Daniel:
Customers should not focus on the language, as it is only one of many components that determine if a paper is publishable or not. In my experience, the quality of the language is almost never a reason for rejecting the manuscript. Often, language quality is listed in a series of bullet points among other issues by a journal editor on a rejection letter. However, language is often cited as a reason for a desk rejection or at some point that keeps your document from getting peer reviewed. If language is listed in a series of points for a desk rejection or a rejection letter, you should focus on the other points first before focusing on the language issues.
Sally:
To safely choose an English editing company, authors could ask their colleagues to recommend a company, read the testimonials on the company’s website, and ask the company for references. Also, I would say they should look at all the details provided on the website about what the company says they will do. In particular, look for anything that they might not mention, e.g. if they don’t say anything about confidentiality, for instance, that might be cause for concern.
Catherine:
I encourage authors to always check the English editing company’s track records to know the history and consult colleagues who have used the editing services to see if that makes a difference.
Yuki:
I usually trust what people say on the internet about a service, product or company. I think authors can look for customer reviews on the internet about an English editing company or visit the English editing company’s website to see real testimonials.
Leigh:
When searching for an English editing company, I also worry about quality, reliability, and confidentiality. So, how can an author safely choose an English editing company?
- For confidentiality, I do believe companies won’t leak any information to others to keep and protect their reputation. They will most likely no longer exist if any leaking happened.
- For reliability, you might consult your colleagues or ask an English editing company questions and see how they reply.
- For quality, you might consult your colleagues to understand how the English editing company is recommended, check the sample of English editing to see how you like the style, or check the company’s response when taking a job order.