About Us

E4 Editorial provides copyediting services, which (for us) include light and medium copyediting, as well as line editing. Now, there is some overlap in the use of these terms, and in fact, this causes confusion when speaking about copyediting. There isn’t even consensus on how to spell the word: Is it copyediting or copy editing? Regardless, there are some general principles that distinguish between the different levels of copyediting, including the following:

Light copyediting includes such tasks as correcting misspellings, incorrect grammar, punctuation, and usage, checking cross-references, inconsistent usages, improper capitalization, and other similar issues.

Medium copyediting includes all those tasks covered by light copyediting plus checking for parallel structure, inappropriate figures of speech, controlling term lists, ensuring consistent content, as well as checking that bibliographic citations, footnotes, endnotes, and references are correctly used, and the like.

Line editing includes the tasks covered by medium copyediting plus some very limited elements of developmental editing, such as attention to the creative content of the manuscript, including the style, tone, voice, and language of the manuscript.

Developmental editing (also known as substantive editing) refers to the structuring or restructuring of a manuscript. In developmental editing, the editor may guide the author(s) in planning or revising the overall structure of their manuscript.
A good way to distinguish between the different levels of copyediting is by analyzing how much writing and/or rewriting is required. As copyediting moves from light to developmental, the amount of rewriting and restructuring grows, as does the authority given to the copyeditor.

Proofreading, which is similar to copyediting, is one of the last steps in the editorial process and includes checking grammar, spelling, syntax, punctuation, typography, formatting, font style and size, text and line spacing, and other mechanical issues in a manuscript. In our proofreading, we will also follow the client’s established style sheet, house style, and stylebook.

E4 Editorial does not perform developmental editing. Instead, we focus on polishing your product after it has passed through the developmental stage. We also do not handle fact-checking, permissions (although we may point out where such may need to be requested), or layout matters. E4 Editorial does, however, perform light, medium, and line editing, as well as proofreading.

We are generally able to use the style guide of your choice. However, the following are some of the standards we follow for each language:

English:

Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) stylebook
Associated Press (AP) stylebook
Unabridged Merriam-Webster Online dictionary
Other relevant English-language resources

Portuguese:

International Portuguese Language Institute (relevant resources)
Lisbon Academy of Sciences, Class of Letters (relevant resources)
Other relevant Portuguese-language resources

Spanish:

Royal Spanish Academy (relevant resources)
Diccionario de uso del español (Maria Moliner)
Other relevant Spanish-language resources

In all cases of copyediting and proofreading, we compose a style sheet tracking our decisions, and we enforce adherence to house style as well as your desired stylebook; should you not have a house style, we can build one for you.

Yes, we do. In fact, we are fluent in not only American English but Brazilian and European (or Continental) Portuguese and Castilian and Latin American Spanish, as well as limited Parisian French. This means that we have a strong understanding of the common errors committed by non-native persons who must write in English.

We also understand not only correct grammatical usage in English but how to make your writing in English sound natural, native, and “normal.” As we copyedit, we will track any changes we make along with queries, notations, and explanations as to the desirability of any suggested changes for your approval.

One of the principles of the E4 philosophy is “expeditiousness.” We exert ourselves to get the finished product back to the client as quickly as possible without sacrificing the quality of our work.

Copyediting generally takes more time than proofreading, which generally makes it more expensive. That being said, our turnaround times typically range from 48 hours to 72 hours, depending on the length of the work, of course.

There are cases in which the return time can be as much as a week. As always, the circumstances of the particular project determine the answer to this question. In all cases, we maintain close contact with you at every step of our workflow so that you know exactly when to expect your finished document or manuscript.

Our rates are competitive with those prices charged in the industry. Copyediting generally costs more than proofreading due to the nature of the work.

Pricing can also fluctuate depending on the level of copyediting requested. Please contact us for a personalized competitive quote.

An index adds enormous value to your book, making it much more accessible to your readers by providing multiple points of entry to specific ideas and terms discussed in your book.

Often, a reader will remember something they’ve read but can’t remember exactly where. An index can help with that. An index is a sign that your book is a professional, academic product, and academics and researchers highly value the inclusion of an index in a book.

As previously mentioned, one of the principles of the E4 philosophy is “expeditiousness.”We exert ourselves to get the finished product back to you as quickly as possible—without sacrificing the quality of our work.

Indexing books is a creative form of writing and is an intensive activity. The time required to finish an index will depend on factors including book length, subject matter, etc. We frequently return our indexes within 48 to 72 hours for simple books; other books can take as much as one to two weeks, depending on our workload.

As always, the circumstances of the particular project determine the answer to this question, and, in any and all cases, we maintain close contact with you at every step of our workflow so that you know exactly when to expect your finished document or manuscript.

Indexers generally charge by the indexable page. However, this may vary, depending on both the indexer and the client. Please contact us, and we will discuss your book and a personalized competitive rate for your index.

We offer indexing services in English and Spanish.

We translate from Portuguese to English, Spanish to English, and English to Spanish. Our translations are done by native speakers, and we are able to translate from most dialects of English and Spanish.

As previously mentioned, one of the principles of the E4 philosophy is “expeditiousness.” We exert ourselves to get the finished product back to you as quickly as possible—without sacrificing the quality of our work.

We often can return a fully translated document to you within 48 to 72 hours. Obviously, the longer the document, the longer the translation time.

As always, the circumstances of the particular project determine the answer to this question. In all cases, we maintain close contact with you at every step of our workflow so that you know exactly when to expect your finished document or manuscript.

Please contact us to discuss your project. We will give you a personalized competitive rate.

In general, we work with Microsoft Word files (.doc, .docx), Open Office Writer, and Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). Eventually, we will also offer service in Adobe InCopy (.icml).

For copyediting, we prefer Word files, which allow us to activate the Track Changes function so that you can see any changes that we make.
For proofreading, we can work in the other formats mentioned above.

For indexing or translations, the format is not as relevant, although most clients send us their files in PDF format.

As each job is unique, there are details that will need to be hammered out between you and E4 Editorial Services. These details are generally worked out via a series of phone interviews or by interchanging questions and answers via email.

Once all relevant questions are answered, we will then draft a contract that encapsulates all agreements stipulated in our communications with you. Once both sides agree that the contract is acceptable, and sign it, an E4 editor will begin work on your document.

E4 Editorial Services sometimes does require a deposit, depending on the size and scale of your project. These details are usually discussed, agreed upon, and memorialized in a contract, which both sides will sign.

Please contact us for more details.

We accept (and prefer) many electronic forms of payment, and accept all of the following forms of payment excluding cash.