Welcome to Burr Editorial Services

What Are Editorial Services and Why Do You Need Them?

What is proofreading?

Put simply, proofreading is a final check of a document before it is published, printed or emailed.

In publishing, it will involve checking for errors made by (or missed by) the copyeditor and/or typesetter.

More generally, anyone who produces any type of written text could use a proofreader. Proofreading is only about checking for, and correcting, errors or mistakes. It is not an opportunity for the proofreader to re-write someone else’s work.

Proofreading does, however, cover a lot more than one might think – as well as spelling, grammar and punctuation, it will often involve checking illustrations, tables, bullet lists, footnotes, etc. For a website, it would also involve checking that all active links work and navigate the user to the correct page.

What is proof-editing?

Proof-editing is a little more involved and is often used as a shortcut to save time and money, rather than using a copyeditor and a proofreader.

It may also be used by individuals who only produce small pieces of written material, for example an advertisement or a leaflet.

Proof-editing would involve all proofreading tasks but also include re-writing to improve on clarity, sense and consistency. It can also mean altering the tone of a piece so that it is more in line with the target audience.

What is a house style?

A house style is a document that collates all of the style, formatting and spelling decisions you make as a business. Yes – there are spelling decisions to be made! Consider learned versus learnt or customisation versus customization. It can also involve compiling a list of specific terminology that your business uses – especially important in technology companies. Applying consistency makes your business look more professional and means that you are sure to be giving the same message to your clients.

Why do you need any of these services?

If it still isn’t clear on why you might benefit from these services, here are some questions to ask yourself and help you decide:

• Do you use UK or US English? Would either alienate any of your client base or put them off wanting to use your business? Do you know that if you choose to use US English, there is a different set of punctuation conventions that should be used too?
• Are you using AI to generate text, for example letters and reports? Are you worried that this could produce errors that are not spotted? Do you want to use AI but don’t want to use US English spellings? Are you worried about security or data breaches when using AI with sensitive information?
• Are you fed up of seeing advertisements with typos or pesky possessive Ss instead of plurals? Would you like your marketing materials double-checked to ensure you don’t end up with any embarrassing mistakes?
• Do you collate written text from multiple people and want to ensure a consistent style and voice?

If the answer is “yes” to any of the above then please get in touch!