| Step 1: | | We talk. We meet, either by phone or in person, to get to know each other and discuss the scope of your project. |
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| Step 2: | | We start. Once you feel comfortable, the work begins. |
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| Step 3: | | Two hands are better than one. So are two sets of eyes. At To The Letter, every job is reviewed by both a professional proofreader and copy editor for: |
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| | • | Grammar, style and punctuation (using the Associated Press Style Guide, the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster 11th Collegiate Dictionary as primary references unless otherwise indicated) |
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| | • | Fact-checking on a range of important details, such as phone numbers, street addresses, website addresses, spelling of names, accuracy of credentials (such as M.D., D.O. or Ph.D.), accuracy of maps and directions, names and spelling of products, programs and businesses, product codes and prices, proper trademark usage and whatever your particular project requires
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| | • | Internal consistencies, such as capitalization, punctuation usage and proper use of product names and trademarks |
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| | • | Relevant design issues, such as awkward line or word breaks, dropped copy, spacing issues, photos that do not match captions, copy that unintentionally flows onto photos and crashing descenders or ascenders in headlines |
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| Step 4: | | Repeat step 3. We reread each piece several times, each time for something different: |
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| | • | Once for general flow |
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| | • | Backward, to find things your eyes can gloss over |
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| | • | Again, to ensure consistency in style and find errors that might have been overlooked |
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| | • | And ad infinitum until the job is complete |
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| Step 5: | | The mark-up. We provide the edited document to you in your preferred format: Microsoft® Word, Adobe® Acrobat® Pro or a handwritten mark-up. For examples of common proofreading marks, click here |
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| Step 6: | | Checking the changes. This step is optional, but highly recommended. Once you’ve made our recommended changes, we review the revised draft to ensure that all the changes have been made. We can also check for accidental mistakes that can occur while corrections are implemented, such as awkward line and word breaks, dropped copy or spacing issues.
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| Step 7: | | The check’s in the mail. Most of our clients prefer to be billed at an hourly, prenegotiated rate. However, if you prefer or require a project estimate, we’ll provide one. |
