First of all, send a query to me well in advance of your deadline. It is frustrating for a copyeditor to get the message “I must have the revised text back the day after tomorrow”. Most likely I will answer, “Sorry, but I’m right now working on a text and there is another waiting”.

At this first contact I will want to know how long your text is and when your deadline is.

When you have agreed terms and conditions with me, go through your manuscript.

  • Make sure your text is complete and coherent
  • Be consistent – if you use, for example, American English (see this page), have American spelling throughout

If your text is intended as a paper for a journal, do also the following:

  • Read the style guide of the journal and follow it closely
  • Check that all references in the text and in your reference list follow the rules of the journal
Make sure you follow the instructions!

Before you send your text to me, save it in Microsoft Word. In the case of a paper, let me know the name of the journal you will send it to. If it is a licentiate or doctoral thesis or a book, send one chapter at a time.

What happens when you have sent your text to me?

You can read about how I will work with your text here.

When you have got the revised version from me

I use the Track changes function, and you can easily see my insertions or deletions. You can right click a word or a phrase that I have changed and accept or ignore my suggestion. You can also accept all changes by clicking on the Review tab and the Show Markup button. You must clear all options except the Formatting option. Click on the Accept option and choose Accept All Changes Shown (do not select Accept All Changes in Document). Use the Show Markup tool to choose the changes you want Word to show.