What does Wordy do? Can you help me with my report? Can you teach me English?

What Wordy does not do

Please note that we do not offer a teaching or tutorial service. Wordy is a proofreading and copy-editing service. So, we can help you with your report or other document, but we won’t write a manuscript for you. Wordy editors do not create content from scratch or from a template. They will not expand your text significantly or provide a substantial amount of new material. Wordy editors do not check facts or do research. They do not complete incomplete references or cross-check references. Also, copywriting is not within the scope of rewriting. If you need something translated, try Transfluent.

The content, the facts and the logic are all the author’s responsibility.

Having said that, our editors do do a lot of other things. We offer two levels of service.

Standard service

The standard service includes correcting grammar, punctuation and formatting. Our editors will ensure that words are used correctly. They will check documents for internal consistency and that they have a coherent logical structure. This may include cross-checking between text, figures and tables. They will look out for repetition. They will make sure the text flows smoothly and that paragraphs and sentences have an appropriate size (neither too big nor too small). They may apply the standard styles in MS Word (heading 1, heading 2, etc.).

Wordy editors will always provide corrections for incorrect or nonstandard grammar or usage. They will sometimes reorder or consolidate sentences. Occasionally, they may suggest reordering paragraphs, although larger-scale reorganisation, particularly of long documents, will usually require a rewrite. This process is often called copy-editing or line editing.

Our editors can change references from one style to another or reformat a document according to your specifications, but if there are more than a few references or the document to be formatted is more than a page or two, the job should be entered as a content rewrite.

Most Wordy jobs are standard edits. If you’re unsure as to whether a standard edit or rewrite is required, you can check with sales@wordy.com, or just create the job as a standard edit. Once an editor has claimed the job and had a good look at it, they will then decide whether it needs a rewrite rather than a standard edit. They will discuss this with you, and you will have three options:

1. Continue with the standard edit but resulting in a document that is far from perfect.

2. Upgrade to a rewrite at the higher cost.

3. Cancel the job.

Rewriting

A content rewrite is a more substantive edit than a standard Wordy edit. For a content rewrite, your Wordy editor will substantially reword and reorganise your content to improve consistency, flow and readability. They may, if requested, condense a document to a given word count. This process is what many editors call a substantive edit. We do intrusive editing, which means editors will rewrite sentences but flag if major rewriting of entire passages is needed.

When you request a content rewrite, you need to provide a brief message telling the editor exactly what you’re looking for, including information regarding any length limits or other restrictions and requirements.

Common reasons for a rewrite include substantial rewording (e.g., because it was written by someone whose first language is not English), paraphrasing (e.g. to avoid plagiarism or because it was written by AI), reducing the word count (please indicate final word count), reformatting (e.g. to a template), restructuring (moving paragraphs and sentences into a more coherent order and adding headings, if necessary) and restyling references (please supply the format). A rewrite may be suitable for text that has been translated or written by someone who isn’t fluent in English. You should also request a content rewrite if you require any significant work beyond the scope of a standard edit, such as reformatting a long document or restyling references.

Reducing the word count by more than about 10% to 20% is fairly brutal. Unless the text is excessively verbose or contains a lot of repetition, such a large reduction in size will usually mean deleting content, such as whole sentences or paragraphs. So, you may wish to make such major changes yourself and then pass it to Wordy for a final brush-up or to delete verbiage.

Also note that your editor may decide that you document does not need a rewrite. They will discuss this with you, and if you agree, they will downgrade the job to a standard edit. The difference in price will be refunded to your Wordy account.

Anything else?

When creating a job, if you have some special requirements, please mention those in the brief to the editor. Alternatively, email sales@wordy.com for advice.