Editorial & Translation Services

All of the editorial services are available in English, Spanish and German.

1. EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT

An editorial assessment is an evaluation of a manuscript, article, or piece of writing, typically conducted before any detailed editing or revisions begin. The goal of this assessment is to provide the author with a broad overview of the strengths and weaknesses of their work, along with recommendations for improvement.

This type of assessment is less about correcting grammatical or punctuation issues (like proofreading or copyediting) and more about evaluating the overall quality of the content, structure, and writing. It’s often used to help authors understand whether their work is ready for publication or if it needs significant revisions.

Key aspects of an editorial assessment include:

1. Content Evaluation: The editor reviews whether the content is clear, engaging, and well-organized. They may suggest areas where the writing could be expanded, clarified, or improved for better flow and coherence.
2. Structure and Organization: The editor assesses whether the structure of the piece is logical and if the overall arrangement of ideas or chapters makes sense. They may recommend rearranging sections or chapters to improve clarity or pacing.
3. Target Audience: The editor considers whether the tone, style, and complexity are appropriate for the intended audience. They may offer feedback on how to adjust the writing to better connect with the target readers.
4. Voice and Style: The editor evaluates the consistency of the author’s voice and style throughout the manuscript. They may recommend adjustments to maintain consistency or improve readability.
5. Marketability and Appeal: In some cases, the editorial assessment may include a consideration of the manuscript’s potential in the marketplace (especially for books or articles aimed at publishers). This can involve a brief analysis of the work’s commercial potential, uniqueness, and relevance to current trends.

Editorial assessments typically don’t involve detailed corrections but instead offer high-level feedback that can guide an author in revising their work to meet industry standards or personal goals. They’re often the first step in the editorial process before moving on to more specific editing tasks like developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading.

2. DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING

Developmental editing is a comprehensive process that focuses on improving the overall structure, content, and coherence of a manuscript before it undergoes more detailed editing stages. This type of editing is particularly crucial in fiction, non-fiction, and academic writing. 

Key Aspects of Developmental Editing:

1. Structural Assessment: Evaluating the organization of the manuscript, including the arrangement of chapters or sections, to ensure logical flow and coherence.
2. Content Evaluation: Analyzing the substance of the writing, such as plot development in fiction or argument strength in non-fiction, to identify areas needing clarification, expansion, or revision.
3. Character and Narrative Development: In fiction, assessing character development, dialogue, pacing, and narrative consistency to enhance engagement and believability. 
4. Alignment with Audience Expectations: Ensuring the manuscript meets the needs and expectations of the intended readership, considering factors like tone, style, and complexity.

Developmental editing is typically the first stage in the editing process, occurring after the initial draft is completed. It may involve significant restructuring and rewriting to address broader issues before moving on to more detailed editing phases.

3. COPY EDITING

Copy editing is a more comprehensive process than proofreading and involves refining a text to ensure it is clear, concise, and accurate. The goal of copy editing is not just to correct surface-level errors, but also to enhance the overall quality of the writing. It involves checking for clarity, consistency, style, and readability, as well as ensuring the text meets the specific requirements or guidelines set by the author or publication.

Key tasks involved in copy editing include:

1. Grammar and Syntax: Correcting sentence structure, verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and ensuring proper word choice.
2. Spelling and Punctuation: Checking for typos, spelling errors, and ensuring proper use of punctuation marks (e.g., commas, periods, quotation marks).
3. Consistency: Ensuring consistency in spelling (e.g., British vs. American English), capitalization, formatting (e.g., font usage), and adherence to style guides (e.g., Chicago Manual of Style or AP Style).
4. Clarity and Readability: Making sure the writing flows well and is easy to understand. This may involve rewording awkward sentences, improving transitions between ideas, and eliminating unnecessary words or redundancies.
5. Fact-checking: Ensuring accuracy of information, especially for technical, scientific, or factual content, including verifying names, dates, and places.
6. Tone and Style: Ensuring that the tone of the writing is appropriate for the intended audience, whether it's formal, informal, persuasive, or conversational.

While proofreading focuses on correcting errors after a piece has been written, copy editing is more involved and aims to improve the overall structure, clarity, and precision of the writing before it’s finalized.

4. PROOFREADING

Proofreading is the process of carefully reviewing and checking a piece of writing for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. The goal is to ensure the text is free from mistakes and that it reads clearly and smoothly. It typically involves reading through the document multiple times, focusing on different aspects during each pass (e.g., one pass for spelling, another for grammar).

Key elements to check during proofreading include:

• Spelling errors: Typos or incorrectly spelled words.
• Grammar: Incorrect sentence structure, verb tense issues, and subject-verb agreement.
• Punctuation: Misplaced commas, periods, quotation marks, and other punctuation marks.
• Consistency: Ensuring the style, tone, and formatting are uniform throughout the text.
• Clarity: Making sure sentences are clear and easy to understand.

Proofreading typically happens as the final step in the writing process, after the text has been revised for content and structure.

5. TRANSLATION

Translation of picture books, chapter books and short non-fiction books as well as academic and business documents from Spanish and German into English and vice versa.

6. COPY WRITING

Copywriting is the art and science of writing text (or "copy") for the purpose of advertising, marketing, or any form of promotional communication. The goal of copywriting is to persuade, inform, or engage the target audience to take a specific action, such as making a purchase, signing up for a service, or clicking on a link.

Copywriting is used in various formats, including websites, advertisements, brochures, emails, product descriptions, social media posts, and more.

Key aspects of copywriting include:

1. Persuasion: The primary aim of copywriting is to persuade the reader to take a desired action. This could be anything from buying a product to subscribing to a newsletter or making a donation. Effective copywriting often taps into emotions, needs, or desires to motivate the reader.
2. Clarity and Brevity: Good copy is clear, concise, and easy to understand. Copywriters aim to communicate the message in as few words as possible while still conveying all the necessary information. This is particularly important in advertisements or digital formats where attention spans are short.
3. Target Audience: Successful copywriting requires a deep understanding of the target audience. Copywriters tailor their message to speak directly to the audience’s needs, wants, and interests, often using language that resonates with them.
4. Brand Voice and Tone: The voice and tone of the copy should be consistent with the brand’s overall identity. Whether the brand is formal, casual, humorous, or authoritative, the copy should reflect that personality to establish trust and authenticity.
5. Call to Action (CTA): Copywriting often includes a "call to action" – a statement or instruction that prompts the reader to take action, such as "Buy Now," "Learn More," or "Get Started." The CTA should be clear and compelling.

Examples of copywriting include:

• Ads: A slogan or tagline like "Just Do It" (Nike) or "Have it Your Way" (Burger King).
• Websites: Descriptive content or landing pages that persuade visitors to make a purchase or sign up for a service.
• Social Media Posts: Catchy captions or promotional content designed to engage users and encourage interaction.

In summary, copywriting is a skillful form of writing aimed at influencing and persuading the audience to act, typically in a way that benefits a brand, product, or service.