Frequently Asked Questions

Generally, editing falls into several categories depending on how close a manuscript is to publication; however, the lines between each stage are not hard and fast.

• DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING shapes the overall structure, pacing, and content of a manuscript and usually takes place as an author is writing the first  draft.
• STRUCTURAL EDITING organizes sections and refines the flow so that ideas or plotlines progress clearly and usually takes place after a manuscript is completed and is undergoing revisions.
• LINE EDITING polishes sentences for clarity, tone, and style, making each line of text read smoothly.
• COPY EDITING checks grammar, spelling, punctuation, formatting, and consistency.
• FACT-CHECKING verifies accuracy, ranging from historical details to technical information. Fact-checking is usually part of non-fiction editing, but historical novels may need this as well.
• PROOFREADING is the final sweep to catch anything missed before publication. 
• BETA READING with COMMENTARY takes place just before a manuscript is forwarded to a Formatter for final printing. A BETA reader ideally "cold reads" a manuscript and makes note of any additional issues that might be noticed by the reading public, including all the flaws that may have been previously overlooked.  Authors usually have concerns and questions for the BETA  reader to answer after the reading, hence "...with Commentary.".

It might.  If your content is highly technical, legal, and/or medical in nature, we advise that you go to an expert in those fields to edit your copy for accuracy.  General fiction and non-fiction, essays, theses, and dissertations are our specialty.

That depends on the genre of the document/manuscript.  The 2026 AVERAGE rate (according to the Editorial Freelance Association) for editing fiction begins at $5.00 per an average 250-word page.  Academic and technical editing is generally more expensive per page because of formatting and style guide constraints. However, every manuscript and every author are unique, so our rates are absolutely negotiable!

Our certified proofreaders are all native English speakers with advanced degrees in English / Language Arts and extensive experience in editing and proofreading. 

We take confidentiality very seriously at FTVogt Editing Services. We use secure file transfer protocols, and all of our proofreaders sign non-disclosure agreements to ensure the privacy and security of your documents.

Again, that depends on the length and format of the document/manuscript and when it was submitted.  Manuscript submissions will be edited or proofread in the order they are received. As an example, a novel of 70,000 words (that has already undergone copy and line editing) generally can be finalized within 3-5 business days. Because academic and technical writing often require cross-checking text with bibliographic matter, abstracts, footnotes, diagrams, etc., these can take much longer to process. Indexing non-fiction also requires considerable time--again, depending on length and subject matter.

For the most part, we adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMoS) guidelines for general fiction.  We also follow Modern Language Association (MLA) and American Psychological Association (APA) for general academic writing. Otherwise, we can always use whatever style guide you need--just send us a complete copy, and we'll make it happen!

The industry standard (and our preference) for manuscripts is MicroSoft Word (or an equivalent), which allows corrections to be made directly to the text.  We also can edit your copy in Adobe PDF format, using current proofreader's symbols and/or insertions. Additionally, we can also work with documents created in Google Docs using the Suggestions tab.  We can even correct your hard copy directly with a red pen if that is more to your comfort level!

Absolutely!  Simply e-mail us five to ten continuous pages or paragraphs (depending on the document length) from the "messy middle" of your manuscript.  We will mark the copy  and return it to you for questions and comments.  

We understand that sometimes you need your documents edited quickly, which is why we do offer rush order options. Depending on the length and technicality of the manuscript, we can possibly proofread your document within 24-72 hours for an additional fee.