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Which service?

Help for writers

Which service should I choose to help me get my work into good shape for submission or self-publishing?

Which service do you want? Our editorial services have been added in response to demand, so whatever you want we've probably got it covered with our 22 different services.

A more detailed version of this page is also available - Choosing a serviceThere's also a list of our 22 Services for Writers - the biggest range on the web - and Services for Self-publishers which provides more detail on what self-publishers need.

Do I need a report?

If you are serious about getting your work published, then it is worth considering commissioning a report in the first instance.  If possible, go for an Editor’s Report, as this will give you more substantial feedback and a fuller framework for further work.

If you want more help than this, then it’s worth considering having the longer and even more substantial Editor's Report Plus, our top and most popular report, which will give you a more detailed chapter-by chapter commentary as part of the report.

There's also our shorter and cheaper Reader's Report.

Our Children's Editorial Services include a range of reports and editing from our specialist children's editors.

Authors frequently come back to us for further reports, sometimes a number of times, after they have done another draft. In effect they are using our editors to help them rework and get their work ready for submission or publication. If you are planning to self-publish, it's especially worth getting your manuscript into the best shape you can before going ahead.

What about a Submission Critique?

Once the manuscript is in good shape, you will need to put together your submission package and it may be worth considering having a Submission Critique to make sure that you have presented your work in the best possible light before you send it off to agents and publishers. It is very important to get your submission letter right and the synopsis is also a key element of your submission. This page gives help with putting together your Submission Package.

Bear in mind though that the Submission Critique can only comment on the material presented, so if the manuscript as a whole needs more work it may be worth thinking about having a report done on it first.

If you have problems with producing your synopsis, it may be worth considering our Synopsis-writing service.

Should I get my work Copy edited?

If you are self-publishing, we strongly advise getting your manuscript copy edited before you go ahead. Our Copy editing is carried out by skilled professional editors. We offer 6 Copy editing services.

Your publisher should take on the task of copy editing, as part of preparing your work for publication. However, if you know you have difficulties with getting punctuation, spelling and grammar right, you can give your work a better chance of finding an agent or publisher by paying to have it copy edited before you start submitting it.

If you are preparing your PhD for submission, our PhD editing service can help.

Do I need Copy editing or Proof-reading?

There is some confusion about the difference between and copy editing and proof-reading. Copy editing is the initial work of preparing a manuscript for publication, and includes correcting spelling, punctuation and grammar. Proof-reading is the final stage of checking that any corrections have been made and that the work is ready to be printed.

What about Rewriting and Manuscript polishing?

If you want an element of reworking for your manuscript, then this will probably come under Rewriting and we will need first of all to assess what needs doing and how much time it will take. If you feel you need a bit more than copy editing, then we can polish your work to improve it. We call this service Manuscript Polishing and it involves both polishing and copy editing to get the material into good shape.

What can you offer if I'm looking for line-editing?

The Writer's Edit is a top-level new service for writers who want line-editing as well as copy editing. This might be right for you if you think your manuscript needs high-level input from an editor to help you get it into shape for submission or self-publishing.

What if I'm an author writing in English but it's not my native language?

Our English Language Editing service can polish and improve your manuscript to get it ready for publication or submission. If you have written it in English, but this is not your native language, you may need help with getting it to a publishable standard. If your English is good enough, what about translating your book yourself, and then getting your translation polished and copy edited by a professional editor who is a native English speaker? This could be a cost-effective way of reaching the international English-speaking market. If you have a translation but it's not good enough, we can help with that too. How to get your book translated into English (without it costing the earth).

What if my book needs cutting but I don't know how to go about this?

So you have finished your book, but it is too long; how do you go about reducing the word count without losing important parts of your work? Our experienced editors will work with you to reduce the word count of your book while preserving the main narrative elements and your individual style. Our new Cutting Edit service.

Can you help me with Developmental editing?

Our Developmental edit is specifically designed to help you bring your writing to the next level. Our experienced team of editors will guide and support you, helping you to grow as a writer, as you take your book project from draft manuscript to finished product.

What if I’m a self-publisher?

We would recommend that self-publishers take just as much care with their work as writers who are trying to get a publisher to take it on. This may mean getting a report and doing some further work on your manuscript.

If you’re ready to go ahead though we would strongly recommend having your work copy edited first, to make sure that errors in the published version of your book do not let you down.  Copy editing is a skilled task and it is very difficult to spot your own errors.

You may find it useful to use our new Blurb-writing service, which will help you prepare your book for self-publishing by providing a professional piece of cover copy.

Also available is is Indexing, which will get your non-fiction book ready for publication.

Are you a poet?

Our Poetry Critique service can report on your work. Our unique new Poetry Collection Editing service will help you get your poetry collection ready for self-publishing or for submission to publishers.

Choosing a service a more detailed version of this page

Editorial Services is the homepage for our services.

Our Services for Writers is a list of our 22 writers' services, the biggest range on the web.

Fictionalised stories of how the services work for writers.