files on request, where I use ‘sticky notes’ in place of track changes.

How do I send my document to you?

The preferred way is via email as a Word document (.DOC and DOCX) or as a PDF.

All documents must be in English.

What will I receive from you?

If you supplied a Microsoft Word document to me, you would receive two documents from me. One will have all the changes I suggest clearly visible in the body of the text, and any comments made in the margin where appropriate. The other document is a ‘clean copy’ with changes already incorporated. However, I always encourage you to review the changes.

What if I am unhappy with a service?

I have developed a quality assurance process to ensure client satisfaction. However, if you feel that I have not delivered a high level of service, I will review the work performed and, if necessary, re-edit the document at no extra cost.

Will you respect the confidentiality of my work?

Of course! I have a Privacy Policy that I have developed and adhere to, to help guarantee client confidentiality. I am happy to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon request. You can read my code of ethics here.

Can you format my manuscript?

Yes, I can. I offer basic manuscript formatting (SMF) if required. As this requires extra time, this will cost extra.

Can you format my manuscript for publication as an ebook?

Yes, I can. I can prepare/format your manuscript for conversion to an ebook, but I am unable to perform the actual conversion to ebook at this stage.

Can you write my essay, assignment or thesis for me?

No. The content of your academic document is your responsibility. I will not write any academic work for students. It is important to understand that handing in work that you claim is your own, when it was in fact written by someone else, is plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious offence and can result in you receiving a failing grade or being expelled from your school or university. I will not edit plagiarised content either. Academic integrity is very important to me. I am a professional, quality editing service. This means that I follow all school and university guidelines regarding editing in order to protect the students who use my service.

Are you available as a ghost writer or to write my autobiography?

At this stage, I do not offer these services, but I may in the future.

I’ve found a cheaper website. Why should I choose you?

I believe that I offer more value for money. And remember the saying, ‘you get what you pay for’.

I offer a personalised one-on-one service. I understand that there are other editing and proofreading businesses out there, and each of them will be suited to different people and for different purposes. All I can tell you is that I will always be honest, and I will always do my very best to help with your individual needs.

I will not rush the process of editing or proofreading your document to meet an unreasonable due date. I hate errors, hence why I do what I do!

We will have a discussion first (either via phone or email) to determine exactly what you want/need. If either of us don’t feel we can work together, or if I am able to help you sufficiently, then I will recommend you find another that may be more suitable.

Please do not hesitate to contact me to discuss.

How do I find my word count?

To find out your word count in Microsoft Word look to the lower left-hand side of your screen. The word count is the number next to ‘Words’.

If you want your footnotes, references and bibliography edited, you must include these in your word count (i.e. you must use the word count for your entire document). To do this, click on ‘Words’ and in the pop-up box tick ‘include footnotes and endnotes’.

I’m wary of online businesses. Is it safe to use your service?

Yes. It is completely safe to use my services and my website. I am a registered Australian business (ABN 23407740763), I uphold the code of ethics as set out by the IPEd (Institute of Professional Editors Limited Australia), and as my site is a paid site, it comes with WordPress SSL security as part of the Jetpack package.

Will anyone else know I’m using your service, or be able to see my document?

All of your details and documents are kept strictly confidential and are not shown to anyone else. As I don’t use an automated service to upload your documents via my website, there is no risk of it being accessed via that channel. I normally keep copies of my edited documents for back-up purposes via Microsoft OneDrive, but after you have received your edited document, you can request that I delete all your files if you wish.