Here's a selection of the most common frequently asked questions:

Q: Copyeditng...proofreading...what's the difference?

A: Copyediting comes before proofreading but the two are frequently confused by clients. Copyediting not only picks up errors in spelling and grammar but also checks for consistency, sentence and paragraph length and how suitable the work is for its intended audience. Proofreading will then do a final check usually once the work has been copyedited and is ready for printing (or final submission for thesis and academic work), doing another once-over for spelling, grammar, consistency.

Q: How do I decide what process I need, copyediting or proofreading?

A: Your editor can easily decided whether you need copyediting or proofreading once you provide a sample of your work.

Q: I have spell check. Do I really need an editor?

A: Yes yes and yes! Spell check has been invaluable invention in one sense but it can also be our worst enemy when we rely on it too much. It won’t pick up misuse of words such as form/from and their/there or to/too. But more importantly it won’t fact check or pick up inconsistencies in grammar. There’s a lot it doesn’t do so if you really want your words to be flawless – use an editor!

Q: I'm writing a PhD and would love an editor to look over it. How much editing can you do for me?

A: Professional editors are restricted in how much they can do with a PhD according to guidelines issued by the national editing body IPEd. But your paper will still benefit from a thorough copyedit for spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting and reference checking.

Q: I'm not at PhD stage yet – do you edit other academic levels?

A: Of course! 300 words to 120,000…no paper is too small or too big to benefit from a Sophista edit.

Q: How long does it all take?

A: It will depend on the length of your work. As a guide, a 90,000 word PhD will take around 7 - 10 days to complete allowing time for revisions.

Q: And how much does it cost?

A: Cost varies depending on the project. See the prices page for a guide on how much editing will cost with Sophista.