FAQs

As a Brit, I obviously favour UK English, but I’m equally comfortable working in either, according to your needs.

Before beginning a job, I’ll also check with you whether you have particular spelling conventions or style guidelines (Chicago Manual of Style, APA, MHRA, and so on) that you’d like me to adhere to.

I am able to work with texts in any of the following formats for both editing and translation:

• Microsoft Word (.docx/.doc), Excel (.xlsx/.xls) or PowerPoint (.pptx/.ppt)
• Open Document Format, as used by LibreOffice and Google Docs (.odt/.ods/.odp)
• PDF
• Plain text (.txt)
• LaTeX (.tex) or Markdown (.md/.mdown/.markdown) – this will be slightly more complicated, and will be charged as one hour’s extra work

For translation, I also accept XLIFF and SDLXLIFF files compatible with CAT tools such as Trados or MemoQ, as well as translation memories in .tmx format.

In general, I aim to return texts within 3 working days. I’ll be able to give a more precise estimate after taking a look at the text, and will agree a return date with you when I confirm the job.

If you need a text returned sooner, feel free to ask, and I may be able to offer you a rush service at a slightly higher rate.

For most editing jobs, I work in Microsoft Word or LibreOffice using the track changes feature. My edits, along with any additional comments, are displayed in the margins of the document, and you can review each one before approving it.

For PDFs, I insert my changes as comments, which can then be viewed in most PDF readers (Adobe, Foxit and so on). If a more extensive edit is required, I may convert the PDF to Microsoft Word format (.docx/.doc) and use track changes, as above, and then return the edited Word file to you. I will consult with you before doing this, however.

For presentations produced in Microsoft PowerPoint (which does not have the track changes functionality), I make changes and add comments directly on the slides; when you receive the edited presentation, you can use PowerPoint’s ‘compare and merge’ feature to review and incorporate my edits.

Last, for documents written in LaTeX or Markdown, I can do one of two things, as you prefer:

1. I can convert the document to Microsoft Word format and use track changes, as above. After you have received the file and approved the edits, you can either convert the file back to LaTeX or Markdown yourself, or send it back to me to convert it.
2. If you already use the LyX editor, I can edit the file in that program and use its own track changes feature.

For the majority of texts, I translate using MateCat, which accepts virtually all file formats (including translation memories from other CAT software, such as SDL Trados). I’m fairly flexible about which tools I use, however, so if you have more specific requirements, let me know.

If your document is in LaTeX or Markdown format, I can convert it to another format (PDF, Microsoft Word, HTML or any other you prefer) and translate the converted file. I can then either send the translated file straight to you, or copy the translated text back into the original LaTeX or Markdown file. The second option will be more time-consuming, however.

In general, I accept payment via PayPal or bank transfer. I am happy to consider other payment methods, depending on their value and convenience for both of us, so feel free to ask.

I am happy to accept payment in sterling (GBP), US dollars (USD) or Euros (EUR).