Bespoke Editorial Services

Specialisms: editing, copyediting, proofreading, developmental editing.

Preferred subject areas: fiction (including children’s stories, kids picture books and adult fiction), narrative non-fiction (memoir and travel writing).

Home

I offer:

Editing

I am a highly experienced editor, copyeditor and proofreader. I have been working in the field for over 20 years, offering freelance editorial services full-time since 2010. I have edited (copyedited and proofread) books, stories, articles, pamphlets and brochures in English, Hindi and German for over ten years. I work on short and long texts, and I welcome work in Hindi, English and German. I work on-screen using Word with tracked changes, and/or by marking up PDFs with BSI (British Standards Institution) proofreading marks.

Copyediting

I specialise in copyediting. I polish text for clarity and precision. Working across the copyediting spectrum to ensure that text is clear, correct, accurate and properly laid out, my key strengths address style and structure. By paying great attention to detail, I will determine that your final text meets the highest of standards.

I will:

Focus on organising, condensing, modifying and adapting text with the of making it clear, accurate and error-free
Fact-check, draft and re-draft, restructure, revise, and apply the correct house style
Analyse text on a sentence-by-sentence level and strictly work on improving grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax and structure
Check images, charts and tables to ensure they are precise and properly aligned
Raise a query wherever appropriate
Seek constant feedback to help maximise the quality of work until you are completely satisfied
Offer written feedback
Meet agreed deadlines punctually

Proofreading

Once a text has gone through typesetting and is almost ready to be published it needs a proofreader to do a final check to ensure that it is error-free and ready for publication. This is a vital review and the final stage in the publishing process.

I offer two kinds of proofreading – Basic and Enhanced.

Basic proofread —I will:

Read original text copies against typeset proofs to catch typos
Check and correct errors in spelling without using a spell-checker
Check punctuation and grammar to fix grammatical mistakes
Check images, charts and tables to ensure they are precise and properly aligned
Address formatting issues, verify accuracy of page numbers, headings and captions

Enhanced proofread —I will:

Go beyond the usual Basic proofread to correct and adjust the wording and formatting for an error-free text
Check variations in style, sense and consistency to assure uniform text quality
Review text meticulously to enhance readability and comprehension
Flag up any issues missed during earlier editing processes

Working with me is simple!

Apprise me about your project, your target audience, your timeline and what it needs doing
I will assess the project and send you a quote
I will send you my terms and conditions
If you choose to accept my quotation and its accompanying terms and conditions, I will proceed to book you, and you will be required to pay a fee to have your manuscript evaluated
I will edit, proofread, or copyedit the manuscript as requested
I will send back the corrected manuscript to you
Finally, I will incorporate your feedback into the final version, which will go to the publisher

I will work with you to give your writing a stunning presentation.

Let's talk about your project. I'll make sure it's done right.

Professional Memberships & Training

Professonal Memberships

Entry-Level Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP)
Member of the Edinburgh Editors' Network (EEN)
Member of the Society of Indexers (SI)—index preparation
Publishing Scotland Freelancers Directory entry

Professional Training

Core Proofreading Suite (CIEP)
Plain English for Editors (CIEP)
Word For Practical Editing (CIEP)
Non-Fiction Developmental Editing (CIEP)
Proofreading Theses and Dissertations (CIEP)
Efficient Editing: Strategies and Tactics (CIEP)
How to Mark Up PDF Page Proofs (Denise Cowle)
Marketing Your Editorial Business (Denise Cowle)
Introduction to PerfectIt 4, 5 (Cadman Training)
PerfectIt Cloud (Cadman Training)
Planning & Scheduling your Online Content (Business Gateway)
Coaching Session: Legal Checklists (Business Gateway)
Keep your Business Safe Online (Business Gateway)
Blogging for Business (Business Gateway)
How to Create Engaging Content (Business Gateway)

Anju Okhandiar

Click on any logo below to learn more:

CIEP Code of Conduct