Editor guide
What we do
We are a dynamic language services provider catering to clients in research and academia, art and culture, business, and the public sector. We aim to deliver crisp, imaginative and easily accessible content, often tackling complex subjects.
The majority of texts we work with are destined for publication and cover a variety of sources: works authored by native English speakers or multilingual authors, and translations from other languages. Our particular expertise lies in understanding the unique requirements faced by writers working in their second language.
We thrive on collaboration with copyeditors who have a strong background in one or more of our key subject areas, coupled with a genuine passion for language, communication, and the intricate cognitive processes that underpin them. Our premium copyediting service combines meticulous attention to technical detail with a keen awareness of factual accuracy, clarity and coherence.
Editing options we offer
We offer our clients a choice between four levels of copyediting:
Premium editing (standard option)
The standard level (and pay rate) applies by default. If you believe that a text would benefit from a different level of edit, please let your project manager know before you accept the assignment. We will then discuss it with the client and seek their approval.
If only basic editing is required, we will confirm this with you in advance.
Basic editing
Our basic copyediting service requires you to:
Fix grammar, spelling and punctuation
Fix basic style and register issues (especially misused words and unidiomatic language)
Ensure logical textual structure (headings, numbering, graphics, notes, lists, etc.)
Flag redundancy and ambiguity (add a short comment; no solution required)
Flag apparent factual and logical errors (add a short comment; no solution required)
Always run an additional spelling check after your final pass through the text
Please note that many texts we work with are either written by non-native English speakers or have been translated into English by a non-native speaker. Therefore, we ask you to pay particular attention to and correct any misused words or phrases and unidiomatic language (e.g. false friends), even if the grammar and spelling are correct.
Premium editing
Our premium copyediting service involves technical copyediting (CIEP Level 1), with occasional rephrasing of passages (CIEP Level 2, up to 20% of the text), and almost no reconstruction or rewriting (CIEP Level 3).
Our premium copyediting service requires you to:
Fix grammar, spelling and punctuation
Fix style and register issues (especially misused words and unidiomatic language)
Establish a consistent style
Ensure conformity to a style sheet (if provided)
Ensure logical textual structure (headings, numbering, graphics, notes, lists, etc.)
Delete redundancies and correct ambiguities
Ensure basic factual accuracy and consistency of content
Flag apparent inaccuracies and inconsistencies
Ensure clarity and coherence of content
Ensure consistency of key terminology
Fix in-text references, cross-references and bibliography (if relevant)
Rewrite individual sentences occasionally as necessary
Add comments to flag any remaining issues to be addressed before publication
Always run an additional spelling check after your final pass through the text
Please note that many texts we work with are either written by non-native English speakers or have been translated into English by a non-native speaker. Therefore, we ask you to pay particular attention to and correct any misused words or phrases and unidiomatic language (e.g. false friends), even if the grammar and spelling are correct.
Substantive editing
Our substantive copyediting service covers premium editing, plus moderate rephrasing of passages (CIEP Level 2, up to 35% of the text), and some reconstruction or rewriting (CIEP Level 3).
Deep editing
A deep edit covers premium editing, plus significant rephrasing of passages (CIEP Level 2) throughout the text (up to 50% of the text), and moderate reconstruction and rewriting (CIEP Level 3) or adding comments to explain why the text is difficult to follow and requires rewriting.
Rush rates
We can usually apply rush rates when the client needs us to edit more than 3,000 words per workday or if we need to work over the weekend. Our rush rates are your regular rates for basic/premium/substantive/deep editing (as appropriate) plus 25 to 50%.
To apply rush rates, please raise this with your project manager before you accept a project/assignment.
Editing at Refiner
Working with the text
When working on an assignment, you can engage with the text in three ways as appropriate:
Make changes in the text (using tracked changes)
Suggest changes or options (adding in-file comments)
Flag problematic passages and add questions for the client (adding in-file comments)
Please try to resolve all issues by making changes directly in the text instead of just leaving a comment. Even if you are not quite sure, go ahead and make changes in the text as you consider appropriate, offering your best interpretation, all things considered, and then leave a comment to flag the issue for the client.
If the text is too unclear to decide on an edit, please suggest plausible options for rewriting rather than just pointing out that the text is unclear. Clearly presented alternatives will help the client or author to resolve the issue and save time for everyone.
Where the text is too unclear even to suggest plausible options for editing without additional input from the client/author, flag the passage for the client. Please do not feel concerned that the client might perceive this as unfinished work and would prefer a clean document – we are happy to discuss any problematic passages with our clients to achieve the best possible result.
However, please avoid flagging passages just to save time and gloss over problems that could reasonably be resolved without client input. Instead, we may be able to agree on a higher level of edit to cover the extra work required to fix a problematic text.
Feedback
We strive to provide our editors with feedback as often as possible. While we cannot do so for every assignment, rest assured that we send feedback whenever the client shares their comments or when your edit undergoes an in-house review by another editor. Our feedback is always intended to be friendly and constructive, ensuring that we are all aligned and working towards the same goal – the client is satisfied with our work and you are happy with our project management and briefing process.
To help us achieve this, we encourage you to share your thoughts with us. Whether it's constructive criticism to help us improve or positive feedback to highlight what we did well and what you'd like to see more of, your input is valuable and appreciated.