Business Proofreading Berlin
(for companies - also in German)
A business proofreading service is essential for companies. After all, texts represent the character and image of your firm in both digital and physical form. With our business proofreading service packages, we not only remove orthographic and stylistic deficiencies from your text, we also tailor it to your target group, from informal (or even quirky) to business-like and more neutral language.
In consultation with you, we refine your draft to get the most out of your copy. We always pay attention to how you want to present your company to others (particularly potential clients). Our job is to help you enhance the attractiveness of your products and the comprehensibility and consistency of your corporate messaging.
We make your company and your products even more attractive via great texts.
Package 1: Business proofreading “light” |
Package 2: Business proofreading “BASIC” |
Package 3: Business proofreading “COMPLETE” (recommended) |
With this package, we check your use of words and the language forms in which you express yourself, but we don't make changes to the content of your text. Corrections and suggestions are included in the "Revision Mode" on your document.
€ 6.00 (+ 19 % VAT)
per 1,600-character page
Orthography
Grammar
Punctuation
Syntax/sentence structure
Hyphenation
Typography (spacing, quotation marks, etc.)
Following up-to-date spelling and grammar conventions
Optimising language use
Enhancing your argument
Polishing your style
Research on spelling of proper names
Deleting redundancy
Checking appropriateness and precision of titles and chapter headings
Checking the pagination of chapters and graphics (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
Verifying the numbering of sections and matching these with the page numbers on your Contents page
Consistency of expression of, for instance:
Comprehensibility
Plausibility
Logic
Coherence
Validity of supporting arguments and references
Viability of your approach and methodology
Ensuring consistency of your footnotes
Checking your website references are up-to-date
Suggesting (in the ‘Comments’ column) alternative formulations, phrasing, spelling, etc.
Signposting possible errors in citations or dates
Querying unclear content or vague formulations
Our service package “Proofreading BASIC” includes everything we offer in the “Proofreading light” package, but this is supplemented with the following services:
€ 7.00 (+ 19 % VAT)
per 1,600-character page
Orthography
Grammar
Punctuation
Syntax/sentence structure
Hyphenation
Typography (spacing, quotation marks, etc.)
Following up-to-date spelling and grammar conventions
Optimising language use
Enhancing your argument
Polishing your style
Research on spelling of proper names
Deleting redundancy
Checking appropriateness and precision of titles and chapter headings
Checking the pagination of chapters and graphics (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
Verifying the numbering of sections and matching these with the page numbers on your Contents page
Consistency of expression of, for instance:
Comprehensibility
Plausibility
Logic
Coherence
Validity of supporting arguments and references
Viability of your approach and methodology
Ensuring consistency of your footnotes
Checking your website references are up-to-date
Suggesting (in the ‘Comments’ column) alternative formulations, phrasing, spelling, etc.
Signposting possible errors in citations or dates
Querying unclear content or vague formulations
Although “Proofreading COMPLETE” is our premium package, it’s the one we most advise you to take. In fact, 99% of our clients choose this package as it contains not only the services featured in our previous packages but also includes (in the Comments column) our comments and suggestions for avoiding unclear language and other pitfalls.
€ 8.00 (+ 19 % VAT)
per 1,600-character page
Orthography
Grammar
Punctuation
Syntax/sentence structure
Hyphenation
Typography (spacing, quotation marks, etc.)
Following up-to-date spelling and grammar conventions
Optimising language use
Enhancing your argument
Polishing your style
Research on spelling of proper names
Deleting redundancy
Checking appropriateness and precision of titles and chapter headings
Checking the pagination of chapters and graphics (3.1, 3.2, 3.3)
Verifying the numbering of sections and matching these with the page numbers on your Contents page
Consistency of expression of, for instance:
Comprehensibility
Plausibility
Logic
Coherence
Validity of supporting arguments and references
Viability of your approach and methodology
Ensuring consistency of your footnotes
Checking your website references are up-to-date
Suggesting (in the ‘Comments’ column) alternative formulations, phrasing, spelling, etc.
Signposting possible errors in citations or dates
Querying unclear content or vague formulations
Business proofreading differs from other types of proofreading for publishers, authors and students in that it primarily involves proofreading or editing texts from the business-to-business (B2B) sector. This means that we accept texts from companies, associations, institutions, political bodies, public and private sponsors or administrative bodies, etc. But also universities, agencies, law firms and clients from politics trust us with their texts – from eye-catching flyers and brochures to corporate communications and party programmes for election campaigns.
