If you’ve arrived at this website, you’ve probably already seen several different ones purporting to offer the same service — and some of them promised the moon, didn’t they? While others attempted to awe you with their credentials. Still others implied they could perform that service for less than anyone else.

      We do things somewhat differently at Present Perfect Editing. We simply offer a consistently high-quality product in a timely fashion at an affordable rate. Our clients know what to expect, because they can examine our results (or, in the case of larger projects, a sample thereof) before paying us the first penny — for most orders of $35 or less, we deliver the entire completed project along with the invoice.

      Of course, we have credentials, too: years of professional proofreading and editing experience. But the proof is in…well, the proof, isn’t it? Unlike some of our competitors, we don’t subcontract your work to a revolving series of hirelings who really do the heavy lifting for a fraction of what you pay. Instead, we maintain a small, talented staff and try to compensate them adequately for their dedication.

      Because that is the way we do things, we also don’t promise the moon. Any service that quotes nearly everything in terms of “24-hour turnaround” must be (a) maintaining an extensive and underpaid assortment of stringers to perform editing chores, (b) instructing what staff they actually do have to edit your material at breakneck speed, (c) relying primarily on some dubious computer program to accomplish the bulk of the work, (d) all of the above, or (e) exceptionally talented. We do work to specified deadlines; and, for Regular Business Customers who require it, we’ll provide results within one business day. In our experience, however, a 24-hour turnaround is seldom required by well-‏organized clients, even those working in fast-paced environments. For the same reason, we advise all new clients to note whether the announcement at the top of our Contact page says “Current Volume Temporarily at Capacity.” If we’re too busy at the moment to process your project immediately, it will display that message. We don’t promise what we can’t deliver.

      So, what is it that we deliver? We don’t rewrite what you’ve written; we clarify it. We don’t tell you what to say, simply help you say it better. Your thoughts expressed on a page are treated with respect (after all, we don’t know half as much about the functioning of your business — or the premise for your novel — as you do); they’re merely improved. We correct flaws in your grammar, punctuation, spelling, and syntax, leaving you with a finished product that actually says what you meant it to say.

      When we edit a page, we don’t merely run it through a computer program; we actually read it. As we do so, we scan it for punctuation and grammar errors, spelling mistakes, awkward wording, and logical inconsistencies. We might also note repetitive usage, shopworn phrases, etc. Throughout the process, corrections are made and noted for your approval. (In the final analysis, the choice is always up to you.) If necessary, we’ll also include explanations of the reasoning behind these changes. When all that has been completed, we’ll return to you a copy of your text incorporating these corrections, so that you can compare it to your original, accepting or rejecting each change in turn. All this is included in our basic editing service, for one clearly specified fee. Unlike some services, we don’t charge one price to “proofread” your document and another — separate charge — to “copyedit” it. (When the two are combined, you might be shocked at how much you’d have to pay a service like that for what we consider to be basic editing.)

      Our charges are essentially based on a rate of 3¢ per word. We consider this a fair price for the effort involved and doubt whether genuine conscientiousness can be had for less. Our fees are about average — though our results are far better. Some of our competitors charge more than double this rate. That said, there are various other services which do charge less. Just remember, accepting the lowest bid often means you’ll get what you’ve paid for. (For specific details, see Pricing & Discounts.)

      What makes Present Perfect Editing a better choice — besides the fact that we perform quality work at reasonable rates? Every document is dealt with on its own terms. A nonfiction history book is not the same as a post-modern novel, and each is held to a different literary standard. A corporation’s employee handbook isn’t normally written in the same colloquial manner as a personal blog. Nor do any of these items bear much resemblance to advertising copy. We’re aware of these intentional differences in style. Consequently, we don’t try to fit everything sent to us into a one-size-fits-all box manufactured in Oxford earlier in the last century. Instead, we concentrate on actual mistakes. What’s more, we respect the author’s own voice, correcting obvious errors without attempting to alter the way a document sounds. “Proper” usage in the English language is by no means a settled issue. Take commas, for instance. What various authorities call “comma errors” tend to fall into two categories: the omission/insertion of a comma which (1) renders a sentence genuinely unclear, illogical, or at odds with virtually all common custom; or (2) is simply a matter of an author’s own discretion. Providing that the author is consistent in his/her style choice, we leave the second sort alone. Some “authorities,” on the other hand, attempt to correct what needs no correction. Services which rely on them are best avoided.

      We’ve even seen another editing service scold a potential client for using incomplete sentences and capitalizing every word in a real estate listing, when both are common practices in such ads. Those recommendations were so fastidious they were foolish. We’d have merely corrected the genuine mistakes and then let the client and proofreader get on with their respective businesses.

      Meanwhile, in another corner of the internet, executives at one of our largest competitors began their sample for editing a novel with these words: “It was a dark and stormy night.” In the accompanying sample of their “corrections,” they suggested adding “as they say” after this sentence but noted that the author might decide to leave it as written if it was intended as “deadpan” humor. Our editing service wouldn’t have said that. We probably also wouldn’t have pointed out that this opening line has been notorious since Bulwer-Lytton first used it in 1830, that now there’s an annual contest sponsored by the English Department at San Jose State University to recognize the worst examples of such writing, or that every novel Snoopy ever started typing on top of his dog house began with precisely the same statement. Our comment would have read, more or less, “This opening sentence is regarded as extremely trite. Consider changing it.”

      Where samples are concerned, we prefer not to manufacture some artificial construct for your assessment. You can have an authentic sample of your own. Upon request, we’ll provide the client with one prior to initial payment for services rendered. (As already mentioned, in the case of smaller orders, we usually deliver the entire completed project along with the invoice.)

Note: For general purposes, we do not strictly adhere to the guidelines advocated by The Chicago Manual of Style, the AP Stylebook, or the New Oxford Style Manual. Their dictates frequently conflict with one another, and none is the undisputed arbiter of usage. Authorities often disagree. Instead, we employ a rational synthesis of best practices, as described above. If you do require adherence to a particular style guide, please inform us of that. Keep in mind, however, that specific style guides are suited to quite different uses.

Note: Although the text for this website is composed to American standards, we edit for either American or British usage. Just specify your preference when you contact us and submit your document(s). (For procedure, see Contact.)