More about our services

We accept payment by credit card (Visa and Mastercard), Apple Pay, Revolut Pay and by bank transfer. We will send you a secure payment link. In some cases we may be able to accept payment through Paypal. We will begin work as soon as you accept the price we have quoted, thereby confirming the order. Payment should normally be made before we return the work to you, unless we have agreed otherwise. In the latter case, the payment should be made within 30 days of receipt of the invoice.

We want to make sure that you understand our services and what each service includes. Our goal is to help you to be more productive and successful and to build a relationship with you that you value. We do not want to cause you any unnecessary cost or inconvenience, whilst at the same time realising the need to ensure our own sustainability as a business. We aim to conduct our business in a fair and reasonable manner for you, us and the highly qualified and experienced people who work for us.

We offer editing services for all forms of technical writing, including original research papers, funding proposals, reviewer responses and rebuttals, abstracts, oral and poster presentations, annual reports, books and book chapters, regulatory documentation, laboratory documentation, manuals, and all other forms of written report. We can help with theses, dissertations and assignments with the consent of the appropriate tutor or supervisor.

We will correct typing errors, missing and misused words, as well as the usual checks for errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. We will edit words, but not sentences. Use this service to check for and eliminate minor errors in a well-written document that needs a careful, final check.

At a glance, we will check:

• Grammar
• Spelling
• Punctuation
• Typing errors
• Missing words
• Word use, misuse and homophones
• Certificate of Editing

Premium Editing involves amending your writing to improve it. Premium Editing includes our Standard Editing service with the addition of editing at the sentence-level. This service will improve sentence structure, readability, clarity, and the consistency of tense, tone, and voice. We will ensure that the English usage is accurate, coherent and concise. The editor might make comments and suggestions to alert the author to any concerns or to seek clarification about meaning. Note that the author should be prepared to correspond with the editor to ensure timely completion of the work. This service includes a free follow-up edit before resubmission of the original document (for example, after review), in accordance with our Terms of Service (opens in new tab). This is our most popular service and is used to expedite writing projects and bring them to a timely conclusion. This is also a popular choice amongst scientists for whom English is not a first language.

Premium Plus Editing includes our Standard and Premium Editing Services plus more substantial editing at the paragraph, section and whole document level. We may need to re-word or re-write sentences, reorganise disjointed paragraphs, move the order of paragraphs, and alter the composition of the document as a whole to improve comprehension and the flow of ideas. It may be necessary to reduce word count and we may need to discuss content with you. Thus, this service will likely involve close collaboration between the editor and client to ensure that the content is accurate and the message and meaning are clear. The result will be improved composition and style, and a document that is easy to read and understand. Premium Plus Editing can transform a nascent, ungainly manuscript into a well-polished, finished document that is ready for submission. This service includes a free follow-up edit before resubmission in accordance with our Terms of Service (opens in new tab) as well as free formatting to a journal house-style. This service is also suitable if a large reduction in word count is required or if a reviewer has already advised you to seek an editing service.

We charge by the word so that you only pay for the work that we undertake. You can stipulate exactly what text you would like us to edit and your quote will be based on that. Charging by the word also means that you can calculate the approximate cost when considering our service. More detail is available in our Terms of Service, but an outline is given below:

• The word count and corresponding fee will be included in the quote which you must approve before work commences
• If you send us a document with text that you do not wish to be edited, please state this when submitting or redact the relevant text
• We will normally check and edit the words in the title, short-title, abstract/summary/lay summary, keywords, headings and sub-headings, the main body of the text, legends, and the headings of figures and tables
• We do not edit title page content like author lists, affiliations and contact details
• We do not edit or format references and citations, unless requested as an additional service
• Text contained within the tables and figures is not edited, but this service can be requested as an Additional Service

Work will normally be completed within 7 working days ('working days' excludes weekends, local and national holidays), unless an expedited service has been requested and agreed by us. The date of work commencement will be taken from the date that you accept our quote and confirm your order.*

Where an expedited service has been requested and agreed by us, work will be completed within 4 working days (with a 20% additional charge) or 2 working days (with a 40% additional charge), as per your request and the quote. Expedited services are normally only available for Standard and Premium Editing services.

