Consistent, correct and ready to typeset
A copy edit catches the errors and inconsistencies that distract readers, from comma splices to a character whose eyes change color, and records every decision in a style sheet you keep.
- Free initial consultation
- Clear written quote
- One point of contact
The ferry left Harwich at 7.00 seven o’clock, and by the time Ada found a seat the coast had allready already thinned to a pencil line. She checked the letter again, though she knew it by heart. Her aunt had written “come quickly”, and nothing else.
Consistency is a kind of courtesy: it lets readers trust the page and forget the mechanics.
The detail work readers never see
Copy editing is methodical. Your editor checks grammar, punctuation and spelling, then looks at consistency across the whole book: hyphenation, capitalization, numbers, timelines, names and the small facts a reader might notice. Unless you prefer otherwise, we follow The Chicago Manual of Style for US books and Merriam-Webster for spelling, adapting for UK English where needed.
Every choice goes into a project style sheet: preferred spellings, invented terms, character details, place names and formatting decisions. That document travels with your manuscript to the proofreader and designer, and stays useful for sequels, new editions and audiobook scripts, where pronunciations and spellings need to match.
What you gain with copy editing
A copy edit catches the errors and inconsistencies that distract readers, from comma splices to a character whose eyes change color, and records every decision in a style sheet you keep.
Clean, correct text
Grammar, punctuation, spelling and usage are corrected throughout, with queries where a sentence is ambiguous rather than silent rewrites that might change your meaning.
Continuity checked
We track names, ages, dates, distances and timelines so a minor character does not change spelling halfway through or a Tuesday become a Thursday.
Facts and references flagged
Your editor queries dates, quotations, place names and figures that look doubtful, and checks that notes, headings and cross-references follow one consistent format.
Ready for layout
A copy-edited file with styles applied consistently makes typesetting faster and cleaner, and reduces the corrections needed later, at the proof stage, when changes are slower and more expensive.
Everything in the brief
The exact scope is confirmed in writing before work begins, so you always know what you are paying for.
- Authors with a structurally sound, well-revised manuscript
- Writers who want professional consistency before typesetting
- Nonfiction authors with dates, figures and references to check
- Full copy edit in tracked changes
- Author queries on ambiguities and possible errors
- Project style sheet for names, terms and usage
- Continuity checks on timeline and character details
- Consistent formatting of headings, numbers and lists
- Clean file with changes accepted on request
Four clear steps
- 1
Style preferences
Tell us your spelling preference, any style guide you follow and terms you want preserved, such as dialect, slang or invented words.
- 2
Quote and schedule
We review the manuscript, confirm the word count and the fee, and agree on a delivery date that fits your publishing plans.
- 3
The copy edit
Your editor works line by line in tracked changes, raising queries in the margin and building the style sheet as decisions are made.
- 4
Answer queries
You review changes, respond to queries and return the file. We resolve any final points and deliver a clean manuscript with the style sheet.
After any developmental and line editing, once you are confident the content and wording are settled. Copy editing earlier is possible, but significant rewrites afterward tend to introduce fresh errors, which means paying to check the same pages twice.
For American English we generally work to The Chicago Manual of Style, and for British English to a consistent UK convention. If you or your publisher have a house style, we follow it, and any deliberate departures are recorded in the style sheet.
A copy editor flags facts that look doubtful, such as a date that conflicts with another chapter or a quotation that seems misattributed. Full fact-checking or source verification is a separate, more time-consuming task, and we can quote for it if your book needs it.
We tidy the manuscript so headings, scene breaks and lists are styled consistently, which helps whoever lays out the book. Interior typesetting for print or eBook is a separate service, available through our formatting services or from a designer of your choice.
Copy editing is quoted on word count, adjusted for factors such as heavy dialogue, technical terms or extensive notes and references. A written quote follows once we have looked at the manuscript, so the fee is fixed before the edit begins.
Let’s talk about your book
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- We aim to reply to every enquiry within one business day.
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