News
- The jewel in the crown
- One giant leap for Bradford
- What goes around, comes around
- Get ready for touchdown – in Bradford
- Oh What a Wow!
- Moonlight and roses
- Copy solutions for Company Solutions
- When worlds collide
- Around the edges of Europe
- Welcome to the Twilight Zone
- I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
- Changing young lives.
- Ideal weather for ICE
- Tender is the night
- Drinking to success
- Going into Orbit
- Growing old in luxury
- Mine's a pint
- Into the Dragon's Den
- The magic of Digital Marketing
- Making short work of it
- Space race
- Food for thought
- It's written in the stars
- Jordan says thanks
- Brand new client - from Oxford!
- Something to write home about
- ICE-cold in August
- Let's make it a date
October 2008
The jewel in the crown. We’ve been asked to join the approved editor list of Emerald, the world’s leading publisher of management research. Authors of journal articles can ask editors on this list to help them improve the standard of English in the article before they submit it to one of Emerald’s journals. This is especially useful for authors who don’t have English as their first language, and is an area in which we have a great deal of experience. Within a couple of days of being added to the list, we’d had our first commission – hopefully the first of many.
September 2008
One giant leap for Bradford. We were thrilled to be invited to meet the crew of the most recent space shuttle when they visited Bradford on 11 September. This was especially exciting as we’d done so much work during July and August for C8 on promotional materials for the visit. The event was a great success, and those who attended over the two days seemed inspired and enthused. C8 did a great job, and we were proud to be part of their latest successful mission!
August 2008
What goes around, comes around. We don’t usually start to think about working on Foulsham’s horoscopes, Old Moore’s Astral Diaries, until October. But we’ve just been asked to do a final check of the printer’s proofs for the 2009 books – the ones we started editing last autumn and through the winter. And when we do start on the next round of editing in a couple of months (these will be the 2010 books!) we’ll also, for the first time, be taking a co-ordinating role to make sure things stay on schedule. Once again, a busy time is predicted!
July 2008
Get ready for touchdown – in Bradford. This month we’ve been working on promotional material for some very special vehicles. C8 asked us to produce copy for a brand new venture, the Wow Space Bus. This specially converted single-decker is a Bradford College initiative, supported by Yorkshire Forward and Space Connections. Its aim is to inspire young people to study and take up careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. As well as our work for the Wow Space Bus, we’ve also written copy for the Space Connections website, and publicity material for the visit of a group of Space Shuttle astronauts to Bradford on 11–12 September. The countdown has begun…
June 2008
Oh What a Wow! A capacity crowd came along to our presentation at the Wow Academy. Entitled ‘Don’t mince words…Make them work for you!’, the session covered proofreading, editing and copywriting, and explained why these are important for creating first-class written material. We included some Top Tips for doing it yourself, but perhaps the most popular feature proved to be the naming and shaming of those who have got it badly wrong. It’s nice to know that even Hillary Clinton can make a spelling mistake…
May 2008
Moonlight and roses. Spring is well and truly underway. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the sap is rising…you get the picture. And in this most exciting of seasons we’re thrilled to have been asked to edit a book about gardening. Foulsham’s Gardening and Planting by the Moon 2009 is an astrological guide to making the most of your garden, by planting, pruning and harvesting according to the Moon’s position in relation to the zodiac. And while our skills with a trowel might leave a lot to be desired, our skills with a red pen should help to make this book a blooming good read.
April 2008
Copy solutions for Company Solutions. Providing solutions is what we’re all about. So when we were asked by Hanson Brown to write copy for a series of flyers for Company Solutions the job sounded right up our street. Company Solutions offer support to growing businesses, mainly in the areas of finance and accountancy, corporate governance and employment law. They take care of hassle and red tape, and keep their clients’ businesses on the right side of rules, regulations and the law. In other words, they’re experts in doing the jobs you hate – though that doesn’t include the ironing.
Febuary 2008
When worlds collide. The work we do every year for Foulsham on Old Moore's Astral Diaries and The Real Ale Pub Guide has begun once again. Following changes in production schedules, the two projects will overlap this time around, and it doesn't take an astrologer to predict that February and March will be very busy months.
