MindsEye Productions

Words FAQ

1. What can a writer/editor do for me?
2. Do you have a specialty?
3. What if I just want someone to polish my own writing?
4. Can you help me get my novel published?
5. With spell-checking software, why do I need an editor?
6. How much does it cost to...?
7. How long will it take to...?
8. Who owns the copyright?
9. Isn't the writing on your website rather... casual?

If it's our credentials you're looking for, check the credits page for a sampling of past projects. To get the particulars about other services offered by MindsEye Productions, see our videoFAQ or webFAQ. And if you have any other questions, please do contact us.

1. What can a writer/editor do for me?
Our writing and editing services are particularly useful to people whose strengths lie in other areas: people who can talk up a storm but who seize up when they're asked to write down what they know. Many of our clients, however, are very capable writers who simply have more urgent demands on their time. And that's where we come in — an extra brain and another pair of hands on a keyboard.

2. Do you have a specialty?
In fact, yes. We like to call it English-to-English translation. It means that we figure out what the experts mean by "hydrostatic phase-phase separation" or "parameters of the paradigm," and then we explain it — accurately and without talking down — to a more general audience. Every project is a new challenge, and our education never ends!

3. What if I just want someone to polish my own writing?
We do that, too.

4. Can you help me get my novel published?
Sorry, only an agent or a publisher can do that. What we can offer you, however, is meticulous line-editing and/or proofreading. We can also help you out with background material — fact-checking and online research. A first-hand account of the Saxby Gale, a source of gold-toned coat-hangers, or a facsimile menu from a dinner at Windsor Castle? Go on, challenge us!

5. With spell-checking software, why do I need an editor?
The software improves all the time, but humans still have the edge. Spellcheckers can't distinguish between homonyms (there/their, be/bee), or flag a change in how your great-grandfather spelled his name. And what about sentence fragments? Or up-to-the-minute slang? The most sophisticated grammar-checker simply can't cope with the delightful complexities of English. Oh, and if your hero drops a green towel on page 12, will the towel turn blue when he picks it up at the chapter's end? Every writer needs an editor — even writers who are editors themselves.

6. How much does it cost to...?
Research and writing are billed by the hour, generally speaking, while editing and proofreading are billed by the page. And, of course, our standard business ethics apply. Prices for various services do depend in part on the type of project and material involved. Please email us in confidence with details of your project, and we'll be happy to work out an estimate.

7. How long will it take to...?
Ah, now that depends entirely on the size and scope of your project. The more generous the deadline, however, the greater the opportunity to craft and polish until, together, we get your project just the way you want it.

8. Who owns the copyright?
Unless other arrangements have been made in advance, you own the work that you've paid MindsEye to produce. Fair enough?

9. Isn't the writing on your website rather... casual?
Yes. We're fairly laid-back people and wanted our website to reflect that. When we write for you, we'll be writing in your voice.