Editing is the process of revising and polishing your work. Whether it’s a matter of checking for and correcting any spelling mistakes and grammatical issues, or identifying and improving areas that need work – such as plot, character development, style, or tone – and offering the valuable feedback you need, finding the right editing partnership is fundamental to the difference between “done” and “finished”.
If your project is web or corporate content, or you’re just seeking a final pass to make sure your work is as technically correct as possible, free of errors and obvious mistakes, our copy editing service is for you.
It’s like a high-end proofread, and is ideal for adding that final layer of polish.
Line editing is more involved, offering feedback on style and structure alongside technical corrections. As well as the security of knowing any typos, grammatical issues or spelling errors are taken care of, you’ll also receive detailed feedback on every aspect of your story, with corrections and suggested amendments fully commented in the document, alongside written notes on the revisions.
If you want even more involved feedback on your work, and constructive criticism that will help you strengthen areas such as character development, dialogue, style or tone, and plot, developmental editing may be right for you. This is how editing within publishing houses often works. You’ll get full feedback and detailed critique, with suggestions for any cuts, revisions, expansions or rewrites that could improve your work.
Your editor works with you over two or three passes on your manuscript, strengthening your work and helping you arrive at the perfect final draft.
Still uncertain? Send us a sample of your work (3000 words maximum) and we’ll recommend the service best suited for you. For more information, or to discuss your project and receive a free quote, contact us!
All of Magpie’s editing is done manually. Unlike very low-cost services you may have seen advertised, we don’t use automated tools such as Grammarly, and we don’t just run your book through Microsoft Word’s spellchecker and send you an invoice! At every step of the process, there is attention to detail from experienced and qualified professional editors.
First, we’ll discuss the scope and expectations of your project, and any deadlines you may have.
Please be aware that, due to the time it takes to fully focus on and edit a manuscript, short turnaround times will incur an extra fee, and very short deadlines may be declined.
Once we begin work on your project, you’ll be assigned an editor, who will work with you for the duration of the assignment. We work in .docx or .odt formats (Microsoft Word, Libre Office or similar), using the Track Changes feature. When your work is returned, you’ll be able to see all the revisions that have been made, with comments offering feedback (both constructive criticism and praise!) and explaining any corrections.
If you have opted for a more in-depth service such as developmental editing, you’ll receive an additional written report (your ‘global notes’) providing a full critique of the work, with suggestions for any further improvements or revisions. You will be invoiced when the work is completed, though for large projects we do require a deposit before work begins.
Here are some close-up examples of how our feedback and commenting works. Click through the gallery to view, and to see a few pages of a full editorial sample and sample critique report. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss booking a service, please contact us!
The world is a better place when you pay it forward.
Magpie Literary Services makes quarterly charitable donations from profits, supporting causes including Humane Society International, Equal Justice Initiative and ProPublica.
To learn more, connect on social media, or check out the social responsibility page.