FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

• What types of services do you offer?
• Do you charge per word or per page or by the hour?
• What payment options are available?
• Can you provide examples of published books you have edited?
• Where can I get a copy of published books you have edited?
• Are you associated with any particular book publisher?
• Where are you located?
• Can I meet up with you face to face?
• What type of English dictionary do you use - e.g. Australian, UK or US?
• Are you familiar with standard referencing and citation styles and formatting of bibliographies?
• What types of files/documents do you accept?
• What is Track Changes (MS Word)?
• What is Record Changes (OpenOffice)?
• What is Track Changes (Pages for Mac)?
• What is the PDF Comment and Markup tool (Adobe Acrobat)?
• Do you edit non-fiction book manuscripts?
• Do you edit fiction book manuscripts? Do you edit novels?
• Do you edit biographies and memoirs?
• Do you edit cookbooks?
• Do you edit ebooks?
• Do you treat ebook manuscripts any differently to print book manuscripts?
• Do you edit poetry?
• Do you provide ghost writing services for writing books?
• Do you provide typesetting/formatting and book design services?
• Do you provide ebook formatting or conversion services?
• How do I know that you are a qualified editor?
• How do I know that you are the right editor for my project?
• How do I ensure my document or manuscript is copyright protected?

A: We usually quote for the whole job rather than by word count or number of pages or an hourly rate but we do require an approximate total word count for a quote.

Individual whole-job quotes are based on a combination of the total number of words combined with the amount of work required, taking into account the complexity, readability, consistency and estimated effort required for corrections and changes. If quotes were based solely on word count or number of pages they would by necessity be inflated to allow for the unknown; and quotes simply indicating an hourly rate do not make for a good comparison as total time taken by different editors may vary considerably.

Note that additional work required as a result of significant changes to the original manuscript on which the quote was based may incur extra charges.

For editing or proofreading, please submit a copy of your document or manuscript, along with details of the type of service you require and your timeframe/deadlines, and we will review and provide a quote.

Please note: your document or manuscript, along with your information, will be treated with complete confidentiality.

A: Yes, I can provide a variety of examples of published books that we have edited.

I am very happy to say that I have worked with many published authors – editing and proofreading their book manuscripts – including some bestsellers. A selection of published books edited.

A: Many of our clients' books are available online.

Note that for some of these titles, Jewel See Editing was responsible for all editing and proofreading stages whereas for others, major editing stages were performed but not the final proofreading stage or alternatively for a small number of books we provided proofreading services only. A selection of client books available online.

A: No, Jewel See Editing is an independent business.

Although I have done some contract editing work for publishers in the past (and may choose to do so again in the future), Jewel See Editing as a business is independent of any particular publisher.

A: I have recently moved from Mount Gravatt, Brisbane to Townsville (Queensland, Australia).

But I am not limited by geography so I am happy to work with you wherever you are and I communicate with you by email and phone.

My time zone is Australian Eastern Standard time (UTC/GMT +10 hours) - note that Queensland has no daylight saving.

A: Yes, that is possible (by appointment only).

If you wish to meet in person and you live locally in Townsville or are planning to visit then contact me and we can arrange a meeting, otherwise I can communicate with you by email and phone.

My time zone is Australian Eastern Standard time (UTC/GMT +10 hours) - note that Queensland has no daylight saving.

A: This will depend on the author's requirements and should take into account both where the book or document is to be published and the main intended target audience.

By default we would use Australian spelling for Australian publications but on request will cater for other audiences such as the UK or the US. For example, we have had considerable experience converting American English to Australian English and vice versa and are comfortable to work with either so please advise us in advance of your English language preference. Note that many manuscripts we see have a mix of Australian and US spelling so part of our task is to make the language and spelling consistent throughout your manuscript or document.

A: Yes, we have edited many academic papers and PhD and Masters theses, and other non-fiction manuscripts which required references to be noted and acknowledged in a bibliography or list of references.

Please let us know which referencing style you require for your publication (e.g. Harvard, APA, AGLC, Chicago etc.), or alternatively feel free to discuss your requirements and I can offer my suggestions. Also, if you have a particular style guide to which you would like your document or manuscript to conform, then please let us know in advance.

A: Microsoft Word has a feature called Track Changes which may be enabled to record all changes (additions/modifications/deletions) to a MS Word document.

The author may then review the changes and decide whether or not to accept individual changes one by one, or in blocks (selected text), or accept or reject all changes made throughout the document as as whole.

For more information - Track Changes for MS Word - where you may also download a sample MS Word document with tracked changes.

A: OpenOffice has a feature called Record Changes which may be enabled to record all changes (additions/modifications/deletions) to an OpenOffice document.

The author may then review the changes and decide whether or not to accept individual changes one by one, or accept or reject all changes made.

For more information - Record Changes for OpenOffice - where you may also download a sample OpenOffice text document with recorded changes.

A: Pages (for Mac) has a feature called Track Changes which may be enabled to record all changes (additions/modifications/deletions) to a Pages document.

The author may then review the changes and decide whether or not to accept individual changes one by one, or in blocks (selected text), or accept or reject all changes made throughout the document as as whole.

For more information - Track Changes for Pages for Mac - where you may also download a sample Pages document with tracked changes.

