Frequently asked questions

Getting started

How fast can you turn my document around?

Let us know your deadline when you get in touch, and we’ll confirm what’s possible in our first reply, which usually comes within a few hours during our support hours. Turnaround runs from payment rather than from when you place the order.

What file formats do you work with?

Mainly Microsoft Word and Google Docs, though we also handle LaTeX, PowerPoint, and PDF by arrangement. If your document is in another format, just ask.

Is my document confidential?

Yes: we share your document only with the people working on it, and we’re happy to sign an NDA for sensitive material.

Why are there no client examples on this site?

We keep client work confidential, so we don’t name clients or quote from their documents, and that rules out case studies and example edits. Our guides will give you a sense of how we think about writing and editing.

The editing itself

Will editing change my voice?

Editing shouldn’t change your voice. We sharpen the precision and tone of the writing while keeping what makes it yours, and because every change comes back tracked, you can reject anything that doesn’t sound like you.

Can I get a clean copy with all the changes accepted?

We deliver tracked changes only. Reviewing the edits and answering our margin comments is an integral part of the editing process, since many comments need a decision that only you can make.

Do you check my references?

As standard, we check that your references are consistently formatted to your style guide and that every source exists. That check matters most in AI-assisted drafts, which can cite sources that don’t exist.

If you’d also like us to confirm that each source supports the argument it’s cited for, that falls under developmental editing, and we’re happy to quote for it alongside the edit.

Can you cut my word count?

We can usually cut 5 to 10% without losing substance. Beyond that, cutting means removing content, so we highlight what could go and you decide what stays.

Will my document be completely error-free?

We edit carefully, but no editor can guarantee perfection. If we miss something material, let us know and we’ll put it right at no charge.

Can you provide an editing certificate?

Yes, and there’s no extra charge. Some journals ask for proof that a manuscript has been professionally edited, and institutions and employers sometimes ask too, so let us know if you need one and we’ll issue it with your edited document.

The certificate gives your manuscript title, its authors, the date editing was completed, and your order number. It confirms that we edited the document for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and style, taking care not to alter your meaning. It also states that a qualified human editor was in the loop on every change and that all changes came back tracked for you to accept or reject.

What if I change the document after you return it?

Questions about the edit are always welcome, and reviewing small follow-up changes costs nothing. Our work covers the text we edited, so if you revise substantially after delivery, we’ll quote for a further round of editing. If you’re working to a deadline, make your changes first and send us the final version.

AI-assisted writing

My draft started life in ChatGPT. Is that a problem?

That’s no problem: refining AI-assisted drafts is one of our specialties. We check every claim and source, and we edit the text so that it’s accurate and on-brand and reads as your own, however it was first drafted.

Can you lower my AI-detection score?

No, and we don’t take on work with that goal. Detectors aren’t reliable: they can flag careful human writing as artificial and pass AI-generated text as human (Gonçalves & Gonçalves, 2026; Weber-Wulff et al., 2023), so no editor can promise you a particular score.

We can edit your document so that it reads as clear, natural, human writing, but if the brief is “get me under a threshold”, we’re not the right service for you.

Do you run my document through AI or plagiarism checkers?

No, we don’t use detection tools of any kind or evaluate your writing against them, so we can’t guarantee any effect on an AI, plagiarism, or similarity score. Our editors judge writing the way your readers will: on the page.

Students and academics

I’m a student. Can you edit my thesis?

We can, within your institution’s rules on editorial help. We polish the language and clarity, while the ideas and the argument remain yours. Send us your institution’s policy along with the draft, and we’ll work to it.

Will you write it for me?

For business and professional work, we can: we ghostwrite articles, posts, talks, and briefing papers, drawing on an interview with you and the material you already have. We don’t take on books or memoirs, which need someone to inhabit your voice for months.

We never ghostwrite any part of what a student submits for a degree. If you’re a student staring at a blank page, coaching is the help we can offer: we work alongside you while you write it yourself.

Money

Do you offer discounts?

We don’t discount our rates. If a quote doesn’t fit your budget, tell us: we can usually adjust the scope so the price lands where you need it.

Will editing guarantee publication, a grade, or a won contract?

No editor can promise acceptance, and you should be wary of one who does: reviewers, examiners, and clients judge the substance of your work. We can make sure that the language doesn’t get in the way and that your writing shows your thinking at its best.