Copy editing is the last editorial phase in preparing a manuscript for publication; occurring after content and overall structure are set. Copy editing focuses principally on language and writing, rather than on content, though content may be addressed especially if the work has not undergone developmental editing. Both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts need copy editing to produce an accurate, polished work that creates a smooth read. Depending on the amount of editorial changes a manuscript requires, copy editing may range from light to heavy. (Very heavy editing is known as 'substantive editing', which is charged at a different rate – please refer to my 'Substantive Editing' service.) As your copy editor, I will: - Edit your work for clarity, consistency within your theme, style, and flow; - Review and correct or enhance sentence and paragraph structure, syntax, and writing; - Review and correct basic document elements such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation; - Recognise and honour your voice as an author (e.g. in fiction, when grammatical rules are intentionally broken); - Respect you as the expert in your field; while I am 100% comfortable with highlighting errors or inconsistencies, I will communicate this respectfully. - Edit for consistency of style throughout the work. If an author plans to submit to a specific publishing house that has an in-house style sheet, or an author is writing within a discipline that requires a specific style such as APA or Harvard referencing, I will edit in accordance with that publisher’s or discipline's requirements. However, if no specification is provided, I will copy edit following the widely-accepted Chicago Manual of Style. - Edit your document electronically in Word. According to your preference I will return two documents: a clean, ready-to-use edited manuscript, and an edited, red-lined manuscript wit