What We Do

Our Most-Requested Services

Proofreading—Comparison
Proofreading entails careful reading of any written material to ensure that it exactly matches a previous version. If there are errors in the previous version, the proofreader will note incorrect spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency issues on the final version for the client to address. In proofreading, the focus is on accuracy.

Proofreading—Editorial
Although this task sometimes involves comparing a final version against an earlier version, most often it is performed reading a single version of the material. In addition to correcting spelling, grammar, and punctuation, the editorial proofreader maintains consistency on all levels and pays attention to several other areas specific to each project and each industry. The focus in editorial proofreading is on editorial accuracy, as opposed to editorial improvement, which is the focus in copyediting. The proofreader marks usage errors but queries areas in which he or she feels there may be an editorial or content error.

Editing—Copyediting
The level of copyediting can be adjusted to fit the needs of the project; however, the copyeditor's responsibility is always to maintain the author's unique writing style while assuring accuracy and consistency in elements such as: capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar; use of abbreviations and acronyms; and parallel structure in headings and lists. The focus in copyediting is on editorial improvement, whereas in proofreading, the focus is on editorial accuracy.

In addition, the copyeditor prepares a style sheet if the client does not supply an in-house or client style sheet. A style sheet or style guide keeps your documents consistent. It lists words, phrases, numbers, and conventions that can be handled in more than one way and shows the choices you've made for your document or company. For instance, will you write Web site or website? Do you prefer phone numbers separated by periods (415.621.0465) or do you prefer dashes (415-621-0465)? Your individualized style sheet will make sure your preference is always observed.

Editing—Substantive
Substantive editing is also known as "development" or "content" editing. In addition to the standard copyediting tasks, the editor may suggest a change in writing style or format. The editor may rewrite, add, delete, or restructure sentences, paragraphs, or chapters to help communicate the material in a more effective format or tone, or to fine-tune an appropriate marketing focus.

Writing
Creative Solutions can create audience-centered communication of any kind to satisfy your needs or those of your clients. Our carefully screened writers can work from scratch or with minimal information from you, or rewrite and polish whatever you've begun. We're here to help you say what you mean to say in a voice that's just right for your intended audience.

Our Other Specialties

Consulting
In business today, it's increasingly important for companies to have a streamlined, efficient editorial process that meets their unique specifications. If that's what you need, Creative Solutions can help. Over the years we've managed a wide variety of projects in just as wide a variety of situations—both in person and virtually—and we've helped many companies establish or refine their editorial procedures. We've learned how to help large companies and small determine their most efficient route from rough draft to finished product. Let our years of experience do the same for you.

Design and Production
Do you need a rough draft of a document turned into a printed brochure? Does your client want a good-looking fact sheet put together in a day or two? Are you launching or updating your web site? Creative Solutions offers effective and compelling graphic design and web design solutions and print production services. Our designers have the technical experience needed to find the most cost-effective and efficient way to produce your materials and turn your vision into print or into an impressive web site.

Indexing
A thorough, comprehensive index is a valuable component of both large and small documents. It offers the reader a quick and easy reference tool, and in the case of online documents, it can be a navigation tool. For hard copy documents, indexing involves reading the manuscript to determine entries and page numbers for a comprehensive listing of all important terms. For online documents the process is similar, although instead of listing page numbers, the index entries are links to the referenced material.

Project Management
A project manager wears many hats, and we're used to wearing them all. We love to organize! From start to finish, we can walk a project through to completion while always being aware that:

Style Sheet Preparation
Consistent style is critical in today's fast-moving world. A polished, uniformly accurate presentation makes the difference between material that's easily read and understood and material that distracts readers from the message. Consistency is also a part of all-important branding. Errors sabotage consistency, and a style sheet dramatically reduces room for errors.

A style sheet—or style guide—lists the style choices an editor or an organization has made for words, phrases, numbers, and conventions that appear repeatedly in a document. For example, do you want to use "e-mail" or "email" throughout your presentation? It's your choice, but once made, it should be applied uniformly by everyone who works on the document. With a style sheet, that's easy to do. Style sheets are invaluable! We'll develop them for you—whether for in-house use or for a particular project.

Summarization—Executive Summaries and Abstracts
There are mounds of information you'd like to read and know. But when is there time to catch up with those growing mounds? In addition, how can you transform raw data you read into usable information? We can take a white paper, the transcript of a teleconference, a training manual, or any lengthy document and distill it to a detailed executive summary or to a short abstract (sometimes even as short as one page) for use in newsletters, shareholder letters, web sites, and more. Our writers can work independently or with you to provide the level of summarization you need to be able to use information effectively.

Transcription
Meetings, interviews, conference calls, and video conferencing are essential to doing business today. Who can focus on a meeting or interview when scribbling notes or changing audiotapes? However, you can concentrate on what's important when you know that, working off-site, we will create an accurate transcript to be used as an historical reference or as a meeting summary for disbursement.

Translation/Localization
We offer expert foreign language translation and localization in more than 40 languages. Localizing a document means ensuring that what is translated accurately reflects the intended meaning, not just the words. When documents include technology such as html, hyperlinks, and graphics, localization also means ensuring that the technology still works properly in the desired language.

Training Workshops

Business Writing
We can conduct a comprehensive workshop tailored to your specific company needs. This workshop is for any of your staff who write or prepare business letters, annual reports, proposals, or business communications of any kind. We'll show employees how to present their ideas clearly and persuasively; how to spot misused verbs, pronouns, and punctuation; how to avoid communication mistakes that sabotage credibility; and how to set the tone and choose a format that says "professional."

Proofreading
We offer a one- to two-hour in-house training session based on the 8 Stages of Proofreading in K.D. Sullivan's book Go Ahead…Proof It! This session is customized for your company as an aid to improving your staff's editorial skills and productivity. K.D. will bring along complimentary copies of her book for each attendee—which she'll be happy to autograph, of course.


Editorial Tasks List

When you select Proofread, Creative Solutions will:

A Final Review Proofread may be appropriate in the final stage of your project. In this type of proofread, we will scan final files for editorial and production problems that may not have been caught during other rounds of corrections. In this stage, we look specifically for the kinds of problems listed below and do not read word for word.

Note: Usually editing and proofreading are done before the Final Review stage. We do not read word for word in this stage, unless a full Proofread or Editorial Proofread is requested.

A Final Review involves checking the following.

For printed media:

For interactive media (web sites, online courses):

When you select Editorial Proofread, Creative Solutions will read through your document to verify that the following elements are correct:

For printed media, an Editorial Proofread includes review of the following elements:

For interactive media (web sites, online courses), an editorial proofread also includes review of the following elements:

When you select Copyedit, Creative Solutions will clarify, correct, and standardize your document. We will check the accuracy and consistency of:

When time allows, we edit to eliminate:

We query:

When you choose Substantive Edit, the editor will perform all the copyediting tasks, as well as undertake a deeper level of editing to improve the language or organization. A substantive edit requires greater editorial judgment than a basic copyedit, and often requires subject matter expertise. We retain the author's style unless directed otherwise.

A Substantive Edit includes the following:

We have the people, know-how, time, and passion to make your writing the best it can be.