Our mission
Papyrus & Silicon exists to defend the language. We’re not about avoiding embarrassment or establishing credibility, though these are the natural by-products of our work. We’re about respecting and honoring the most fundamentally human impulse: the desire — the need — to communicate. It’s the difference between a chore and a mission, a worker and a crusader.
Our people
We’re only as good as our people. And they’re the best in the business.
We don’t host cattle calls or advertise in The New York Times. We recruit only from the leading national trade groups: the Editorial Freelancers Association and the American Translators Association. Membership and accreditation in these organizations shows commitment to professional standards and a higher level of education and experience (that explains why most of our people aren’t youngsters).
We use a two-step hiring process to single out only thoroughly qualified staff. Experience and references are checked to eliminate the first round. Then our killer proofreading test is administered. Only about 10% of the remaining applicants pass.
We continue to support our staff with ongoing feedback and supervision. That includes follow-up surveys with our clients and debriefing interviews with employees. It’s the most comprehensive, intense process we know of.
Our service
We’ve got you covered. All our work comes with a 100% money-back guarantee. With a policy like this, you don’t need a watchdog. You have absolutely nothing to lose.
We’ve listened to your concerns.
We keep custom style sheets on disk for all clients, no matter how big or small, and we assign the same professional whenever possible to maintain continuity and eliminate learning curves. Technical documents are matched to specialized staff for optimum accuracy and efficiency.
We’ve answered your wish list:
• ’Round-the-clock availability for on- and off-site assignments.
• Early-payment, pre-payment, and volume discounts.
• Cost and time estimates upon request.
• Less paperwork with simple, complete, verifiable invoices — coded to suit your needs, not ours.
We deliver.
Usually at no extra charge (free pickup and delivery within New York City) and often within 24 hours — over 85% of our short assignments are back on your desk only a day after they’re received, with no rush charges.
We’re global.
We can work no matter where you are. And we’ll work with translated texts in need of post-editing or foreign-language documents: Ask for our French, German, Italian, Russian, and Spanish proofreaders. Or let us help you transform your American words into documentation with an international accent — our staff understands the peculiarities of British, Canadian, and Australian English inside and out.
If you need an expert in another language, let us help you find someone. Chances are we can accommodate you.