ndeed, Chaucer had it right in his quote of 1385, except that he was off the mark by almost a millennium. With the whirlwind pace of technological change, new words are introduced and other words become obsolete almost faster than we become accustomed to them. And recently, the same advancements in technology are enabling writers to have their words recognized without the impediments of traditional methods of publication. (For more information on the editorial and publication cycle, visit my Editorial Process page).

You may have some initial reservations about working via e-mail and the Internet with a professional manuscript editor—online—whom you don’t know and are unlikely ever to meet. After all, only a brief fifteen years ago, this kind of professional exchange was virtually unheard of, except perhaps if you happened to be connected with a big research university or laboratory.

Well, it’s long past the era when scientists and academics dominated Internet for publishing purposes. In the twenty-first century, the Web is every writer’s domain, and the publication process—particularly working with a professional manuscript editor online—is often faster, more hassle-free and even more economical than the traditional route. After all, you’re in complete control at every stage of the process, and the scope of the Web allows you to freely compare manuscript editing service prices, quality, suitability, turnaround time and other variables, and make an informed decision accordingly.

Internet ethics
From an ethical standpoint, I can assure you of unsurpassable integrity, a commitment to excellent service, a deep work ethic and my assurance of a final product of the highest, most professional quality, whether we work locally or via the Internet. You are welcome to contact any of my authors, publishers or colleagues for references. Equally high are my standards in every business transaction I undertake.

Editing options—long distance style
From a practical aspect, depending on your comfort level with technology, I offer two methods of working through the editorial process. After our initial contact and a free estimate, you can select the kind of editing procedure that suits you best. After you’ve delivered your manuscript to me via e-mail, via post or in person, you may choose from the following two options. These days, the first option of working online is by far the most common, with most authors having found a certain comfort level with electronic editing:

• Edit using the "track changes" feature in Word. I will edit directly to your electronic MS Word document, using Word’s track changes editing/reviewing feature. When I’m done, I’ll return the edited document to you via e-mail, with the track changes showing. You’ll be able to view all my changes along with the time, date and any comments or suggestions I’ve made, after which you can accept or reject the changes and address the comments. With comments of a more extensive nature, I’ll send a separate e-mail with queries. For more information on how to use Word’s track changes feature, see my Tips on using Track Changes in MS Word. If you have any difficulties with or questions about tracked changes, I will help you to learn how to use this easy tool, guiding you through the process step by step.

• Edit manually (on paper only). I can simply print out your document and edit it manually (by making the changes on the hard copy). I’ll then return the marked-up manuscript to you by mail, leaving you to transfer the changes and corrections to your electronic document. Bear in mind, however, that this process is inherently flawed since you will be inputting the changes yourself, and the likelihood of new errors being introduced into the electronic file is high.

A professional result
In either case, you’ll have a thoroughly edited document, complete with my comments and suggestions.

After the manuscript editing is complete and the changes and corrections have been incorporated, the edited file will be sent to your book designer for layout and typesetting. You may then decide to hire me again for proofreading of the page proofs, or to hire another editor for this important stage. Your proofreader will do a final comparison with the original manuscript to make sure every alteration has been captured in the page proofs, including formatting decisions such as heading fonts, italics or boldface type. When you and your proofreader—whether it’s me or another editor—are both satisfied that every detail has been caught, you may be assured of the highest level of service, and you’ll have a professional finished product that you’ll be proud to see in print.