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Editing

• Who are your Language Editors?

  Our Language Editors either have or are completing Master’s, PhD, or MD degrees at top research universities in the U.S. They are all native English speakers and must meet rigorous selection standards. Read more about their qualifications on the About Us page.

• I would like to submit my manuscript to a non-ACS journal. Will you still edit my manuscript?

  Yes, ACS Authoring Services will edit your manuscript regardless of which journal you have chosen for submission. The service is dedicated foremost to improving the clarity of published research.

• What's the difference between Standard and Premium Editing services?

  Standard Language Editing Services include:

  • Correcting spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors
  • Checking for problems in parallelism, tense and conjugations
  • Eliminating improper language and poor word choice
  • Making the document sound natural and professional
  • Reviewing the use of terminology within the document
  • Conforming to the author’s choice of American or British English

  All Standard submissions are eligible for but not guaranteed to earn an ACS Authoring Services Certificate.

  Premium Language Editing Services include all aspects of Standard Language Editing Services and also include:

  • Revising wordy or awkward constructions
  • Improving transitions and flow
  • Ensuring that the manuscript maintains a consistent style 
  • A summary sheet outlining the changes made to the document
  • An ACS Authoring Services Certificate guaranteed.
• Will you help me re-edit my paper?

  We guarantee that our editing service will improve the quality of the language in your manuscript. If your paper is rejected by your journal for English language errors after using our service, we will re-edit your document for free.

  Any material added to your paper after using our editing service is not included in the guarantee, so we recommend that you submit the FINAL draft of your paper. We will provide a Word document file showing tracked changes and containing comments from your Language Editors.

• Will you help me to reduce the word count of my paper?

  We do not shorten manuscripts or rewrite any text.

• Do you recommend journals?

  Unfortunately, we do not currently offer journal recommendation services.

• Do you edit LaTeX documents?

  We do not currently edit in LaTeX. If your manuscript was created in LaTeX, please save it as a .doc, .docx or .rtf file before submitting for editing. For reference, we also ask that you upload a PDF of your manuscript as a secondary file during the submission process.

• Do you guarantee my paper will get published?

  Because publication is a subjective process, we cannot guarantee publication after using our services. However, we will re-edit your paper for free if it is rejected by a journal because of the quality of the language.

• How do I collect on your guarantee?

  To collect on our guarantee, please e-mail us the version of your paper that you submitted to the journal along with all reviewer comments. After we receive your manuscript, we will immediately review your files and work with you to resolve the issue.

• What is the ACS Authoring Services Certificate?

  We guarantee that our editing service will improve the quality of the language in your manuscript. If your paper is rejected by your journal for English language errors after using our service, we will re-edit your document for free.

  Any material added to your paper after using our editing service is not included in the guarantee, so we recommend that you submit the FINAL draft of your paper. We will provide a Word document file showing tracked changes and containing comments from your Language Editors.

Translation

• How are ACS Authoring Services translation services different from traditional translators?

  Unlike traditional translation companies, we use translators who are active researchers in your area of study. This ensures that they know the terminology in your area of research in both English and your native language, guaranteeing the most accurate translation possible.

  ACS Authoring Services also includes a quality review for every translation by one of our experienced academic translation advisors. We feel this additional step is critical to providing the most accurate translation of your important research.

  Finally, our translation service includes English-language editing by native speakers in your field, ensuring that your final paper will read like it was written by a native English speaker, and be completely polished and ready for publication.

• Do you have translators in my scientific subdiscipline?

  We have translators in every major scientific subdiscipline. If you don’t see your area of study on our list, please contact us and we will let you know if any qualified translators are available.

• How do I communicate with my translator?

  If you have any questions about your translation after you receive your completed paper, you are welcome to contact us and we will assist you.

• Do you translate from English into my language?

  We can translate manuscripts from English to Chinese, Portuguese, or Spanish. Please e-mail us your file and its specific area of study and we will be glad to assist you.

• Will you help me rewrite my manuscript during translation to improve its quality?

  Our translation service does not alter/delete/add to the content or organization of your manuscript. Instead, we faithfully translate the text provided. To ensure that you receive the best possible translation, please send us the FINAL version of your manuscript.

• Do you guarantee my paper will get published?

