your
questions answered
You have questions, we have
answers. Here are some answers to somefrequently
asked questions. FAQs are categorized by topic. At Red Pencil Editing
Services, we take pride in providing you
with quality editing services and customer service. If you
still have a
question, please do not hesitate to contact us. All of our
FAQs are divided by category.
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| Billing/Payment |
Formatting/Style |
Express
Editing |About
Editing
| Edited Documents |
Top
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Hours and operations
questions
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
What are your business hours?
Business
hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m.to 4:00 p.m. Eastern
Time and Saturdays by appointment. The office is
closed on Sundays, major national (U.S.) holidays, and is on
limited
hours during
the last two weeks of both September and December.
When do
you accept calls?
We
accept calls during business hours and by appointment. We do
not
take calls
after 7 p.m. Eastern Time, except by appointment at our discretion. We
make every effort to return calls
within 24 hours.
How do
I contact Red Pencil Editing Services?
During business hours by telephone at 313.244.5885
any
time by e-mail at: admin [at] redpencilediting [dot] com; and by U.S.
Post or by courier. (Note:
e-mail that comes in after the close of business day, may be treated as
an
e-mail recieved the next business day at our discretion.) For full
contact information,
please visit the contact
page.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
billing
and payment questions
What
methods of payment do you accept?
EFT(electronic funds transfer) and major credit cards through Pay Pal.
This is the preferred method of payment. We also
accept cashier's and personal checks as well as money orders. We only
accept cash for local clients.
What
are your rates?
Rates vary, depending upon the service provided. See the rates page
for details.
Is there a minimum deposit required?
A non-refundable, minimum deposit is required for all services before
work begins. This deposit amount depends upon the service
being provided. See
the rates
page
for details and descriptions. You will receive an
invoice for the deposit. Deposits must be made electronically through
Pay Pal
and can be paid by EFT or major credit card.
How are rates/charges calculated?
Rates are charged hourly with the exception of Manuscript Critiquing
services,
which are charged per page. For hourly calculations, such issues as
page length and
amount of text compared to images, and font size, among other factors
are taken into consideration. In most cases, assuming a page
is in a 12-pt. standard font (such as Arial or Times New Roman),
double-spaced, with one-inch margins all around, and
is on a standard U.S. letter sheet, we average seven pages per hour on
a basic proofread. Substantive editing for a similar document could
average around four to five pages per hour. Please note, these are
averages, and editing times for your document may be different than the
aforementioned times and can vary from document to document.
Do I need/will I have a contract?
For our basic services a written contract is not necessary. For most
of
our premium services, a contract is required. The contract will
include, at minimum, the terms of service, deadlines,
and payment schedule.
How will I be billed?
All invoices are remitted electronically to a valid e-mail address
either
by PDF or through Pay Pal.
Do I need a Pay Pal account in order to pay my
deposit/invoice?
No. All you need is a valid e-mail address.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
Formatting and style
questions
Does my
document need to be formatted in a
certain way?
We prefer documents that are formatted in a standard 12-pt. font (such
as
Times New Roman or Arial), double-spaced, one-inch left,
right, top and
bottom margins. If however, your document is already formatted (as in
page
layouts/registers from a designer or as a PDF) you do not need to
adhere to the above format. Documents that are mailed should not be
bound or stapled in any way. Documents that are sent by e-mail or FTP
must be double-spaced unless
they are a
pre-designed document that is in its final or near final pre-press
stage(s). If you need to adhere to specific a specific formatting style
guide, we
will work within those parameters. Please inform us of this at the time
of taking on our services and provide us with documentation regarding
those specifications.
How do you accept documents for editing?
By e-mail, FTP or by U.S. post once you have been accepted as
a
client. Please note, we prefer to receive documents presented for
editing electronically, even if we are doing manual edits only.
E-mail instructions: Send your
document to admin [at] redpencilediting.com. Please ensure that your
file name is clear.
By mail: Call us first at
3133.244.5885. Please
ensure that your
mailed documents are neither stapled nor bound.
What is the difference between
manual and
electronic editing?
Manual editing is when we mark up a
hard copy of a document only, making
margin notes, and using proofreader's marks. In some cases,
sticky-notes
are used to
flag areas where we have additional comments, reflowed text, or
edits.
Electronic
editing may include using MS Word's tracking tools feature or
marking
up hard copies of electronically submitted work, scanning the edited
documents and submitting the edits as PDFs. Scanning to
PDF and/or entering edits into the document with the tracking
tools feature are also factored into the hourly rate for your final
bill.
What types of documents do you edit?
We edit academic papers, ad copy, annual reports,
articles, fiction and non-fiction books, book-length manuscripts,
brochures, brochure copy, catalogs, dissertations, essays, exhibition
catalogs, journal articles, marketing materials, media kits,
newsletters, political
campaign copy, program books, reports, RFPs, technical manuals, and web
copy including blog post content. If you have a document that you need
proofread or copy edited that is not listed, just ask us about what we
can do to fit your specific needs. Chances are, we have the knowledge
and expertise to add the polishing touch to your document(s).
Will you format my document for me?
Depending
upon the type of service retained, yes. However, for basic
services in most cases, formatting is not included in the
service.
Will you design my document for me?
In many
cases, yes. See our premium
services page
for a description of document
creation and fee.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
express editing questions
How does Express Editing work?
