copy editing services

copy editing services

The Importance of Professional Copy Editing Services

1. Introduction

In today’s world, it is not enough to produce smooth-flowing and literary text for all those fortunes to pour in. A text, however fantastic it may be, will have very few readers or none at all if it is plagued with typos, awkwardness, inconsistencies, incorrect punctuation, and lousy grammar. We are fortunate in a way that the majority of websites succeed not by the quality of content but by daily ‘backlinks’ and the soft bombardment of their website links by user-published content on social media websites. We, at First Click Inc., strongly believe that only good, attention-grabbing, and professionally written content can ensure a website its real position on the WWW and thus bring real success and profits to a business. And the job of transforming your company’s not-so-interesting website content into lively, interesting, and seductive pieces of writing, suitable for your readers’ consumption, is carried out by our copy editing services.

The competition today among different products, companies, agencies, websites, and blogs is so tough that it is not possible for a website or blog to succeed without efficient marketing. A continuous and high-quality marketing campaign is necessary for a company’s website to function properly. There is no point cultivating a home garden in a remote place and not inviting anyone to have a look at the flowers. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that the nails and thorns of our roses are removed so as not to scratch anyone. To put it in one sentence, it is essential that in addition to having a lot of marketing done, the content of the website must be attractive, interesting, and alluring.

2. Benefits of Copy Editing

The ability of students entering into self-editing to be significantly better than those from previous generations is debatable. Certainly, their familiarity and capabilities with digital technology and social media across multiple platforms give them additional opportunities to develop and demonstrate their writing skills, but the quality of that content is the issue at hand. It appears too that as students advance through school, the proficiency with which they are able to contextually assess their own writing decreases in many cases. As to student peer editing, while the idea is sound in theory, again the delivery and benefits seem to be largely overestimated. Additionally, peer editing merely allows students to come to an agreement on what may be right or wrong – it removes very little of the intellectual work itself on the writing.

As we have seen, the benefits of professional copy editing are numerous. To begin with, it presents a striking degree of attention to detail that is invaluable for anyone, but especially for those for whom excellence is not just a strong preference but a professional requirement. A professional copy editing service goes beyond simple grammar and spelling checks and picks up on issues of context, structure, tone, voice, rhythm, and pace that are often missed by laypersons. The ability of an individual to self-edit is always going to be limited by the ability to adequately assess one’s own work. A true professional knows that in any field or at any level of expertise, there is always more to learn. Their professional attitude means that they thus show commitment not just to their own development but also that of those whose goals they support. The presence of numerous qualified professionals investigating and practicing the many degrees of editorial specialization clearly indicates that the belief in an expertise that can only be achieved by constant practice is still very much alive.

3. Types of Copy Editing Services

This is the most comprehensive form of copy editing. It includes the services provided by basic and medium editing, as well as provides a thorough reading of the text from start to finish. All of the changes will be made and tracked using the “track changes” function of Microsoft Word or via the comments set by the editor. This method allows clients to personally review and accept changes that will be made to the manuscript. Once the text has been taken care of in accordance with heavy copy editing, no errors should remain.

3. Heavy Copy Editing

This type of copy editing consists of a more comprehensive examination into correcting errors within a manuscript. Aside from all the services offered by basic editing, medium editing also takes a look at the consistency in the narrative. This means that the term “comma splice,” for example, should be corrected to ensure that sentences are coherent. A manuscript must be suitable for this form of editing before it is worked on by a professional publisher.

2. Medium Copy Editing

This is the lightest form of copy editing. It covers correcting spelling and grammatical errors, as well as punctuation and word usage suggestions where necessary. Aside from that, the manuscript will also be checked for sentence structure errors. Basic editing is suitable for material that is of high quality and is worthy of publication but still contains several errors that need to be corrected. Before a manuscript undergoes this type of service, professional publishers recommend that it is reviewed for significant content and major structural concerns.

1. Basic Copy Editing

The level of editing involved in the different professional editing services must be ascertained, as some types of editing have much more to offer than others. Here is a closer look at the various types of copy editing services available to writers:

4. Choosing the Right Copy Editing Service

One of professional copy editing services’ features is to have three “professional” pairs of eyes on something. Sometimes two are enough. Consider that Autodesk, the leader company in architectural CAD, has every drawing checked out before it’s published, manually and with different software. If Autodesk thinks this is important, every other author or company should worry about copy editing. Once you make your mind and decide to look for copy editing services provider, you must ensure that you select the best one. There is no way to afford mismatches under such circumstances. Some authors go to people who haven’t published anything, but have done some editing in the past. This is very risky, because you cannot know whether the editor you selected had the necessary experience, or if he/she is capable of managing both development/substantive editing and copy/line editing. So, you must check the references and previous works of a copy editing services provider before you hire him/her. Prefer companies rather than single individuals, and always remember to review any piece of work before you ever submit it to the publisher.

There are several reasons that authors should look for and hire copy editing services before they ever submit their manuscript to a publisher. Many publishing houses are a bit overwhelmed by the huge pile of manuscripts they get on a daily basis, and they might not be able to read yours within the appropriate time frame or to maintain some of the standards they would like to keep. You could have a book that is rejected just because the publishers didn’t like your spelling, or a minor error somewhere. This is the reason why professional experienced authors look for a copy editing service in order to avoid the risk of rejection. Similarly, it’s really important that if you try to avoid copy editing costs, you should treat your book or your article as if you were a copy editor and you were reading someone else’s work, with a “fresh” pair of eyes.

5. Conclusion

Reliability is one of the most important aspects of professional copy editing services. Reliability means doing what one says one will do, on time. It means accuracy and consistency in the details, and it requires understanding what is necessary and what is not at different times of the project. Professional copy editors will not “overedit” and will return the author’s options and decisions about word choices, punctuation, and style. Professional editors will not make content decisions nor will they change the writer’s voice or message. They know when to apply different levels of editing and use or will create appropriate worksheets and reading guides to expedite the process. Most important, professional copy editing services bring the additional assurance and professional recognition that the timed, accurate, and skilled editing they provide can offer to creditors and readers.

In conclusion, the benefits of a professional copy editing service are numerous. It offers speed, accuracy, and improves the quality of a manuscript. Copy editing saves time and effort so that writers can focus on what they do best – writing. It also affords writers the extra assurance of official recognition by others in their field, and enhances the reading experience of future readers. It is this final set of benefits that make professional copy editing services essential for writers of all levels, genres, and specialties. To spread the word in a more diligent, responsible manner, it is time for professional organizations such as editing and writing organizations to come to the assistance of their own members and reframe the discussion.