January 2008
Around the edges of Europe. What do Moldova, Albania, Tunisia and Egypt have in common? During December and January we've been working hard editing reports on each of them for ICE, on behalf of the European Training Foundation. These documents contained the results of surveys on migration in the countries concerned, and analysed the behaviour and attitudes of both people who were planning to move abroad for work, and those who had already done so and returned home again. After completing the work, we certainly felt as if we'd been travelling quite a bit ourselves.
November 2007
Welcome to the Twilight Zone Not as spooky as it sounds! When Words and Pictures - specialists in educational and corporate publications - needed someone to step in while their regular proofreader was away during November, they turned to us. In order to meet the needs of their clients they have rigorous production schedules in place, and were looking for us to provide an overnight turnaround on the work. We were happy to oblige, so while normal people were watching EastEnders or drinking in the pub, we were reading Words < Pictures’ attractive, lively magazines.
October 2007
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter. Bradford Chamber of Commerce runs some great courses for all interests and levels. We checked out the lunchtime 'DIY Direct Mail' session, run by John Ashworth of Alchemy Direct Marketing. John has worked at a senior level for a number of big firms including Grattan and Green Flag. He focused on the planning and practicalities of running a campaign, which complemented our own expertise in actually writing material for direct mail. Saltaire Editorial Services - coming to a letter box near you…
September 2007
Changing young lives. When creative design agency Dulay Seymour were commissioned to produce a booklet to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Bradford Foyer, they asked us to help out with the text. Young people who’d been helped by the Foyer had written their own stories, and they were all truly inspiring. We made sure the spelling and grammar was up to scratch, so that readers could concentrate on the great work that goes on at the Foyer.
July 2007
Ideal weather for ICE. Another project from ICE kept us slaving away indoors during June, which gave us a great excuse to stay out of the rain! This huge document - on Labour Markets in the Western Balkans - was finally finished in mid-July. Still no sign of the sun, though…
June 2007
Tender is the night ….well, the afternoon actually. Bmedi@ held the first of a series of four sessions on Tendering for Business. Following this introductory meeting, future sessions will cover bemdi@'s own tendering process, EU tenders, and preparing and presenting bids and pitches. The first session was certainly useful, and provided a great deal of food for thought.
May 2007
Drinking to success. Our old friends Zymo PR and Marketing held an event to showcase their new offices - in a historic Georgian building - and to launch a new exhibition by photographer Roger Moody . A host of guests enjoyed the event, including the Lord Mayor of Bradford, and the Yorkshire-themed buffet went down a treat. Particularly successful was the Saltaire Brewery beer we'd sourced for Zymo.
April 2007
Going into Orbit. New marketing company Hanson Brown was commissioned to provide exhibition materials for Orbit Research Ltd, a company providing satellite equipment and services. We provided straplines and copy for banners, folders, and three different leaflets. And although dealing with so much technical information was a challenge, the results were out of this world.
Growing old in luxury. The idea of spending retirement in sumptuous surroundings sounds appealing, so we’re seriously considering reserving an apartment at Buckshaw Retirement Village. Marketing company GSM asked us to provide copy for a number of brochures for this extensive new retirement development near Chorley. The new apartments are aimed at a range of residents, from those who want an active, independent lifestyle, to those who need a whole range of support in day-to-day tasks. With a bistro, a gym and a bowling green, it’s certainly a tempting option, even if you’re not ready to retire!
March 2007
Mine's a pint. For several years we've worked on the Real Ale Pub Guide, published by Foulsham. We've been asked to do so again, and have just started this mammoth task. It's our job to update the thousands of entries in the book, from information supplied by the licensees themselves. This ensures that the details are as accurate as possible when the next edition is published. Unfortunately for us, no visits to pubs are involved in this work, nor do we get any free samples. But we do get a chance to learn about real ale pubs the length and breadth of the country, and about the delicious beers they serve.