We will provide a Certificate of Editing for all of our editing services. The certificate includes a unique issue number, our contact details and website address so that the publisher is able to verify the authenticity of the certificate.

All correspondence, documentation and work undertaken will be treated with complete confidentiality. We will not share, disclose or discuss any details of our conversations, correspondence, or the content of the documentation outside of our organisation. Any person working for us is bound by a non-disclosure agreement. More detail can be found in our Terms of Service.

We prefer documents prepared in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx file format) because we can track changes and provide comments in the margin. We also accept documents in Rich Text (.txt), LaTeX (.tex) or Scrivener (.scrivx) file formats, but we cannot track changes in this case and comments will appear at the end of the document.

We can edit in British or American English and will usually use the form already in the manuscript. However, the client should stipulate their preferred form of English when submitting the work. Standard and Premium Editing does not include formatting to journal guidelines, although this is available as an additional service. If you have not chosen this service, we will edit and format to what we consider a 'normal' style. Note, though, that some journals have their own house-style, resulting in subtle differences in English usage between journals, but these are normally a concern for the copy editor after acceptance for publication.

We offer a number of additional services to support your work. The options below will allow you to order a service that is just right for you. If you have a requirement that you cannot see listed, please contact us and let us know how we can help you.

We will read your manuscript and liaise with you to identify a suitable target journal for your manuscript.

We can format your document to the in-house style of the target journal in accordance with the instructions for authors provided by the journal. The fee is for the format of documentation for a single submission only. The fee does not include editing or formatting references and citations.

We do not edit references and citations as a standard part of out editing service, but this can be requested as an extra service if the references were managed using Endnote software. We will format references and citations to the journal house-style and check for errors in formatting. The fee is for a single submission only. The fee does not include editing or formatting of the main text. This service is dependent on the author providing us with access to an accurate, complete and functional Endnote library for the documents. This service does not include checking the accuracy, validity and fair usage of citations. At our discretion, we may be able to help you if you use Mendeley, but you will need to give us access to your reference database. Additional fees or cancellation of this service may occur at our discretion if faulty libraries are provided.

We can create your Endnote library, insert citations into the main body of text and format the references in accordance with journal guidelines. You will need to provide us with the document into which the citations need to go. This document will need to contain place-holder text that indicates the position of the citation within the text and sufficient information to allow us to identify the correct reference. Additional fees or cancellation of this service may occur at our discretion if the citation information provided is insufficient.

We cannot check the accuracy of your measurements or that the data have been correctly entered into your database. We do not currently offer a statistics service that checks that the right statistical methods have been applied and that the interpretation of statistical tests is fair and reasonable. We can undertake some fact-checking if specific instructions have been supplied. This might include checking your calculations, cross-referencing data in tables, figures and text, and accurate and fair citation of sources. If you have concerns about the underlying theory of your work, our pre-peer review service may be helpful, or you may need our consultation service. Note that journal publishers, conference organisers and funding organisations will ask that you accept responsibility for the factual accuracy of your work before submission.

Pre-peer review can help to identify any issues that reviewers might raise about the manuscript or funding proposal. The review will be undertaken by a single reviewer who will write a comprehensive peer-review of the material, similar to that which you might receive from a journal or funding body. The reviewer will also point out any other issues that the author should address before actual submission. This service does not include editing and cannot guarantee anything about the actual review after submission of the manuscript.

We can desktop publish your documents and provide them in PDF, EPS or PSD format (and other formats, please ask). Examples include annual reports, internal communications, flyers, and conference poster presentations. The client will need to provide an adequate brief or outline document, as well as any relevant data. Documents will be delivered as print-ready and to the specifications supplied by your print service provider. The client should be prepared to collaborate closely with the designer and will need to provide relevant information about format and the contact details of their chosen printer.