Submit your express editing request (rush job) with the form on the
Express
Editing page. You will be contacted regarding the acceptance
of
your project and invoiced for the deposit. Upon confirmation that funds
have been received, you will need to send us your document either by
FTP or by e-mail. Once funds and the document have been received,
editing will begin. When the edited document is ready, you will be
notified and invoiced for the final amount. Upon receipt of the final
payment, your edited document will be released to you.
What is
the latest time that I can submit a document for express editing?
Monday through Thursday: 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time and Friday by 3 p.m.
Eastern Time. (Express editing is the only
exception to our hours posted above).
What is the turn-around time?
The same day or within 24 hours of receiving the paid deposit.
No work
is performed until the deposit and the document to be edited are
received.
How do
I request Express Editing?
Fill out the Express Editing form completely on the Fill out the
Express Editing form completely on the Express
Editing page.
How do I request a Quote?
Fill out the Request a Quote Form completley and submit it. You will be
contacted to discuss your project.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
general editing questions
Hours
| Billing/Payment |
Formatting/Style |
Express
Editing |About
Editing
| Edited Documents
| Top
What kinds of documents will
you/can you edit?
>Books: Ficiton and Non-fiction all subjects/genres
>Articles: all subjects/genres
>Web content: all subjects and industries(text only)
>Academic work: papers, theses, dissertations, journal articles,
college
application essays. (See our terms of service
page regarding our policies on working with
students.)
>Business documents: content articles, brochures and other
marketing
materials,
résumés and C.V.s, presentations, press releases, technical manuals,
and media kits.
Are there any documents that you will
not
edit/accept?
We do not accept documents that are bound or stapled. No exceptions.We
reserve the right to not accept documents with questionable content
that is illegal or unethical.We reserve the right to not accept clients
that promote questionable
content or questionable, illegal or unethical products or services.
What exactly does an editor do?
An editor looks at your written work objectively, marking and
correcting areas that include misspellings, incorrect grammar, incrrect
punctuation (such as posessives), changes in voice or tone, incorrecdt
use of pronouns, lack of agreement
among verb tenses and person or number (for example), split
infinitives, incorrect use of
numbers and other adjectives and modifiers, run-on sentences,
disjointed statements,
unclear and confusing statements, lack of continuity, and other related
issues.
The type of editing done depends upon the service requested.
Doesn't an editor just fix everything?
Not necessarily. In some cases, yes. In other cases, we alert the
writer
with queries or comments if we need clarification, further information,
or where there may be an issue that needs to be addressed by the
paginator or designer. We explain all of our edits and, where
necessary, suggestions that we may make. And yes, if you don't
understand an edit or why it was made, you can contact us for
clarification. We are about providing you with custom care that not
only addresses your documents, but your audience. We deliver your words
and your voice, but with our polish.
How do I know which service I need?
The best way, if you are unsure, is to request a quote or contact us by
phone or
e-mail to discuss your project before we start working with you. Tell
us about your project and what you think it needs. Words are our
business and with that in mind, backed by a decade of experience, you
can rest assured that we listen and that we will provide you with a
realistic, fair, and compassionate assessment of what kind of editing
we think your content will need. We work with you to help
polish your content. Additionally, figuring out the type of
service to choose can really depend upon how deep an edit you want. If
you request a proofread, but the document really needs more work, we
might suggest a different service. By the same token, if you request a
substantive edit and it turns out that the piece is strong and tightly
written, we'll suggest that you select our proofreading service. Either
way, if you choose to have the initial service requested, we will
provide that service and that service only.
How long will it take?
The length of editing projects depends upon the length of the document
and the
service requested. The
only exception to this rule is for Express
Editing which guarantees a same-day or 24-hour turn-around
time.
Can you get me through the publications
process?
Yes, we are experienced with the
publications process from preparing proposal packages to editing
galleys and proofs.
Can you hook me up with an agent
or publisher?
No. Red Pencil Editing Services is not affiliated with any agency or
publisher, nor does it endorse any specific agencies or publishers even
if we have worked with clients whose projects were taken on by a
litterary agent or publisher. If you need advice about the publications
process,
we can (and will) direct you to repuatable third-party resources for
writers. If you need and want detailed advice about the publications
process,consulting fees may apply.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
questions about edited
documents
How
do I accept changes?
Go
into Word. Enabe the tracking tools feature in the tools menu (XP and
earlier) or in the review menu (Vista). The dialgoue box will ask if
you want to accept or reject the changes, and if you want to review
each one or accept them all. Click review each one, and as you go
through each, accept (or reject) the change. If you choose to make any
additional alterations to the document and do not want to see the
mark-ups, you will need to turn the tracking tools feature off first.
Will
you discuss the edits with me?
Absolutely. If we are currently working with you on a project, or have
just
completed a project for you and you have questions, we will discuss the
edits with you at no extra charge. There is no charge for
initial consultations/quotes
about projects, however, if you find that
you consistently need editing questions answered, you may want to
consider our consulting service, which is fee-based. See
the Premium Services page
for details about our consulting services.
How do I remove comments?
Go into
Word. Enabe the tracking tools feature in the tools menu (XP and
earlier) or in the
review menu (Vista). Right click on the comment. The dialogue
box will ask you if you want to
remove the comment. Select remove comment. Do this for each comment. If
you choose to make any
additional alterations to the document and do not want to see the
mark-ups, you will need to turn the tracking tools feature off.
How do I retrieve a document from the FTP server?
You will be given instructions when your document
is ready for delivery.
Hours
| Billing/Payment | Formatting/Style | Express
Editing |About Editing
| Edited Documents | Top
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