As a rule, yes. This is because several people often work on a (longer) text, which means that, for example, consistency of spelling is no longer guaranteed. In the course of the production process, however, there is also often operational blindness at work, whereby errors that haven’t been picked up on even after repeated reading still remain unnoticed. This is also common in multi-authored reports: you may be confident you know how to spell, for instance, ‘speciality’ or ‘modelling’, but a co-author is writing ‘specialty’ or ‘modeling’ (that is, they’re using US English).
We know that our customers often ask for several quotes before deciding on a provider, for example to compare prices. But what we offer isn’t just about price. Clients also value a service provider’s reliability, communication patterns, response time, willingness to work unscheduled hours, and more. So the search for a suitable editing service is a hunt for that ideal needle in a sometimes confusing haystack.
Why we feel we’re suitable for proofreading your business project:
References
We’re confident that our references already speak for us. We deal with clients from the fields of business and politics on a regular basis. From wine lists for restaurants to interviews with politicians, we check and correct a huge variety of texts. Companies of all kinds find us reliable and available, trust us implicitly and are always grateful for our work.
This quality of our work also comes into play with your project. You and your project are our focus. We know how important it is for your efforts to be successful – that’s what we’re also working towards. Therefore, please trust our references and place your project in our reliable hands. We’ll do our very best to help make your project a success.
Price versus quality
You may have noticed (in your search for a proofreading service and in your comparisons) that the prices for a proofreading service sometimes differ greatly. However, we’re convinced that if you want your text to be edited with real care, a certain price level is justified. After all, you want your text to have been revised conscientiously and not just put through a ‘quick wash’ cycle. Of course, we’re also careful to apply this conscientiousness to your project. But this is only feasible at a competitive yet realistic price.
To give you a little leeway with regard to our prices, they naturally differ depending on the service package. For example, Package 1 (in this case, Business proofreading “light”) is cheaper than Package 2 (Business proofreading “BASIC”), which in turn is cheaper than Package 3 (Business proofreading “COMPLETE”).
Note: In our price calculation, we refer to the prices of the Association of Freelance Editors (VFLL) and the prices of the Professional Association of Freelance Copywriters, which are the standard market prices in Germany.
Because at HFL the boss is also a proofreader – and he chooses the right person of the team for the job
We’ve found (looking through applications we receive) that not everyone has the requisite skills for proofreading, for example because they lack practical professional experience, don’t have the necessary editorial expertise, or failed to spot all the errors when they edited our sample texts.
At HFL, we don’t consider editing to be a leisure activity that we do ‘on the side’. We want to offer our customers quality. That’s why the boss still edits here himself and is also responsible for selecting the staff. Because if you know what makes a good text (when it comes to what’s important in editing and in terms of content), you can also assess the quality of the work of our staff – and it’s this select quality we want to pass on to our customers.
With long experience of editing texts from his now 10-year career as a stenographer, business graduate Frank Elminowski leads the HFL team as managing director. Applicants are always given sample texts to work on before they can join the team. The edited texts (in German) are then checked by the managing director himself; texts in other languages are examined always by native speakers. Only applicants who pass this demanding test are admitted to the team. In addition, applicants must have a university degree and be at least 30 years old.
We’re the ones to contact
You should definitely get in touch with us when you require proofreading or editing from someone you can rely on, because you are often under time pressure, the deadline for your project is getting closer, your client is waiting for results or the brochure has to go to print today. That's why your proofreader should always be just one phone call or e-mail away.
That’s us. We’re based in Berlin and are also available for you on weekends – during the week (often till midnight). If you have any questions or problems, we are always here to help. No switchboard, no impersonal call centre, no answering machine – we’re always ready to find the best solutions for you and your texts.
Have we already convinced you? Then please get in touch with us.
Tel.: +49 (30) 755 41 38 - 9
E-mail: info@hauptstadtstudio-freier-lektoren.de
Contact person: Mr. Frank Elminowski
Graduate in business administration / parliamentary stenographer / proofreader & editor
When you compare services, you’ll probably notice that prices in proofreading always differ.
To give you a little leeway with regard to our prices, they naturally differ depending on the service package. For example, Package 1 (in this case, Business proofreading “light”) is cheaper than Package 2 (Business proofreading “BASIC”), which in turn is cheaper than Package 3 (Business proofreading “COMPLETE”).
When it comes to calculating our fee, we refer to the standard pricing system devised for Germany by the Association of Freelance Editors (VFLL) and the prices recommended by the Association of Freelance Copywriters.