We can build Powerpoint slide decks and entire presentations. We can help with slide design, illustration, Powerpoint animations and transitions, tables, figures, and the script. The client will need to provide sufficient information about content, produce outline sketches for images, and send all relevant data. The client should be prepared to collaborate closely with the designer.

We can write most types of document for you if an adequate brief or outline document is provided. Use this service to enhance your written communication, save time and to alleviate the burden of writing. We will produce a finished piece of written work that is ready for submission. The work will be delivered as a Microsoft Word document unless agreed otherwise. This service will involve close collaboration with the client, who should be prepared to discuss their needs and answer queries in a timely fashion.

Examples of things we can write include:

Our consultation service involves working with us from the outset of a writing project to provide a framework and plan for the project. This can be helpful for a large work, like a literature review, book, annual report, or funding application. We can liaise with you about the organisation of the document, project management, likely reviewer concerns, regulatory matters, experimental design and dissemination. The client should be prepared to collaborate closely with the consultant.

Because the complexity and intended use of each graphic varies, illustration, data visualisation and animation services are priced on a case-by-case basis.

We will need to discuss your needs before we can give you a quote and an estimate of the time needed to complete the work.

If you send us a hand-drawn sketch and a brief description, we will be able to give you an estimated cost, but we may also need to discuss the work further to make sure we are meeting your needs.

The designer will likely need to liaise with the author about the work, who should be prepared to provide timely responses so that the designer can complete the work by the deadline.

Completed graphics will be sent to the client for final approval and, at our discretion, tweaks and minor amendments can be made if needed. However, the accuracy of both illustration and data visualisation depends on the information supplied to us by the client. Any errors on our part will be corrected free of charge, but alterations needed because of errors or omissions that originate from the client, or a change of mind by the client, may be subject to additional charges. Likewise, if substantial alterations are requested by the client after the work has begun, these may incur an additional charge.

Images can be delivered in scalable vector graphic (.svg) format as well as raster-based/bitmap formats of your choosing (.jpeg, .png, .gif, .tiff, etc.). Scalable vector graphics allow you to resize an image without loss of quality or pixelation, but require software that can use this format. Some types of image may not be amenable to vector graphics, in which case raster-based imaging will be used. Please ask us if you are not sure about this.

If you commission illustration, data visualisation or animation you will pay the full fee for the work and copyright will be transferred to you (you will become the copyright owner). This is particularly important if you need to transfer the copyright to a third party, like a publisher, if the work is to appear in a journal or similar outlet.

Licensing illustration, data visualisation or animation is normally cheaper than commissioning, but means that you do not own copyright. Rather, you are granted permitted usage under the License Agreement. In this case, you will not be able to use the image if transfer of copyright is needed or for use outside of the terms of the license. In particular, you will not be allowed to share, disseminate or distribute the work outside of that specified in the License Agreement, and you will not be allowed to sell or publish the work in copyrighted material or transfer ownership. Licenses usually have an expiry date. Each license will be customised for you according to your intended use, size of distribution and geographical area (e.g., worldwide distribution). For example, licensing may restrict use to:

1. Personal use - for non-commercial use, for example, personal prints and reference
2. Presentations - for use in live, unrecorded presentations in Powerpoint or Keynote software etc.
3. Newsletters - for use in printed or digital in-house newsletters
4. Annual reports - for use in printed or digital annual reports
5. Website - for use on a single website, app, social media post or blog
6. Magazines - for use in a single printed or digital magazine; the license may vary by the size of circulation
7. Books - for use in a single printed or digital book; the license may vary by the size of the print-run or circulation
8. Marketing packages - for use in a single marketing campaign that promotes a business or product, but may exclude advertising
9. Advertising - for use in adverts within the specified media
10. Royalty-free licensing is more expensive, but means that images can be used across multiple projects without the need to purchase additional licenses.
11. Copying or editing the original image to pass off as your own constitutes a breach of copyright law.
12. Please note that the licensing terms and the License Agreement will be included with any visual or audio asset, including images, illustration, animation, audio or video, that we supply to you.