A: Adobe Acrobat has a tool called Comment and Markup Tool which can be used to mark changes (corrections/additions/deletions) via Adobe Acrobat Pro, to a PDF document.

The author may then view the marked-up PDF using the free Adobe Acrobat Reader. Note that the author will then need to make any changes or corrections highlighted by the editor back into the original copy of their document or manuscript.

For more information - PDF Comment and Markup Tool - where you may also download a sample PDF document with markup.

A: Yes, we do edit non-fiction book manuscripts.

We have experience editing a range of non-fiction book manuscripts across a variety of subjects and specialties from business and marketing, to sporting greats, from home building and healthy homes to mental health, personal and professional development and academic texts.
For some published examples, refer to list of latest books edited.

A: Yes, we do edit fiction book manuscripts, novels and creative works.

We have experience editing books across a range of fiction genres from general fiction and Aussie fiction to romance and chick lit to murder mystery and international thrillers.
For some published examples, refer to list of latest books edited.

A: Yes, we do edit biographies, autobiographies and memoirs and have also worked on novels which were based on true life stories.

We love to hear about people's stories - real stories, real people!
For some published examples, refer to list of latest books edited.

A: Yes, we do edit cookbook manuscripts.

In fact, we've had quite a bit of experience editing cookbooks including books from the best-selling 4 Ingredients cookbook series to Aussie Dampers and Camp Cooking, to international cuisine. For some published examples, refer to list of latest books edited.

A: Yes, we edit ebook manuscripts or manuscripts that may end up as either (or both) electronic books and print books.

For some published examples, refer to list of latest books edited.

A: The actual editing of ebook and print manuscripts is pretty much the same – the process primarily focuses on the language, the actual text, which is not likely to differ too much.

The main differences arise in the book design and formatting stage so make sure your designer/formatter is aware of requirements for formatting an ebook as compared to a print book.

A couple of things to handle with care when considering releasing your book as an ebook are colours and images/diagrams/tables etc. embedded in your manuscript. Note that some current dedicated ebook readers and many of the older ereaders may handle black and white only and are more suited to plain text than fancy layouts and images (some may not even support images or hyperlinks). Newer ereader models and multi-functional devices are likely to support a greater range of features from colours and hyperlinks through to fully embedded multimedia but do consider your potential audience and whether their current devices can handle the content/format you intend to produce.

It is not uncommon for authors to release both print and ebook versions of their books. In this case, from an editor's point of view, there may be little difference between the two versions but I would advise that both versions be proofread after formatting/design as errors are likely to be introduced in the formatting stage for each version of your book (no matter how careful the formatter).

A: No, editing poety is not within our areas of expertise.

A: No, but we can provide editorial advice and writing coaching for partially complete manuscripts or early drafts of manuscripts or articles that you may be struggling to complete.

A: No, but we may be able to recommend book design services or typesetting services on request.

A: No, but we can recommend ebook formatting or conversion services on request.

A: I (Wendy Smith) am a full member of the (Australian) Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) and its Queensland branch Editors Queensland.

Full (professional) membership of IPEd means that I (Wendy) am recognised by IPEd and my peers as a qualified and experienced professional editor. IPed has a strict vetting process to ensure that only professional, qualified and experienced editors are granted full (professional) membership of the organisation.

In addition, given that editing is a skill that needs to be developed over time via hands-on experience, refer to some examples of published books that I have edited and feedback from authors: list of latest books edited.

A: Well, you can talk to me (via phone or email) and take a look at the work I have done in the past and have the assurance that I am a full member of the (Australian) Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) - refer to FAQ above about IPEd.

Tell me what you need from an editor or proofreader and discuss your requirements with me and ask me questions to help you decide. And, by the way, if I think we are not the right editors for your project then I will tell you and suggest you find another editor.

Take a look at some examples of published books that I have edited and feedback from authors: list of latest books edited.

A: In Australia, your manuscript and your written works, and other creative works, are automatically protected by copyright.

Copyright protection is free and applies automatically, in Australia, when material is created and there is NO registration system for copyright in Australia. Therefore, as soon as you have written your book (whether hand written, typed, digitally stored etc.), you are automatically the copyright owner of that work, that manuscript, that book.

Then again, I believe it is still a good idea to assert your rights by including a copyright notice in your publications and documents (including your manuscript before it is actually published), e.g. Copyright © 2017 Wendy Smith

Note that Copyright does not protect ideas, information, styles or techniques, names, titles or slogans, and should not be confused with registered trade marks.

Refer to the Australian Copyright Council for more information about copyright in Australia.

If you are publishing outside of Australia then you should first investigate the copyright laws that apply in that jurisdiction. In some cases there are international agreements in place that will extend copyright protection between countries, e.g. the Australia–US Free Trade Agreement.

I recommend that before signing any contract with a publisher you seek legal advice from a legal professional with experience in Copyright Law regarding any transfer of rights (whether that be limited rights or full copyright) and ensure you protect your interests now and into the future.

As for your dealings with us, we assure you that your copyright will not be infringed or in any way affected by us and that your document or manuscript will be treated with confidentiality. Furthermore, we assure you that your privacy will be respected in regard to any personal details or information you provide us in the course of our dealings with you.

Contact us

Email: editing@jewelsee.com.au

ABN: 33 093 723 653