Is your copy feeling a bit below par?
Does it need a well-copy check before you let it loose in the wild?
Whether you’re a professional writer or a hard-pressed amateur who’s picked the short straw and been handed the job of writing the website, a second opinion never hurts.
Why work with me?
You may be 99% there and just need to make sure the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.
On the other hand, your copy could be on its last legs. It’s been written by a well-meaning professional (but not a professional writer) and could do with the wordy equivalent of defibrillation.
How can you give it that final push over the line?
Call the CopyDoc (aka me). Whatever treatment your words need, I’ll make sure they leave my copy clinic in great shape.
Copyediting
A technical check focusing on readability, spelling and grammar.
Copy restyle
Almost a rewrite – but not. A structural edit to make your words work in a different way.
Proofreading
A final check that everything is correct and all edits have been applied.
Copyediting
Spelling, punctuation and grammar. Breaking up long paragraphs. Adding in subheads if required. Making sentences more readable. Checking references and links. Correcting factual inaccuracies and contradictions. Spotting inconsistencies (e.g., random capitalisation). Correcting passive voice. Incorporating ‘wow’ words to make it more interesting to read.
Copy restyle
Repurposing copy for a different audience or adjusting word count. Bringing the key points to the fore. Ensuring regional colloquialisms work with the target market. Making AI-generated copy read like it was written by a human. Editing contributions from different people to sound like they come from one person (in a newsletter, for example).
Proofreading
A read-through just before the copy goes live/to print. Undertaken after copyediting, usually by someone who didn’t write or edit the original. Picking up errors issued in previous edits. Checking that all previous edits have been applied. Focusing on spelling, grammar and punctuation.