Ways of working
When it comes to marking up your documents, we can work in whatever way suits you best. Usually editing and proofreading are carried out electronically, using the built-in tracking/annotation tools on standard software such as Microsoft Word and Adobe Reader/Acrobat. Other options for marking up amendments, queries and suggestions are available, depending on your requirements. In every case, we take care to mark up your documents as clearly as possible.
Yes. We’re very happy to come and work from your office, whether it’s just for one day or for an extended period of time. Working from your office allows for direct collaboration which can provide many benefits when providing editorial support.
Over time, we have developed a robust set of processes and procedures for management of both of our business operations and client projects. Our quality management system is accredited to ISO 9001:2015 and is audited every year.
In some circumstances, we understand that an out-of-hours service may be needed to meet project deadlines. With advance notice, we may be able to provide some out-of-hours cover – but this usually requires more notice than cover for standard working hours and we charge a higher rate for an out-of-hours service.
Once you have completed the copy-editing stage of a project, it means that you have signed-off, final ‘copy’ which is ready to be transferred into the format in which it will be published. We would recommend a further set of checks after transferring your copy into a proof (a version that looks like your final product) – this is the proofreading stage, which comes after the copy-editing stage – to ensure that errors have not been introduced between ‘copy’ and ‘proof’.
Every project is different, so it’s important that we take the time to understand your brief before choosing the right team members to support with your project.
Part of the challenge is to look for the right mix of technical skills and experience. But we also believe that rapport between a client and our team members is just as important. We think of it as matchmaking and have written a blog on the subject here.
Services
Absolutely. Style guides are a valuable tool for at every stage of the editorial process – from writing and editing, to copy-editing and proofreading – and they are essential to ensure consistency.
The first thing we do when creating a style guide is review a selection of your existing materials and talk to you about any existing style preferences you have. Typically, we create a first draft, seek your feedback on that, and then revise the guide according to your needs. Every style guide is different, and we will create a style guide that is completely tailored to the needs of your organisation.
To read more about style guides and how we can help you create one, see our blog about it here.
Copy-editing involves reviewing your final, agreed copy (usually a Microsoft Word document) for accuracy, consistency and clarity, producing a track changes version for you to review. The value of a copy-edit is that you are able to identify and resolve most problems before you get to design/proof stage, which minimises the number of corrections and iterations at later stages, saving time and money. If a document has been copy-edited, then proofreading is usually much quicker.
Proofreading occurs at the final stages of the project. A proofread involves reviewing your designed/typeset proof for accuracy, consistency, document structure and page layout, producing a marked-up proof (to provide an audit trail of all suggested amends and queries).
Editing occurs before your copy is completely final and usually involves more intervention in the text than copy-editing. An editing brief can cover many different areas, depending on your needs, the time available and the state of the copy itself. It can include substantive editing of text for clarity, tone of voice, to convey key messages, to repurpose for a different readership; restructuring and advising on the most appropriate structure; checking consistency and advising on editorial style; and some rewriting.
If you’re not sure what service you need, please just ask us and we’ll be happy to advise.
For more information, see our blog here
Of course. There are various ways we can proofread your website, so please get in touch to find out more.
See also our answer to ‘How do you go about proofreading websites?’
Yes. The type of editorial training we offer very much depends on what you need. From an introduction to proofreading, to learning to write more clearly, we can deliver training sessions in person or online.
Every editorial requirement is different and our solution is always tailormade, so please get in touch at hello@accuracymatters.co.uk if you would like to discuss training opportunities in more detail.
Our team is focused on providing editorial services; however, we also have a number of partners who we work with to provide associated services, such as graphic design, typesetting, formatting and print services. Talk to us if you’d like to find out how we can support your project end to end.
Yes, we can offer advice on a book you want to self-publish. We have a subsidiary company, The BookEd, with a team of book experts who can help with your questions. Visit the website here or contact hello@wearethebooked.com for more information.
Our approved list of suppliers includes writers and copywriters, with a range of backgrounds and specialisms, who can help with your writing project.
Yes. We have a growing reputation among our annual report clients for the accuracy and care with which we approach annual reports. A combination of high-quality, specialist annual report proofreaders and skilled project managers ensures that our clients’ annual reports are in safe hands.
Yes. We ensure that our approved supplier list includes editorial professionals with a wide range of subject specialisms. Please get in touch so we can discuss your specific requirements and we’ll then connect you with a subject expert.
We have a number of international clients and proven expertise at editing documents that have been written by those for whom English is not their first language. We understand the sensitivities involved, so please get in touch to discuss the particular requirements of your document.
Writing and communicating clearly are core to our business. We have successfully delivered training in the past on this subject, and feedback from our clients tells us that it makes a positive difference after the event.
We can create a training package that is delivered online or in person, tailored to your specific needs and budget. Please get in touch to find out more.
Definitely.
Our longstanding role as editorial professionals means that we’re ideally placed to offer training in proofreading (and other editorial skills).
