Editing
Editing brings fresh eyes and an objective perspective to your composition. It looks for sense, logic, believability, and meaning. It tests consistency and improves your writing. It interrogates the content and structure of your manuscript and examines the details at the word and punctuation level. It pushes you to improve and helps you to develop a discerning eye. It adds value and quality to a manuscript. The purpose of editing is twofold: it allows your meaning to come across clearly and builds essential trust with your readers.
Why do you need professional editing?
QUALITY
It lets your work shine its brightest.
QUALITY
PROFESSIONALISM
It is a vital part of publishing and shows you take yourself and your writing seriously.
PROFESSIONALISM
CREDIBILITY
It is a vital part of publishing and shows you take yourself and your writing seriously.
CREDIBILITY
MARKETING
To help avoid negative reviews that focus on superficial errors.
MARKETING
COMPETITION
Your competition is not everyone else who is publishing a book—it's everyone who's doing it well.
COMPETITION
Choose the right editing services for you
Editorial Evaluation
Turnaround time: 2–4 weeks per round (wordcount dependent)
Manuscript assessment
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Your editor will appraise your manuscript and provide professional and high-level feedback
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The editor does not make any changes or suggestions to the manuscript in this service; rather, they will compose a report tailored to your book and its unique needs—think of it as a personalised writing guide.
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Depending on your book's genre and content, the editor will address elements such as what's working well, areas of opportunity, narrative structure, force of prose, character development, logic and meaning, pacing, setting, target audience, as well as any possible next steps and further recommendations.
Copy Editing
Turnaround time: 2–4 weeks per round (wordcount dependent)
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The editor will work with your manuscript once to address errors and polish language at the sentence and word level. Once the round is complete, it returns to the author to revise and prepare for interior layout.
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Your editor will make changes to correct errors in grammar (like misplaced modifiers), punctuation (like comma splices), spelling (like typos), and usage (like incorrect idioms or unintentional puns).
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This may include cross-checking, fact-checking, and querying any factual inconsistencies or general information that should be revisited or otherwise verified.
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All manuscripts should adhere to a consistently applied editorial style; the editor will track and apply styling (such as regional spellings), noting this in a custom style sheet.
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​This is a multipage resource that includes a letter from your editor, a list of editorial style decisions applied to your book, a custom word list to ensure accuracy and consistency, as well as links to helpful resources. It is meant as a tool to assist you with your revisions, as well as to answer any questions you may have as to why the editor may have made certain recommendations.
Substantive Editing
Turnaround time: 2–4 weeks per round (wordcount dependent)
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This mirrors the editing process in traditional publishing environments, allowing for some back-and-forth. Between rounds, the author spends time revising the manuscript according to their editor's suggestions before resubmitting for round two.
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Cover your bases with this service, and benefit from your editor becoming familiar with your work over two rounds of editing.
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In this first round, the editor assesses the overall organisation of the content to determine its suitability for the book's purpose. Then they will make suggestions for reorganisation to achieve optimum sequencing, logical progression of ideas, and better flow. They will make recommendations to remove content (such as repetitive or irrelevant material), or to add content (such as strengthening transitions between sections). Here, they may also flag any areas of concern, such as required permissions. This round examines overall clarity, coherence, and language use.
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After the author revises the manuscript, the editor will perform a copy edit to address grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage, as well as fact-checking and the application of a consistent style.
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​This is a multipage resource that includes a letter from your editor, a list of editorial style decisions applied to your book, a custom word list to ensure accuracy and consistency, as well as links to helpful resources. It is meant as a tool to assist you with your revisions, as well as to answer any questions you may have as to why the editor may have made certain recommendations.
Proofreading
Add-on to substantive or copy editing
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Proofreading follows the design process, so the work takes place not in the Word document you submit, but on the PDF print proof created by your book designer. The purpose is to catch any remaining errors that may have snuck through, as well as any design anomalies (like missing page numbers) that may have crept into the final format.
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​While many editors are also highly accomplished proofreaders, Tellwell recognises an inherent difference in the skill set required to proofread a fully laid-out print-ready file. Our dedicated proofreaders have extensive experience in combing a text for design anomalies, typos, and objective errors. They perform a last-minute fix to eliminate potential embarrassment and ensure a clean and polished book.
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Our proofreaders have a mastery of design and production processes, and know the difference between editorial intervention and checking for errors in textual and visual elements. For example, the proofreader won't call into question a turn of phrase or choice in diction; rather, they will ensure that every page is visually consistent, flagging egregious errors but refraining from undertaking structural, stylistic, or copy-editing tasks.
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Encouraging and supportive
We understand that having your writing scrutinised can be daunting. That's why we take a supportive and diplomatic approach, offering expert advice and encouragement while highlighting what's working and examining what's not. We see the author-editor relationship as a partnership, where our editors work with our authors for their readers.
Why trust Authors sphere to edit your book?
Sourced, curated, and trusted
Searching for a qualified professional you can trust can be a tedious process of trial and error. Our team consists of highly specialised editors with a staggering amount of combined experience across all genres. We have a diverse and engaged international team based in the UK, the US, Canada, and New Zealand, and they're among the best in the industry.
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Expert knowledge
​Our team has a wealth of experience and a comprehensive knowledge of the publishing process: market and audience, elements of design and print production, research techniques, and how to calibrate an edit to meet each manuscript's unique needs.
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Impeccable standards
Not only do our editors value quality above all else, but they've also undergone a rigorous pre-screening, testing, interview, and onboarding process to ensure that they're the perfect fit for Tellwell authors, and meet the criteria set out in the national editors' association's Professional Editing Standards. All edits are evaluated in-house for quality, and the team receives ongoing performance reviews and training.
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Set up for success
Professional editing gives your published book a leg-up once it's out in the world. It helps to build and maintain your credibility as an author and trust between you and your readers.
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Complete control
While the editor's mandate is to provide you with sound editorial advice, they take care to maintain your unique voice and style, and the final say on all composition decisions remains with you.
Our process
Authors Sphere's editing process follows industry standards, such as using Microsoft Word's Track Changes function to show you each tweak, question, or query your editor suggests. Before your service commences, you complete a questionnaire that will serve as a brief for your editor. This gives you the opportunity to express your hopes and desires for the editing process, and sets the editor up for success by providing them with background information and areas of focus to help them tailor the edit to fit your unique needs.
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All edits (excluding the editorial evaluation report) are accompanied by a personalized style sheet created by your editor for your manuscript. This includes a letter from your editor, links to resources that you may find helpful during your revision process, and a guide to styling the text.
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Authors sphere editors strive to help you make your book the very best it can be, but that doesn't mean you'll agree with every edit—our editors make suggestions based on their expertise, but ultimately it's up to you which to accept. They are your greatest champions, and are eager to work with you to deliver your readers the finest expression of your writing.