It’s always good to have a fresh set of eyes on a project, and even better when those eyes have years of experience in the book publishing industry. That’s why even the most seasoned authors rely on copy editors to catch stealthy mistakes. You’ve done the hard work of finishing your book, now let the team at Foreword give it that professional polish publishers, agents, and readers expect. A copy edit from Foreword will provide you with peace of mind in many areas, including…

Grammar and Punctuation

Is it “further” or “farther”? Which “its” is it anyway? You never have to wonder about comma usage or where that apostrophe goes with a copy edit from Foreword.

Spelling

Simple mistakes can be the hardest to catch, but our trained eyes will make sure nothing slips through.

Common Linguistic Errors

Some errors are so “deep-seeded/deep-seated,” we don’t realize they are errors at all. The team at Foreword can ensure no common mix-ups sneak into your finished product.

Purchase Copy Edit

Our editorial process is accurate and efficient, giving you high quality results in a competitive time frame. Here is the full copy edit process:

1. Submit your full manuscript (.doc and .docx files accepted), title of manuscript, estimated word count, and any additional comments to our editorial department via the online order form.
2. Upon receiving your manuscript, we will confirm the word count. If the provided word count is over, we'll automatically refund your card. If it is under, we'll reach out to verify the count and additional amount to charge your card.
3. Once we receive your full payment, we will get to work on your manuscript. Within the agreed upon time frame, we will return the edited draft complete with track changes and summary comments to you via email.

Purchase Copy Edit

Still unsure about submitting your manuscript for copyediting? Get a preview! For only $119, send us a chapter of your manuscript (not to exceed 4000 words) to editing+copy.preview@forewordreviews.com with the title of your manuscript as the subject, and it will be copy edited and returned to you within seven days of full payment. After reviewing our edits, you can decide whether to go ahead with the full manuscript edit, or cancel the project. If you choose to submit your full manuscript, the chapter preview fee will be applied to the total project cost.

Why do I need a copy editor when I have spelling/grammar check in my word processor?

Sites like Grammarly, Scribens, or the spelling and grammar features included in your word processor are useful tools, but can fall short with some of the more nuanced aspects of language and grammar. We can mistype and create a word that, while spelled correctly, is not the one we intended. Word processor features can autocorrect a word or phrase, changing the name of a character or a location that the dictionary did not recognize. Only a copy editor can look at your manuscript with both a technical and human eye.

I know plenty of people who are good with grammar. Why can’t they edit for me?

Our editors are all professionals from within the publishing industry, giving them unique insight into the style guides, dictionaries, and linguistic conventions used by some of the largest publishing houses in the world. When the dictionary has a long list of acceptable spellings, the team at Foreword can help you pick the one publishers prefer.

Will the copy editor change my manuscript?

All edits are made using track-change features, allowing you to review each change individually and determine if you wish to accept or reject the edit. We will never alter your manuscript without keeping a history of the suggested changes for you to approve.

Will the copy editor fact-check my manuscript?

Our editors will perform a general fact-check to confirm things such as the spellings of common names and places, historical dates and references, brand names, etc.

Will copy editing make my book perfect?

Even titles that grace the New York Times Best Seller list are not devoid of mistakes, but our team of editors will use the skills and knowledge they have gained over years of professional experience to remove the vast majority of errors from your manuscript.

What can I submit for copy editing?

At this time, Foreword Editorial Services is accepting literary nonfiction and all genres of fiction, with the exclusion of poetry. To avoid giving legitimacy to books encouraging violence, hate speech, etc., we do reserve the right to refuse manuscripts on these grounds. If you have a question about whether your manuscript meets our requirements, feel free to contact us at mschingler@forewordreviews.com.

For additional assistance, please contact us by email at mschingler@forewordreviews.com.

Purchase Copy Edit