Q. What is the difference between ‘proofreading’ and ‘copyediting’?

A. While many people may feel that their document or project only requires proofreading, in many cases you may in fact require copyediting to be done on your project. A good copyeditor will check your project not only for simple typing errors, but appropriateness of language, capitalisation and hyphenation, syntax, punctuation, expression, inconsistent style or use of terminology, abbreviations and numbers, format of headings, page layout, referencing, and overall structure and content. Copyediting has a greater involvement with your text and will ensure your entire project is presented in the best possible light. If, however, all you require is proofreading, we will act according to your instructions.

Q. Why is editing important?

A. Your publication is a reflection of you and/or your company. It is often the place where a potential client, business partner, employer, teacher or lecturer forms their first impression of you. Too many errors will diminish that first impression. And remember: the more times your publication is printed, the more times that error is compounded. One error in a document does not sound too bad on its own. But if you print ten thousand copies for distribution, that mistake is out there ten thousand times. That can be an expensive or impossible mistake to repair, both in terms of cost and your lost reputation.

Q. Can I proofread my own work?

A. Of course you can proofread your own work; however, it is not recommended that you do. Most authors, regardless of the content of their document, will read the text as it should read, not as it actually does. In other words, an unbiased set of eyes will pick up small errors that your eyes would miss due to familiarity with the document and its contents. Many people also rely on spell checkers in their word processing software. While this is an excellent place to start, this feature will not pick up errors such as "there" instead of "their", "affect" instead of "effect", and so on.

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Q. What type of documents do you edit?

A. Exact Editing will proofread any type of document that you care to think of, including web sites. So, if your document is long, short, internet, electronic or even handwritten, we will edit it. Remember, your mistakes are our business!

Q. How will I know what changes have been made to my document?

A. This will depend on whether you send through your document as a hard copy, as a MS Word document or a PDF file. If your project comes through as a MS Word document, when we return it to you, all editing changes will be clearly marked in a different colour. You can then review the changes and accept or decline them as you wish. We will also send a second 'clean' document with all editing changes accepted, ready for immediate use. If you send through your project as a PDF file, suggested changes will be marked throughout the document similar to the Track Changes feature in Word. If you require changes to be marked up on a hard copy, we will use professional proofreading symbols to do so. If you are unfamiliar with the use of these symbols, please advise us at the start and we will work out a solution that best fits your needs.

Q. How do I pay for your services?

A. We accept payment via PayPal, direct bank deposit/transfer, bank cheque or money order.

Q. Are all your editors native English speakers?

A. Yes. We only use editors who have English as their first language.

Q. How long does it take to proofread a document?

A. That will depend on the size of the project, its complexity, and other projects we have going at that particular time. If you have a specific turnaround time that you require, please let us know at the start of the project and we will do our best to accommodate you, even at very short notice.

Q. How much do you charge?

A. Please see our Rates page.

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Q. How do I count the number of words in my document?

A. All word processing software has a ‘Word Count’ tool. For example, in MS Word you will find it by clicking ‘Tools’ from the main menu, then select ‘Word Count’ from the drop-down menu. If your project is a PDF file, we will work out a quote based on an average of 300 words per page.

Q. Why hire a proofreader?

A. Even the most talented and prolific writers make textual mistakes. Whether your project is a single-page resume or an entire novel, it is often very difficult to catch errors in your own writing. Text that contains typos, spelling errors, and incorrect grammar looks sloppy and unprofessional. No matter how long you spend writing, even the tiniest mistake in the text will be there forever. Projects that matter need to be perfect. Period.

Q. My project requires that a specific Style Guide be used. What Style Guide do you use?

A. We will apply any standard style guide to your project that you specify, including your own in-house style guide.

Q. Is my work protected?

A. Absolutely. We maintain the highest level of confidentiality and privacy. No part of your work will ever be shared with an outside party or posted anywhere on this site without your prior consent.

Q. Do you undertake rush/urgent jobs?

A. Absolutely. If you require an urgent turnaround on your project, please advise us immediately. A surcharge may apply for documents required within 48 hours, depending on the size of the project. We will discuss this with you before starting work on your project.

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Q. Do I need to acknowledge your role in editing my work?

A. Generally, while this is appreciated, it is not required unless specified by your university or publisher. Please be aware that some universities require that students seek written approval from their supervisors to have a professional editor assist them with their final version; some even require that editing be provided on hard copy only. It is up to you to acknowledge our involvement appropriately. Of course, as a business, any acknowledgment in your text helps improve our visibility and credibility, and is gratefully received!

Q. How do I get my project to you?

A. Most clients prefer to email their project through, which we prefer simply because it saves you postage costs and is the quickest method of transfer. However, if you prefer to post or courier a hard copy or electronic copy on a USB or CD, we will accept this.

Q. What file formats do you work with?

A. We can work with most word processing formats, the most popular of which is Microsoft Word, and PDF files. Large files can be 'zipped' or compressed for ease of emailing.

Q. Can you correct my referencing?

A. Absolutely. When you submit your document for editing, you simply need to let us know the name of the referencing style you are using. If you wish, you can even email us any referencing guidelines that you have received from your school or university. We will ensure that your document is referenced correctly, no matter what style you are using.

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