
Grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors take readers out of the reading experience by drawing attention to the errors rather than the message. Editors find and fix those errors.
Errors can make the writer appear uneducated and unprofessional. If a business is careless about what it publishes, readers may wonder if it's as careless with the products or services provided.
Error correction is just one level of editing. Sentences, paragraphs, and pages need to work together. People with good English grammar don't necessarily have the skills or training to organize and present content well. If key points are missing, buried, or unclear, readers may not keep reading.
Some spellings, words, expressions, and types of punctuation change depending on the country. I edit using the style of the country the client is in. I can also use an international style — I select the spelling, word choice, or punctuation style that's the most common in English-speaking countries, as I did for this site.
Copyediting |
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Substantive editing (developmental editing) |
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ESL (English as a Second Language) support |
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Proofreading and style sheets |
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With my publishing background, I can also suggest changes to page layout and appearance to help present the text more effectively.
Contact me to discuss your editing needs.
See also Common ESL Writing Mistakes.