My Services
Copy editing services
- Working on draft copy
- Correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar in line with house style
- Check tone, flow, and readability
- Ensure consistency re; spelling, capitalisation, date and number formats, etc.
- Marking up structure and calling out tables, figures, etc.
- Checking and reordering tables and figures, and illustration numbering
- Cross-checking content against captions and permissions
- Flagging potential legal issues
- Querying potential inaccurate facts
- Formatting citations and references to specific style
Proofreading
- Working on edited text
- Final checks for essential errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- Minor changes for sense
- House style – check all elements for consistency
- Tables and figures present, correct, and consecutively numbered
- Citations and references correctly formatted
Pricing (PoA)
Pricing is based on timing, expectations, level of intervention, and many other aspects which can affect costs, for example, a straight copy edit of a manuscript that doesn’t require fact checking or references cross-checked with citations will be priced differently to a work of the same word count that does. To work out a fee, it’s crucial to get a clear brief and see a sample of the work.
Fees are bespoke and contingent upon many factors, as outlined above. Each project is individually and carefully examined for what value I can bring and how long it will take me to do so. Budgetary constraints are also considered. Best thing is to just send a sample of the work, your deadline, your budget, and what you hope to see as an outcome and we can take it from there.
Testimonials
Happy Customers
“I owe a huge thank you to my editor, Lesley Wyldbore. Her meticulous scrutiny and fine-tuning of my manuscript enhanced it immensely.”
The Best of Times: Notes on a Busy Life. Colin Fitzgerald, December 2019
“[Thanks to] Lesley for copy-editing and attention to detail… really helped pick up the final few issues and polish the text.”
Reporting the Siege of Sarajevo. Kenneth Morrison and Paul Lowe, July 2020
“Again very excellent work. I am extremely happy. […] my supervisor says the proofreading was well done without destroying the context, content and key message.”
Corporate Governance Policies across SOEs in Liberia, West Africa (PhD dissertation). Isaac Gblee, April 2023
“Lesley, your support, humor, guidance and editing were really something… I enthusiastically endorse your professionalism and positivity. Thank you again, Tom.”
How to Become an Ambassador: An American Foreign Service (Retired) American Ambassador Tom Armbruster, February 2020
“I thank Lesley for her excellent editorial assistance with the manuscript.”
Confronting South Korea’s Next Crisis. Professor Jaejoon Woo, June 2021
“Lesley guided me through a first draft to full re-write to final editing of my book. Lesley was patient, insightful and is an excellent editor with an eye for detail as well as the bigger picture. I would highly recommend Lesley to other authors and look forward to working with her again in the future.”
Directorship. A. Person. December 2021
“Gratitude for [Lesley’s] thoughtful and masterly polishing of the original manuscript.”
Ernesto Nathan Rogers: The Modern Architect as Public Intellectual. Professor Maurizio Sabini, October 2020
“Lesley’s excellent communication throughout the editing process allowed us to forge a brilliant professional relationship. All my questions with regard to content and grammar were answered quickly and professionally. Lesley has a great sense of humour… and I feel as if I’ve known her for many years… [to] give your book the respect it deserves, I can highly recommend Lesley.”
The Son Returns. Jonathan Hughes, July 2022