  Publication is a subjective process, so we are not able to guarantee that you will be published after you use our services. We do guarantee that we will re-edit your paper for free if it is rejected by a journal for reasons of English language alone.

• How do I collect on your guarantee?

  Please e-mail us the same draft of your paper that you submitted to your journal along with all of your reviewers’ comments. We will review your files immediately and contact you with additional advice.

• What is the ACS Authoring Services Certificate?

  ACS AuS will provide a certificate confirming that your paper was edited by a native English speaker at ACS AuS, and, assuming all of the changes we proposed are incorporated into the manuscript, is ready for journal submission. It will allow journal editors to feel confident that the English language in your paper has been reviewed and verified. Visit our Certificate Program page to learn more.

Formatting

• What is the difference between Formatting and Editing?

  Our editors correct the grammar, phrasing, and word choice errors in your manuscript. Our academic formatting specialists do not perform language editing. Instead, they ensure that your manuscript is in agreement with journal guidelines with respect to layout, citations, and references.

• What if my references are in the wrong order? My citations use numbers (e.g., 1) but the journal’s citations use names (e.g., (Author, 2011)). Will you fix this?

  Yes. We will reorder your citations and references as needed and convert citations and references to your target journal’s format. If necessary, we will fix incorrect information in references based on information in published databases.

• My manuscript contains tables that I would like formatted. Do I need to order Figure Services?

  Yes, you will need to order Figure Services. Figure Services focuses on helping you prepare or format tables. Formatting focuses on placement of tables and figures, but does not make edits to the tables and figures themselves.

• Do you support reference manager software?

  Yes, we currently support EndNote. If you used EndNote to format your references, we will work within the software to ensure that your references match the guidelines of your target journal. If you used a different reference manager software program, we regret that we are unable to maintain active field coding of references at this time.

• Do you check to ensure that any ethical or policy considerations are met?

  No, our Formatting service does not include checking for ethical or policy considerations or documentation required for clinical trials. We focus on the formatting of the manuscript itself, which includes layout, citation, and reference formatting in accordance with journal guidelines.

• If I order Formatting will you help me reduce word count?

  No, word count reduction is not included in our Formatting service.

• Will you format my manuscript if it is not written in English?

  No, we offer formatting for manuscripts written in English only. You can add Formatting as a complement to the Translation service.

• Can you format equations in my manuscript?

  No, unfortunately we cannot format equations at this time.

• Why does my formatted manuscript look different than papers published in my target journal?

  We format manuscripts according to the journal’s guidelines for submission. Once a paper is accepted, the journal may perform copyediting and typesetting of the formatted paper to get it ready for publication.

Figure Services

• What file types do you accept for figure services?

  We are currently able to process the following file types:

  • DOC, DOCX (Microsoft Word)
  • ODT (OpenOffice Writer)
  • PPT, PPTX (Microsoft PowerPoint)
  • ODP (OpenOffice Impress)
  • XLS, XLSX (Microsoft Excel)
  • ODT (OpenOffice Calc)
  • OPJ (Origin)
  • CDR (CorelDRAW)
  • AI, AIT (Adobe Illustrator)
  • PSD, PDD (Adobe Photoshop)
  • EPS (Various Programs)

  File types that are not on this list should be exported as EPS files. Authors using alternative software can contact us for the best procedure to export figures in one of our recommended file types.

• How should I provide my tables for formatting?

  Journals require that tables be submitted in a text format (usually Microsoft Word). If you would like help formatting your tables according to journal guidelines, please provide Excel or Word-editable files containing your tables. Also, if you would like tables formatted and exported as images for use in presentations and posters, we can do this as part of our Figure Services.

• How will you format images, such as photographs and micrographs?

  In order to generate publication-quality figures, images that are included within a figure should also be sent independently in the highest available resolution file. For ethical reasons, we are unable to make changes to brightness, contrast, or color balance, and we will not crop the image.

• My manuscript contains tables that I would like formatted. Do I need to order Figure Services?

  Yes, you will need to order Figure Services. Figure Services focuses on helping you prepare or format tables.

• How can I review my formatted figures when they are returned in a new file type not supported by my computer software?

  Many journals require figures to be submitted as EPS files, which may not open with your current software. In addition to the submission-ready file, we will also send PDF versions of your new figures for you to review.

