I’m finally in the right time and place to begin using EDITOR, an electronic proofreader (by Serenity Software) for the next book as the author is a first-time writer and a UK writer, I knew I need some serious big guns to get through it.
EDITOR is relentless and gives you six stages of proofing. I’ve already made back my 50 bucks, it would
have cost me $250 to farm this editing out and I think it does a more thorough job than humans. It does
take time, like anything else, but as I’m strapped for cash its worthwhile at the moment. Of course many things need a judgement call, but I’m finding 95% of the time it is correct: there is a better way to say this. Worse, it’s also teaching me by example how to be a better editor and I’m seeing mistakes in my own emails! One thing which is always spot-on is its analysis for sentences that need commas. Many first-time writers eschew the comma to their own detriment.
Unfortuantely, the user interface is a bit bizarre and you MUST read the instructions. But once you get
the hang of it, its pretty OK to use. It is NOT a MS Word plug in, but it does read Word files as long as
you don’t have too many pictures in them. Some of the best features are its “POLISH” module which plucks out trite phrases and pretentious verbiage. The “WORD” analysis module highlights pet phrases and repetitions which will bore the reader.
The value-for-money is unbeatable, I give it 5 starts
