Lyle K. What price quality? Overseas outsourcing of editorial services. SfEP report; February 2011
A report, compiled by Kathleen Lyle, a founder member of the SfEP (Society for Editors and Proofreaders), offers a valuable insight into the outsourcing of editorial work to overseas suppliers. In 2010 the SfEP asked members to report their experiences of editorial outsourcing. The relevant parts of their replies are quoted and commented on in this report, confirming that British publishers have been using overseas suppliers for many years. What remain relevant are linguistic ability and editorial skills. The SfEP’s concern is that some overseas suppliers whose staff are not English mother-tongue are offering editorial services, often based on a rigid, rule-based approach.