Frequently Asked Questions - English correction

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Here are some answers to questions that new customers often ask us about the correction/editing service of Good Written English.

Q. What kind of computer files can you work with?
A. Just a few years ago, people used many different kinds of programs including different versions of Wordperfect (which we can still work on). Today, most people send us Microsoft Word files. Occasionally we are asked to work on PDF files, HTML files and text files. We have many programs other than Word and Adobe Acrobat, so please ask.

Q. How quickly can you read and correct my article?
A. This depends on its length to some extent, but we can usually return a manuscript of 25 pages (containing our suggestions for changes) within five working days. When we receive an enquiry, we always answer with a firm time plan which we then keep to. If you are in a hurry, please contact us to see if we can help.

Q. What will the correction work cost me?
A. We charge 60 euros per hour (600 kr in Sweden) excluding any tax. Please see the prices page for more details. If your English is good, a 25-page article might take 3 hours to read and correct. We have an on-site price calculator. The best way of knowing what it will cost is to send us the article (e.g. by e-mail or the file submission form) and ask us for a price for the job.

Q. If I send you company documents, how can I can be sure that they will be kept
confidential?
A. We have a strong confidentiality policy. We never send documents elsewhere for editing. Everything is done "in-house" on our own computers. When we are sure that we have no further use for the original or our version, we delete them both. This usually happens about the time that the customer settles his/her account. We seldom print out documents, but if we do, they are disposed of carefully after being shredded.

Q. How can I be sure that my document will be read by a native English speaker?
A. Your document will certainly be worked on by an editor who has English as his/her first language. We promise and guarantee this.

Q. Can you correct the English in a book that I have just finished?
A. Yes. You can send this as a manuscript (e.g. Word file) or already formatted for printing. If the text is already formatted, please check with us, as we have the most common publishing programs. You will be given a reduced price for the whole job, which will of course be agreed upon before we begin.

Q. Where is Good Written English?
A. The company is based in Sweden, as there is a large demand for English editing in Sweden. Being based in Sweden certainly doesn't imply that the editing is done by people whose first language is Swedish - otherwise we wouldn't have any Swedish customers!

Q. Where are your customers?
A. We are an internet-based service, so we have customers nearly everywhere. We have customers in Central Europe and Scandinavia, Central and South America, the Far East (Taiwan, Korea, Japan), and U.S.A.

Q. How do customers pay?
A. Payment is done after you receive a bill from us. Most customers outside Sweden pay by credit card from our online payment page, or occasionally by bank transfer. The credit card payments are handled securely by a world-leader in the field (WorldPay plc). This system works extremely well. Swedish customers usually pay by postgiro or bankgiro.

Word is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Wordperfect is a trademark of Corel Corporation.
Acrobat is a trademark of Adobe Inc.