Editing

Whether your draft needs a ‘heavy’ substantive edit or just a light copy-edit, you can count on us to get the job done to a high standard.

We’re respected (if not always liked!) for the tough, no-nonsense approach we take to substantive editing. We challenge ideas or data that don’t convince, point out gaps or imbalances in the argument, cut repetitive text, and restructure aggressively if needed. You remain the owner of the final product, however – and you can always ask us to back off if you think we’ve come on too strong.

When it comes to copy-editing, we’re a bit more laid back – but only a bit: we’ll still re-order your text if we think that’s needed, keep a sharp ear out for prose rhythm, and correct faults in grammar, syntax, spelling and punctuation; and we’re obsessive about consistency in such areas as hyphenation and the use of caps or lower case. Annoyingly, we’ll take a detailed look at your references and come back to you for missing details. We’re not totally nerdish, though – and can sometimes be persuaded that the best is the enemy of the good.

We can edit to your styleguide, if you have one; alternatively, we can use our own, which you can download from this website or ask us to send to you.

View a selection of things we’ve edited:

Thematic reports and books | Annual reports and highlights
Meeting reports | Brochures booklets and leaflets | Policy briefs
Newsletters and articles | Corporate identities and promotional packs
Multi-language editions and translations | Manuals and training materials
Websites | Interactive blogs | Powerpoint presentations
Communication strategy and impact | Capacity building