Every proofreading training course is bespoke, so please get in touch to discuss your specific requirements.
The difference between copywriting and writing really comes down to the purpose of the writing.
Copywriting is used to sell or persuade someone to do something. For example, an advertisement in a magazine promoting the benefits of a particular shampoo, or website copy.
Writing encompasses everything else, and this is the type of writing that aims to educate or build relationships. For example, a report explaining the financial performance of a particular company, or a blog post.
To find out more, see our blog post on this topic here.
If you can give us access to your CMS – and there is a facility to see who has made changes (providing an audit trail) – then that’s often the best approach for proofreading websites.
However, that’s not always possible. There are various ways for us to track and communicate proofreading amendments to web copy, depending on your particular project requirements. The most efficient way to do this is to build a review stage in before text is uploaded to your web platform. That way, there should only be minor amendments remaining.
Once your web copy is in situ, we can recommend a process that suits you. Get in touch if you want to find out more.
Yes, printing your book or report is something we can support with. We are able to suggest suitable printers and provide oversight of the print process, if that’s what you need.
Pricing
When it comes to how much we charge, the answer is, it depends! We will review your project brief, specifications and text (if available) and propose a cost estimate based on the information available at that point. Your requirements may change throughout your project process and so our costs would change accordingly – for example, if the length of your document increases.
We need written confirmation that you would like us to proceed with the work requested, per our terms of service. Further to that, we will conform with your supplier terms/contract, so if that includes the requirement for a purchase order then we will request one from you. We will not proceed with work unless we have explicit written agreement from you.
The price for each project depends on a number of issues, including:
- the extent (page count, word count)
- the nature of the content (e.g. general, technical, research)
- the editorial brief (what you want us to do)
- the schedule, and
- any other special considerations (such as confidentiality, specifically trained/accredited personnel).
To work out the price of a project, we will review all these elements and propose a cost estimate.
Unless other payment terms are agreed at the outset, payment will be made within 30 days of receipt of Accuracy Matters’ invoice, according to the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.
Industries/Clients
Anything and everything – the sort of projects we work on range from brochures, posters and signage, through to multi-volume, multi-author official reports. We are specialists on non-fiction materials, usually for organisations. Our flexible team approach means that we are particularly well placed to support with high-volume editorial requirements, such as larger official and corporate reports.
Contact the team at our subsidiary, The BookEd, for help with book editing, coaching and accountability.
We are very lucky to have a wide range of clients that work with us.
Our clients can be roughly categorised in four main groups:
- UK government communications (including public inquiries and security-cleared, confidential reporting)
- corporate and statutory reporting
- supporting the publications/comms teams of nongovernmental and intergovernmental organisations (mostly international), and
- regular support for smaller UK-based content marketing/digital agencies, charities, businesses, universities and colleges.
However, we pride ourselves on being able to deliver for any kind of client, of any size or shape.
Yes, we have experience of public sector work. Accuracy Matters was founded as a result of the closure of the Central Office of Information (COI), an executive agency of the Cabinet Office. Many of our core team and freelance associates were civil servants or contractors for COI. This means that we understand the particular challenges of public sector work and the sensitivities involved.
We work on highly sensitive material, and we’re set up to take on projects where security is of the utmost importance.
Geographical location is no barrier to working with us. We have many international clients and so we are used to working across different time zones and taking this into consideration when planning project schedules, turnaround times and return times for documents.
Some of our staff are based in Europe (including France, Italy, Germany and Hungary) and Australia, meaning that we usually have availability over different global time zones.
We are very proud of the work we do for nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) and intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) around the world.
We have been providing editorial reviews and audits, substantive editing and repurposing, and copy-editing and proofreading services for NGOs and IGOs since 2014. Therefore, we understand the sensitivities and pressures faced by these clients.
To find out more about the work we do, see our blog here.
Yes, we have experience working with the private sector. Our client base is diverse, and we work for all kinds of private sector businesses, from content marketing and branding agencies to media groups and insurance agencies.
We are proud to work for large and small businesses, on any size of project. We treat all of our clients with the same courtesy and professionalism that you would expect.
General
If you’re interested in becoming a proofreader, we would be happy to talk to you over email or videocall about how to start your proofreading career. We’d strongly recommend joining the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) as a first step, as they have a wealth of information, support and training available.
Send your CV and some samples of your work (if available) to rachel@accuracymatters.co.uk.
To find out more about what it’s like working for us, see our blog here.
To get in contact with us for a new project, send an email to hello@accuracymatters.co.uk or fill in the online form here and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Our quality management system (QMS) is accredited to ISO 9001:2015 (the internationally recognised standard for quality management). The QMS is focused on putting clients first and supporting continual improvement, by aiming to ensure that our suppliers are of the highest quality, providing a framework for measuring and improving client satisfaction over time, and acting as a further guarantee that our clients can trust they will receive the best service possible.
Any other questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
