Simple and personal, start to finish
How we'll work together
Getting your work professionally edited shouldn’t be complicated. You tell me about your project and I give you a price. I do the editing myself, with every change tracked and every suggestion explained, so nothing happens to your writing that you can’t see. Then your work comes back to you, polished and ready, and I’m here afterwards if you have questions.
After 25+ years, I still handle every project myself, with no account managers and no handoffs.
From the first message to finished work
Here’s exactly what happens, from the moment you get in touch to the day your work comes back.
1. Tell me about your project
Start with the quote form for an instant price, or get in touch with any questions. There’s no obligation, and you’ll always hear back from me directly.
2. We agree the details
Before we start, I’ll confirm the title and topic, the type of editing you need, your deadline, and any special instructions. You send me your document, I confirm the price, and I send an invoice for the amount we’ve agreed.
3. I edit your work
I do the editing and proofreading myself. I track every change in Word so you can see exactly what I’ve done, and I use comments to ask questions and offer advice as I go. Then I read the whole thing a second time, so nothing slips through.
4. You get your work back
You get two versions of your document: a tracked copy showing every change, and a clean copy with the changes accepted so you can see the finished result. Both carry the same comments and questions. If you work in Google Docs instead, you can follow everything through the version history.
I don’t disappear when the work comes back
If you change your writing in response to my comments and questions, send it back and I’ll re-edit those parts at no extra cost. That’s one extra pass over your changes, so the sections you’ve reworked get the same careful read as the rest.
And if anything I’ve flagged leaves you with a question, just ask. I’ll explain what I meant and talk it through with you. I want you to finish with work you’re confident in, not just a file full of tracked changes.
Ready to see what your project will cost?
Questions you might have
Before we start, here are answers to the questions most people have, from file formats and confidentiality to how payment works. If yours isn’t here, just ask.
What format should I send my work in, and what do I get back?
Word is easiest, and it’s what most clients use. I edit with track changes on, so you can see every change I make, and I send back two versions: a tracked copy showing all the edits, and a clean copy with the changes accepted so you can read the finished result. Both carry the same comments and questions. If you’d rather work in Google Docs, give me edit access and you can follow everything through the version history.
Will you rewrite my work or change what I’m saying?
No. I edit and proofread writing you’ve already produced. I’m not a ghostwriter, so I won’t write or create content from scratch, and I’m not a developmental editor reshaping your structure or your argument. My job is to make your existing writing clearer and more consistent while keeping your voice and your meaning intact. The thinking stays yours, and I make sure it reads as well as it deserves to.
Do you check my facts and sources?
No, and that’s an important boundary. I edit the writing, not the accuracy of what it says. The accuracy of your facts and sources stays yours to stand behind, and I won’t verify them or confirm that your work meets any professional or legal standard. If something reads as though it might be an error, I’ll flag it with a comment so you can check it, but the final word is always yours.
Can you follow my style guide?
Yes. I work to whichever standard your field or publisher uses, whether that’s APA, Chicago, MLA, Harvard, Vancouver, AMA, or your own house or department guide. If you don’t have a set style, I’ll apply a clean, consistent standard and hold it the whole way through. Consistency is a large part of what good editing is, so this is where a lot of the value sits.
Is my work kept confidential?
Yes, always. I treat everything you send me as private, and I don’t share or reuse your writing. A lot of what I edit is unpublished, and I’m used to handling work that hasn’t been released yet. If you’d like a signed NDA before you send anything over, just ask and I’ll be glad to sign one.
How long will it take?
It depends on the length of your work and how involved the edit is, and I’ll always agree a deadline with you before we start, so you know exactly when to expect it back. If you’re working to a fixed date, tell me up front and I’ll let you know honestly whether I can meet it. I’d rather turn a deadline down than rush your work and let the quality slip.
How and when do I pay?
Once we’ve agreed the price, I’ll send you an invoice for the amount we settled on. For new clients, I ask for payment in full before I start, so everything’s clear and I can focus on your work. The price only changes if the work does, for example if there are more words than we agreed or you ask me to take on something we hadn’t planned, and I’ll always talk that through with you first rather than add anything by surprise.
Ready when you are
However big or small your project, the process is the same: you tell me what you need, and I take care of the rest. If you have a piece of work that's ready for a careful edit, I'd love to hear about it.