For sentences that are correct and still hard to read
Proofreading finds what is wrong. Copy editing addresses what is unclear: sentences that take three clauses to say one thing, a term that changes name between chapters, a register that drifts. It is the level most academic work actually needs.
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The same paragraph, at two different levels
A proofread fixes errors and leaves the structure of the sentence alone. A copy edit rebuilds the sentence so it does its job. On academic drafts that difference is usually the difference between a document that is accurate and one that is readable.
Most of the work is subtraction. Academic drafts accumulate hedging, throat-clearing and nominalized phrases that turn actions into nouns. Removing them typically shortens a document by ten to fifteen per cent without losing anything, and the argument gets easier to follow.
The rest is consistency. Over a long document written across months, terminology drifts, tense shifts, and the same construct acquires three names. None of that is visible while writing and all of it is visible to a grader.
- Wordiness and hedging reduced to what the claim needs
- One name per concept, applied across the whole document
- Register kept consistent and appropriately formal
- Every change tracked, with the reason written beside it
What you get back
Usually within two to five days, depending on length
- Your document with tracked changes you accept or reject individually
- A reason written beside each change, not just the change
- Comments where the issue is your argument rather than your prose
- A short summary of the patterns that recurred
- One round of follow-up questions at no extra cost
We edit what you wrote
- We do not write content, sections or paragraphs for you.
- We do not change your argument, your findings or your conclusions.
- We do not add citations or sources to your work.
- We do not rewrite so heavily that the work stops being yours.
- Every change is tracked, explained and yours to reject.
Many institutions permit copy editing and require it to be declared, and some limit what an editor may change. Check your policy and tell us what it says, and we will work inside it. Read the full policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Proofreading is a final check for errors: spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting. Copy editing also addresses clarity, wordiness, repetition, consistency and register. Copy editing changes sentences that are correct but not clear, which proofreading leaves alone.
Yes. Copy editing works on how clearly your meaning comes through, not on replacing your voice with a house style. Where a change is substantial we raise it as a comment rather than making it, so the decision stays yours.
From $0.04 per word. The exact figure depends on the state of the draft and the turnaround you need, and you get it after we have seen a sample, before anything is booked.
Usually two to five days depending on length. Faster is possible and costs more, because it displaces other scheduled work. Sending it earlier is the cheapest way to reduce the price.
Yes, and we would rather you sent it to us. Policies differ on what an editor may change, and working inside a stated policy is straightforward once we know what it says.
Reject it. Everything comes back as tracked changes and nothing is applied until you accept it. If a change looks wrong, the reason beside it usually explains the intent, and you can ask about any of them.
Send a sample and see what the editing looks like
We will edit a section and return it, so you can see exactly what changes and why, before committing to the whole document.
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