• What do you do in cases where figure files for submission need to be formatted differently than the final figures for publication (after acceptance)?

  We format the figures according to the author instructions for the final publication (assuming that these instructions are available). Any new figures or ones that require changes or reformatting after peer review are considered new submissions and must be purchased separately.

• How do I edit my figure after it has been formatted?

  You must have access to the appropriate software to make changes to your figures within their new file type. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you send the FINAL version of your figures to us for formatting. We stand behind the quality of our work, and if a figure does not meet your expectations, we will work with you to correct the issue.

Submission Process

• Is your website safe?

  ACS Authoring Services uses the most powerful and up-to-date website security features available. To protect your research, we also require all of our staff members to sign a confidentiality agreement.

• Are weekends and holidays included in the turnaround time?

  Weekends and holidays are not included in our deadlines. ACS Authoring Services is closed for U.S. holidays eight days of the year and deadlines are delayed for these days: New Year’s Day (January 1), Memorial Day (May 31), Independence Day (July 4), Labor Day (first Monday in September), Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday of November), the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas (December 25), and the day after Christmas. You will see an announcement in your account if there are any upcoming holiday delays.

• How do I get the most accurate word count?

  To get an accurate word count, please open your manuscript in Microsoft Word and delete any portions of the paper that do not require editing. If you include a letter responding to your reviewers, you can remove all of the reviewers’ comments. In the primary manuscript, you can also remove any numeric table data. After removing all text that does not require editing, perform a word count on the remaining text using the Word Count feature in Microsoft Word. Please calculate the word count on every file you plan to submit to us and add it all together to determine your final word count. If you would like our support staff to perform a word count for you, please e-mail us your files.

• What happens if I enter the wrong word count?

  We will verify the accuracy of the word count on your manuscript before it is assigned to an editor. If we find that the word count exceeds the category you selected, we will proceed to edit your paper and notify you of the correct price. If your paper is shorter than indicated, we will refund the price difference to your ACS Authoring Services account.

• Do you include references and tables in the word count?

  Because we do not edit references or numeric tables, they are not included in the word count and do not affect your price for editing services.

• What if I don't want you to work on my entire paper?

  If you would like us to only edit a portion of your paper, please highlight any sections that you would like us to ignore and include specific instructions when you submit your manuscript. If large portions of your paper are excluded from the editing process, we may not be able to verify the quality of the language and your paper may not qualify for an editing certificate.

Prices & Payments

• Do I have to wait for a price quote?

  ACS Authoring Services takes pride in not requiring you to wait for a price quote. We provide our prices in advance based on your level of service, total word count, and required timeline. To see your price, use our online price calculator to show you the cost of our services based on your specific manuscript. If your institution requires a pro forma invoice, please contact us and we would be happy to provide one for you.

• What payment options are available?
  • Credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Diners Club and American Express). Note that American Express and Diners Card can only be used for payments in U.S. dollars.
  • PayPal
  • Bank transfer (wire transfer or purchase order)
  • Alipay (with or without Fapiao)
  • UnionPay (with or without Fapiao)
  • WeChat Pay
  • Boleto
  • ACS AuS PrePay
• How do I pay with a bank transfer?

  To pay by a wire transfer from your bank, first select bank transfer as your payment method when you upload your files. You will be able to print out a copy of your invoice after your paper is received. The invoice will contain all of the necessary information to send us a wire transfer at your local bank.

• What information will appear on my invoice?

  In addition to the services purchased, your invoice will contain the billing address you enter when you submit your order, the order date, your manuscript name, and receipt code. Our support team can customize your invoice for you if you need to add any additional information.

• Do you provide invoices in my local currency?

  We will provide invoices displaying USD and the currency you selected during account creation. Please note that this currency preference cannot be changed once selected. If you need changes to your invoice, please contact support@authoringservices.acs.org and we will be happy to assist you.

• Do you provide signed invoices or vendor forms?

  Our billing department would be happy to provide you with any signatures or paperwork that you need to process your payment. Please e-mail our support team with your requirements and we will assist you.

About Our Team of Experts

ACS Authoring Services’ experts are native English speakers. Each manuscript is matched with a subject matter expert who has either completed or is completing a Master’s, Ph.D., or M.D. program at a top-ranked U.S. university or who has worked at a top U.S. research institute. Learn More

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