What is the Best Editing & Proofreading Service?

Like most things you want to find, one of the quickest and easiest ways to start looking for editing and proofreading services is Google.  What you may not expect, however, is that you will find hundreds—if not thousands—of editing companies and freelancers around the world; the number of options is nothing short of overwhelming.  You might wonder which professional editing service is the best, but what you should really ask yourself is, “What is the best professional editing service for me?”  The purpose of this brief article is to help you answer that important question.  In doing so, you will be able to narrow down countless options to find a reputable, appropriate, skilled, timely, transparent, priced fairly, and responsive editing service.

7 Features of the Best Editing & Proofreading Services

1. Reputable. Finding a reputable and trustworthy editor for your work is a must.  People can create a basic webpage, call themselves “editors,” and talk up the great services they provide.  However, it is worth taking a few minutes to investigate who is on the receiving end of your document.  The Better Business Bureau is a great free resource that allows you to compare provider grades and see customer complaints.  If you come across an individual offering services and they use a personal email address (@gmail.com, @yahoo.com, @outlook.com, etc.), proceed with caution unless you have received a recommendation from someone you trust.
2. Appropriate. Think about choosing an editing provider like you would a pair of shoes.  Just as you would not purchase a pair of sneakers for a black tie event, you should not choose an editing service that does not match your needs and document type.  If you are working on a cookbook, it is not necessary to spend time reviewing companies that specialize in theses and dissertations.
3. Highly Skilled. You would not trust your writing with someone you pass on the street, so spend some time checking the credentials of who will do your editing when you find a provider online.  If you read phrases like, “our team of editors” or “our professionals,” but you are unable to locate editor bios or credentials, it might be a bad sign that the company or service does not want to highlight the editors’ skills or backgrounds.
4. Timely. Any quality editing service will provide you with an expected turnaround time for your document.  It is even better when you can find a company that is willing and able to work on your schedule and honor your requests for a specific deadline, even if you need something the same day.
5. Transparent. If you find an editing service provider that does not show a physical mailing address or detailed contact information, you might want to look elsewhere for an editor.  When a provider makes it difficult to locate their contact information, they likely did so intentionally.
6. Priced Fairly. A quality editing service will not conceal their prices and will charge all clients the same rate, whether that is per word (the best option) or by the page (an acceptable option).  If an editing service determines the prices by examining your document first, be sure you understand how their rates are determined.
7. A quality editing service provider will give you a way to communicate with your editor, whether to make requests before editing begins or to ask follow-up questions after you receive your edited document.  Responsiveness and friendly customer support are important features of any great business.

In short, use your best judgment when choosing an editing services company.  There are many options available, and we offer these suggestions so you can make the most informed decision possible.

About Editor World: Writing, Editing, & Proofreading Services

Editor World offers professional document editing and proofreading services at affordable rates. We are experts in editing business documents, academic documents, books, ESL documents, personal documents, and all other written documents. All writers and editors on our team are native English speakers. We are an award-winning writing, editing, and proofreading company with an A+ BBB rating.