Copyediting

I review documents for correct usage, grammar, spelling, consistency, format, etc. and provide a marked hard copy or revised electronic copy and comment sheet. I have edited the following types of documents:

• promotional brochures
• theses, dissertations, and scholarly papers
• business writing by nonnative speakers of English
• translations from German to English
• newsletters
• family histories

Substantive Editing

As a rule, I do not do substantive editing (reorganization, rewriting) unless I am very familiar with the subject matter. However, if a document submitted for copyediting appeared to need substantive work, I would discuss the problems with you and try to point you in the right direction.

Proofreading

Proofreading originally meant checking a final copy (proof) against a marked-up earlier version to see that all changes were correctly entered and no new errors introduced. But with the advent of word-processing and online revision, procedures have changed. Today final copy is often proofread with no prior copy for comparison, and the line between copyediting and proofreading is sometimes blurred. Please be prepared to clarify the level of service you desire.

Bilingual Services

Often I am asked to "proofread" a translated English document against the German original, to compare the two versions sentence by sentence to be sure that the full meaning has been conveyed in an appropriate style. Bilingual proofreading is more time-consuming than English-only proofreading and requires greater understanding of the subject matter. If I am the first person to review the document, what the client usually has in mind is copyediting. Depending on the quality of the translation, substantive editing may also be needed. Please be prepared to clarify the level of service you desire.