Normally, AlterEnglish operates at the copy-editing stage of the process. We are freelance and tied to no one business. When we receive documents our brief is to check copy and proofread so the work can be passed down the line. In a less formal situation such as a web article or a student's paper we are the sole editing and proofreading input. Usually one person will be responsible for the whole edit; one person's opinion, one fact checker, one pair of eyes. That's why the response of the author is of such importance to us. We will email back and forth to check, verify and get the writer's approval before we consider the work finished. Sometimes the editor's comments (the dreaded comment boxes) can be short and even seem to be rude "Don't understand!" " This whole sentence is redundant." or even "Meaningless." If this happens to you don't take offence. Our editors work quickly and use the time efficiently as they go through the text. If they write any comments like the above they mean a general reader will think the same. It is much better to sort out the problem at this stage than when you send to a journal to be published, post your article online or hand in the assignment to your scary professor! Until next time.
Cat photo is courtesy of Piez and used here under a Creative Commons license. from http://www.copyediting.com/wordpress/?cat=24
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