Questions and Answers
Q. I have a spell checker on my computer. Why do I need your services?
A. The people reading your work know the difference between “weather” and “whether”, “principal” and “principle”, but your spell checker doesn’t. A properly proofed/edited/formatted document protects your reputation and promotes a professional image – qualities for which no-one should rely solely on their (or is it “there” or “they’re”) spell checker.
Q. Can’t I proofread my copy myself?
A. Unfortunately for all of us, proofreading our own work can be very difficult, and in some cases, pointless. This is because the same mental processes that went into composition are the ones you will use to correct your work. However, when a proofreader examines your work the fresh eyes and impartial knowledge of English result in a prime editing environment. This is the only sure way to guarantee the grammatical accuracy of your work.
Q. What is the difference between proofreading and copyediting?
A. Proofreading is the examining of text to check for spelling errors, grammatical errors, punctuation errors, lack of consistency (fonts, spacing, usage of bold, italics, underscore etc). It does not include re-writing or changing the way you have written your document. Copyediting is a more in-depth process, which involves all the proofreading features, as well as examining and adjusting the structural organization of the text if and when necessary. Basically, proofreading examines the trees, while editing looks at the whole forest.
Q. Is there a minimum number of words or pages that you accept for a job?
A. No, we accept jobs of any size.
Q. Do you accept international assignments?
A. Yes! Our rates are in Australian dollars, but we receive from, and send to, anywhere in the world. We also accept payment via PayPal, making it safe, convenient and easy for international customers to pay our fees by credit card.
Q. How do I pay you?
A. Most of our work comes from repeat customers, so we have found most of our customers prefer to operate on an account basis. For new customers we require payment in advance, although we accept Australia Post money orders, Australian cheques and direct funds transfer (including by international wire transfer). We also accept PayPal, meaning credit cards can be used safely, conveniently and easily to pay our fees.
Q. How can I be certain that you will do a good job?
A. All members of our team have significant practical experience, as well as academic qualifications. Some are from an educational background in the Communication and English areas, and some are from a business background, providing both academic and business levels of expertise. We ensure that your document is assigned to the professional best suited to your work. Don’t forget that our work is fully guaranteed.
Q. I am a little nervous about sending you some work for editing, as the document is highly confidential. How can I overcome this concern?
A. Confidentiality of any intellectual property is taken very seriously, as our business depends on it and we want an ongoing relationship with you. To help reassure you of this aspect, please view our Privacy Policy.
Q. What do you mean by “personal service”?
A. You are not merely a reference number to us. In order for your work to be completed to both your and our satisfaction, we need to work together. In the first instance your work is directed to our co-ordinator, who determines the requirements of the job. He/she will then liaise with you on the price of the work, and clarify any vague points. Once you order the work to go ahead, the co-ordinator passes the job to the proofreader/editor whose skills best match your requirements. You will be emailed during the process if any further information or clarification is required.
Q. Why do you need to see my job before providing a price?
A. The arrangement of providing such a service needs to be fair for both of us. We need to assess the amount of work your job requires in order to offer you a fair and competitive price. If you have a lengthy document, we need see only 20% of the text in order to calculate the price of your work.
Q. Will I be charged for proofreading or editing?
A. This is why we need to see your document, or at least portion of it – so that we know whether we will be solely proofreading, or proofreading as well as editing. Some of our competitors offer proofreading at a seemingly low price in order to secure business, and then charge an unexpected additional fee for editing. We don’t believe this to be “good business”, and would prefer that our credibility remains intact with an initial quote that is firm for 30 days. We both then know where we stand before the job is commenced.
Q. I am not very good with page layouts and choosing fonts, etc. Can you help?
A. Certainly. View our Formatting and Presentation and Copywriting and Copyediting pages for details. We can ensure that your work is properly organised and professionally presented.
Q. I am about to write a training marketing program and need clarification on where you could help. Although I am happy with my effort, I want this document to “dazzle”. How could you help?
A. We recognise that you are the technical expert in this field, so would not want to change the character nor feel of your work. Our strength and focus would be on ensuring that your document was letter perfect, and successfully communicated your intent.
Q. What email address should I provide when I submit my work for editing?
A. We prefer private ISP addresses because they are more secure and efficient for the service we provide. If you have not used our service before, we understand your concerns about being spammed. However, we assure you that as a pure service provider we will never disclose your address details to anyone and we will take all care to keep it secure. Please click on our Privacy Policy link for details.
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| Eopal |
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“We have found their services invaluable, with excellent responsiveness, quality and value for money...”
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| Acegi Technology |
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“The dedicated personal attention they have given to each and every one of our projects is tremendous...”
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| Jenelle, Belmont NSW |
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“I am delighted by the strong response I received...”
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Ready to take the next step? Submit your document for an obligation free quotation.
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