Proofreading
A basic service that checks your grammar, spelling and punctuation. For example, have you inserted a semi-colon where a colon should be used? Have you remembered to put a question mark at the end of the sentence? Are your quotation marks in the right place? A standard length novel of about 80,000 words can be completed in about 7 working days.
Copy editing
Includes all of the above but goes a step further - suggestions for better wording of a sentence; improvements to formatting of dialogue; notification of repetition of ‘favourite’ words or phrases. A standard length novel of about 80,000 words can be copy edited in 14-21 days.
Book editing
As a standalone service, it treats the whole document as a work in progress - suggestions for character development, tightening up scenes, inconsistencies in plot or character, re-ordering of events, etc. While it may not appear as detailed as proofreading or copyediting, it involves a greater amount of ‘big-picture’ thinking. (It can include the two services above at an agreed cost.)
Copywriting
Writing to a brief - for example, advertising copy, website copy, brochures, online learning. It can include working on existing copy as a starting point for development. This is costed and timed on a per project basis.