Our prices for business proofreading:
Package 1: Business proofreading "light" | €6.00 / standard page* |
Package 2: Business proofreading "BASIC" | €7.00 / standard page |
Package 3: Business proofreading "COMPLETE" | €8.00 / standard page |
* 1 standard page = 1,600 characters
Yes
Our service package Business proofreading “COMPLETE” is our most comprehensive business proofreading offer for corporate clients. With this package, customers receive a fully corrected text which also includes our comments, suggestions and recommendations in the ‘Comments’ field at the margin of your document. These marginal comments always refer to the content and style of your text. They draw your attention to ambiguities, omissions, unclear or inconsistent enumerations and subtitles – for instance, we check tabs and font sizes in how you present subtitles, and check whether your numbering system switches between ‘1, 2, 3’ and ‘(i), (ii), (iii)’. We’ll also let you know whether the links to external content you include are still valid and up to date.
Your texts are your business card
Only impeccable texts convey seriousness and credibility. In addition, texts in both digital and physical form represent your company’s image. With this in mind, we not only remove orthographic and stylistic deficiencies from your text during copy editing – from informal (and even quirky) to business-like and neutral – but also adapt it to your target group.
We make your company and your products even more attractive with superlative texts
In consultation with you, we refine your texts and templates to get the most out of your layout and design.
We always pay attention to how you want to present your company to others (particularly potential clients). Our job is to help you enhance the attractiveness of your products and the comprehensibility of your corporate messaging.
Detect discrepancies BEFORE printing/publishing
Especially when, for example, you’re printing a large number of brochures, spelling mistakes in the text or errors and omissions in the content are annoying. Let us help you avoid these errors – and thus additional costs.
You’ll always receive an invoice from us with the VAT (currently at 19% in Germany) shown, the service provided by us, the itemised invoice amount and the bank details. With us you can generally pay by bank transfer. In addition, we offer payment via PayPal.
In Word files:
If you send us Word files, you will always receive two versions back.
Version 1 shows you any changes we’ve made. This version is for your information only and can be deleted whenever you like.
In version 2, all our changes have already been incorporated into your document. If you work with version 2, you’ll be saving a lot of time and can then concentrate on the essentials.
If you opt for our Business Proofreading “COMPLETE” service package, our comments in the margin will also be visible in version 2. You should check those parts that have marginal comments once again. In Word, you can easily remove these comments afterwards by clicking on the top right of the comment box and then selecting ‘Delete thread’.
In PDF files:
In PDF files, our changes are not directly visible as in Word. So we deliberately do not interfere with the text so as not to destroy the layout of text and graphics that have already been set.
Instead, we use the yellow speech bubbles in which we point out necessary changes. For example, we explain briefly where a comma should be deleted or included, point out duplicate words, draw your attention to text truncated by graphics, and refer to pie charts that add up, say, to 101%.
In this way, the original layout is preserved and you can conveniently implement our suggestions.
Contact us – by phone or in writing.
Phone: +49 (30) 755 41 38 - 9
E-mail: info@hauptstadtstudio-freier-lektoren.de
Describe your request and ask for a quote.
Important: In order for us to be able to make you an offer, please indicate which service package you’ve chosen, whether you would like to take advantage of Business proofreading “light” (Package 1), Business proofreading “BASIC” (Package 2) or our Business proofreading“COMPLETE” (Package 3) service offer.
Please also send us all the texts that you’d like us to proofread so that we can calculate the exact number of characters. This figure determines the number of “standard pages” (1,600 characters = 1 standard page) required to prepare our business proofreading offer on the basis of the package you eventually request.
Depending on the amount of work and the quality of what you submit (in terms of writing, layout, pagination and referencing, for instance), we can usually proofread and edit 20 to 25 pages per day.
We always allow for some buffer time. For 50 pages, we tend to assume two or three days.
When we receive your text, we determine the number of characters you’ve written and calculate the number of so-called “standard pages” from this. A standard page consists of 1,600 characters, regardless of font size and number of illustrations, for example. In this way, pricing remains fair as only the actual written text is counted. Some authors use a small font and single spacing, while others include a lot of graphics, figures and tables – but in the end only the number of written characters counts. There are differences between the number of A4 pages and the number of so-called standard pages. However, the calculation is always fair – both for you as a writer and for us as editors.
Yes, this is not a problem.
Your documents, materials, sound files, etc. are never passed on to third parties. Only the respective member of the team processing the order will see your documents.