February 2007
Into the Dragon's Den. The high-flying world of the venture capitalist beckoned when Seamless Marketing asked us to write copy for a new website. The client was YFM Group, the UK's most active investor in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Founder of Freeserve Ajaz Ahmed recently slated venture capital companies for not being user-friendly enough, including on their websites. YFM Group were keen that their new website should reflect their own approachable, friendly style. They also wanted to focus on the benefits of investment to the companies they help, rather than their own successes as a business. The new site should show that the folks at YFM Group aren't dragons after all.
The magic of Digital Marketing. Bmedi@ hosted a fascinating seminar on Digital Marketing. There were tips on using Google's useful tracking features to find out what people were searching for to reach our websites. There were tips on using keywords. And there were tips on persuading other people to link to your website from theirs. So now all we need to do is get ourselves mentioned on the front page of the BBC News website!
January 2007
Making short work of it. We tendered for more work on Careersoft’s Job Explorer Database. The task? A total of 818 job description pieces needed to be shortened from 150–250 words to 50–90. And the reading age had to be no higher than 11. We successfully landed the business, and pulled out all the stops to get the work done in the very tight timescale. All agreed it was another job well done!
December 2006
Space race. Returning clients C8 have asked us to write copy, at very short notice, for three flyers. These will be used to publicise the Space Circus, a project designed to inspire school students to study, and pursue careers in, science, technology and engineering.
Food for thought. C8 also commissioned some menu copy for their rebranding of the Lahore Café Bar in Bradford. The food itself sounds delicious, and we hope our mouth-watering copy will be the icing on the cake!
November 2006
It's written in the stars. Every year since 1998 we've been asked to edit Old Moore's Astral Diaries, a series of 12 books, one for each of the zodiac signs. This involves checking that the astrological tables look correct and making sure the daily entries are written in a particular style. The 2008 horoscopes will be published in summer 2007, but we've already started editing them. The first and second ones have already arrived here, and it doesn't take an astrologer to predict that the other 10 will be along over the next few months.
October 2006
Jordan says thanks. No, not THAT Jordan…we're talking about the European Training Foundation's representative for Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. In September we edited a large report he'd written, and he's just sent us some great feedback. He thanks us for our hard work, and says he hopes to have the chance to work with us again. Because we work with the ETF through a third party (ICE) don't often hear directly from authors. It's wonderful when we do - especially when they want to sing our praises!
Brand new client - from Oxford! We're thrilled to welcome a prestigious new client - Oxford University Press. They've asked us to proofread 'Strategic Brand Management' by Richard Elliott and Larry Percy, which is due to be published in December 2006. And while we're checking for literals, grammatical errors and inconsistencies, we'll be picking up some useful insights into marketing along the way.
September 2006
Something to write home about. We've worked with GSM Partnership before. They specialise in marketing communications for the property, homes and construction industry, and we've provided web and brochure copy for some of their biggest clients. Now GSM have decided to rebrand their own company, and we're delighted that they've asked us to come on board again. Our copy will feature in the general brochure and in the more specialised material on PR services and image visualisation. The theme is 'Perfect Partners', and the new look they've chosen is stunning. It'll certainly ensure that GSM Partnership are very hot property!
August 2006
ICE-cold in August. Our Danish friends (ICE) have been keeping us busy with a large document, 'Designing Coherent Adult Learning Policies', for the European Training Foundation. This in-depth report on the countries of South Eastern Europe is the latest piece by non-native English authors to be given the Saltaire Editorial Services treatment, and to be turned into smooth, flowing copy that can be enjoyed by everyone.
July 2006
Let's make it a date. The invention of the vacuum cleaner…the discovery of the Rosetta Stone…the launch of the Dandy comic…We've just finished writing about them all for an 'On this day' feature, part of a new careers software package from Careersoft called the Job Explorer Database. Our brief was to write around 100 words on events that took place on some of the days of the year, with each one linked to a particular job. As an added challenge, the text had to be suitable for a reading age of 11 or below, and we also had to come up with an entertaining trivia question for each day. Local pub quiz teams - look out!