Re-writing

Presenting text in a certain style, e.g. shorter, simpler, or suitable for the web

If you wish me to re-write your English text, I will be following your brief as to how your existing text needs altering to suit its new purpose.

Once it has been re-written, it should definitely be proofread, and possibly copy-edited. As I will have done the re-write, it would be better if someone else were to proofread and/or copy-edit it. I can arrange a subcontractor for either or both of these tasks if you wish.

If you need to translate into Welsh what I have re-written for you, I can also subcontract this, or refer you to a reliable contractor. 

Prices

Rates run from 1 March to 28 (or 29) February. For 2023/24 the rate for corporate clients is £41.60/hour; for private individuals, £38.30/hour. I do not charge VAT.

The amount of work needed on different texts will, of course, vary. You will receive a bespoke service; the examples below are just that: examples. That said, as a general rule the longer the text, the less the cost per word. There is no additional charge for arranging a subcontractor or a referral for an additional service, so long as these services are tied to a re-writing job that I have done for you.

To give you an idea of the cost of re-writing, here are examples of real past re-writing jobs, costed per word at 2023/24 rates:

  • a report of about 14,000 words for a government agency – 14.1p
  •  4,000 words’ worth of explications in English to accompany Welsh poetry in an English language book – 19.4p
  • a 500-word blog post for an individual whose written English was poor – 63.2p (with hindsight this job might have been quicker and easier – and possibly cheaper, even – as a writing job, rather than a re-write).

The word counts in these examples have been rounded.

Projects using this service

Treegeneration evaluation report for the Forestry Commission

I re-wrote a 14,000-word evaluation report of a pilot project in ‘plain English’

Treegeneration was a pilot project that delivered urban tree planting schemes in north-east Wales.

The Forestry Commission felt the evaluation report had been written in language that was ‘stiff’ and too academic, so asked me to simplify it and make it easier to read.

The Forestry Commission Wales was the Welsh Government body responsible for woodland and forestry; it has been replaced by Natural Resources Wales.

Services used:

Re-writing

What my clients say

Thanks for your hard work with this, you have done a very thorough job and have certainly raised some important points with regards to the project and its evaluation.

Treegeneration Project Officer

Report for Cymdeithas Tai Eryri

I pulled together a report from raw statistics and focus group results

Cymdeithas Tai Eryri had collected statistical data from its 'hard to heat' houses that had been fitted with air source heat pumps and insulation. Focus groups had also been held with the tenants.

I was commissioned to write a draft report; the 9,000-word text was finalised by the client.

Cymdeithas Tai Eryri was a housing association in Gwynedd and Anglesey; it is now part of Grŵp Cynefin.

Services used:

Re-writing Writing

What my clients say

Hoffwn ddiolch yn arw i Sue am y holl waith trwyadl a gwerthfawr mae hi wedi gwneud, ac rwyf yn sicr bydd yr adroddiad yn help mawr i ni.
(We thank Sue sincerely for the thorough and valuable work she’s done, and I’m sure that the report will be of enormous help to us.)

Community Initiatives Manager