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It may sometimes seem, in a time where grammar and spelling checkers are ubiquitous, that the roles of editor and proofreader have been superseded by the march of time. If we weren’t speaking a language with enormous complexities, arising naturally in a tongue born of three others, with bones from long-dead Romans and ancient Greeks, this would be quite true: but while English is a language easy to survive in, it is one which can be exceedingly difficult to master, especially for those for whom it is not a native tongue. Even native speakers frequently find the welter of exceptions to rules to be confusing and opaque.

Spell checkers are notorious for missing homophones (e.g.: their/they’re/there, your/you’re, a lot/allot), for instance. Grammar checkers can be confused by writing styles which intentionally stretch and test the boundaries of the style guides, or by the difficulties encountered by foreign-language learners seeking to express complex thoughts in their new language. And while informal writing can benefit enormously from a descriptive rather than prescriptive approach to linguistics, it is still the case that the ability to use just the right language to suit the context and goals of the communication can be the difference between success and failure in achieving those goals.

Good editors recognize the context of a given text, and tailor the process to fit that context. A set of instructions for configuring e-mail, produced by an ISP with an edgy brand identity, is going to need language which would be entirely unsuitable for a guide intended to help the newly-bereaved cope with their loss. The Cogitantes editors are experienced, careful experts in custom-tailoring of text to accomplish authors’ goals, accented by a strong familiarity with the various popular style guides used in the UK, US and Canada: Oxford, AP, Chicago, Strunk & White, and CP. Time and cost estimates are available upon request.