Editing for business

Add value through better communications.

Businesses create a constant stream of information and publications in the course of their daily operations and their quest for greater performance and profits.

Hourigan & Co.’s lead editor, Ben Hourigan, is MBA-qualified, with high distinctions in subjects including Security Analysis and Portfolio Management, Managerial Finance, Strategic Management, and Management of International Organizations. Post-MBA, he managed a leading niche magazine publisher’s digital media business, overseeing a tripling of his division’s revenue over four years. We are highly familiar with the concepts and vocabulary of business in a global environment, and understand and support your motivation to promote the success of your organization.

Hourigan & Co.’s client list includes major corporations and publishers including Sensis, Australian Unity, and the Economist Group. We understand the key concepts, drivers, and vocabulary of business, and support you in your motivation to improve your organization’s performance.

We are experienced in editing a wide range of material for business, including:

  • Annual reports
  • Electronic direct mail
  • Event programs
  • Marketing materials
  • Press releases
  • Training material for senior executives
  • Websites
  • White papers

Our focus for our business clients is on creating high-quality documents ready for publication in a commercial environment. These may be internal publications, publicity materials, customer-facing communications, or client deliverables. We view editing as an investment intended to deliver a return by adding value to your communications—assuring quality and improving clarity, aesthetics, and style.

We are familiar with the Australian Style manual: for authors, editors and printers, and with a range of globally recognized styles including Chicago and APA.

What is editing?

Editing in this context means a thorough review and correction of your document. Your thesis will be formatted in accordance with typographic principles, and any of your institution or discipline’s guidelines that you can supply us with. Heading styles will be applied to create structure and consistency. Grammatical and spelling errors will be corrected, and sentences may be reorganized and rewritten for clarity and style.

What is proofreading?

Proofreading in this context is a check for errors only. At this level, no formatting will be done or corrections made for reasons of style or clarity. Proofreading is a cost-effective way to make sure the thesis you submit is clean and free of mistakes, but for an optimal result we always recommend a full edit and format.

Accredited and qualified

Hourigan & Co.’s lead editor, Ben Hourigan, MBA, AE, is accredited by the Institute of Professional Editors, Australia’s national body for editor training and certification, and for the advancement of the editing profession. Ben also holds an MBA from the University of New England.

Editing or project management by an accredited editor can give you confidence that your documents are being worked on by trained and experienced professionals, to the highest standards and in accordance with accepted principles and guidelines including the Australian standards for editing practice.

Rates

We have rates in a range of major currencies and for a variety of project types and levels of service. We can offer fixed prices for jobs with a defined scope, and hourly rates for more open-ended engagements.

Contact us today for a quote that fits your specific needs and budget.

Here’s some of the work we’ve done for leading businesses.

The Economist Events

The Economist Events is the events business of news and international affairs magazine The Economist.

Based in Hong Kong, the Economist Events team relies on Hourigan & Co. to edit and proofread advertising, event programs, executive summaries, web pages, blog posts, and other collateral associated with its extensive and high-profile program.

Hourigan & Co. ensures the team’s published material is clear and correct, and consistent with The Economist’s rigorous house style and high standard of writing.

We employ our high cultural literacy, and our knowledge of concepts from the world of business, economics, politics, and finance, to check international names, facts, and conceptual rigor and advise the team on how documents can be improved before publication.

HR white paper

B. is a former C-suite executive at one of Australia’s largest companies, and now managing director of her own HR consultancy. B. engaged Hourigan & Co. as she was nearing completion of the manuscript for a white-paper showcasing her firm’s unique vision of the future of the HR discipline and how it will add value to businesses in a changing environment.

Hourigan & Co. advised B. on how to engage a design firm to create a template for this and future white papers. We edited the manuscript thoroughly, corresponding with B. throughout the process as she continued to write the final sections, and providing advice on structural changes.

Once the designers had created a custom layout and placed the text in an Adobe InDesign document, Hourigan & Co. proofread a draft PDF and delivered corrections and design feedback for incorporation into the final, print-ready PDF. Cost: $1,500

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