When we wrote about Gramlee's while-you-wait editing service back in 2008, we noted that there was still widespread opportunity for other contenders. So it wasn't too surprising recently to come across Wordy, a Danish company that provides quick-turnaround editing of a variety of documents written in English.

Academic text, corporate literature, blog posts and web content are all among the categories of copy that Wordy's professional editors can handle, with specialized staff available to work on material focused on specific subjects. Clients simply paste their text or upload a file onto Wordy.com, or use a plugin for integrated editing (the company offers a plug-in for WordPress, and an API for use with other publishing platforms). Wordy then instantly returns a free price quote along with an approximate delivery time—EUR 7.68 for 26 minutes of editing on a 440-word document, for instance. If the client accepts, a Wordy copy editor quickly checks the text for grammar, spelling, punctuation and structure—the company can currently accommodate both UK and US English—and returns it in ready-to-publish form. After that point, the client has two business days to accept the work or request a re-edit.

Wordy's 100-plus editors have already edited close to 80,000 words, with an average speed of roughly half an hour for a 400-word document. Over the course of this year, meanwhile, the company is hoping to scale its platform to begin editing documents written in other languages as well. One to try out—or get involved in?

Website: www.wordy.com
Contact: www.wordy.com/contact

Spotted by: John Greene

Whether it's burgers, brownies or popular books, consumers increasingly favour bite-sized portions. That fact apparently hasn't escaped Pearson Education's FT Press, which just launched a brand-new imprint offering a variety of condensed business classics and original essays packaged in pint sizes for e-readers.

FT Press Delivers offers its new, controlled-portion content in the form of Elements and Shorts. Elements focus on one simple idea relating to work or life based on content from existing FT Press books, offering expert perspectives and solutions; they're priced at USD 1.99 each for 1,000 to 2,000 words. Shorts, meanwhile, are original pieces published in partnership with New Word City that focus on business-oriented topics and lessons from some of the leading business thinkers today. Pricing on Shorts is USD 2.99 each for 4,000 to 5,000 words. Both formats are accessible via computer and electronic devices, including the iPhone, and are available via Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and the Sony e-bookstore. More than 240 titles are currently available, from contributors including Jim Champy, Brian Solis, Michael Abrashoff and Seth Goldman; by year's end, FT Press Delivers aims to be offering a total of 500 titles this way.

“There are people who only want to access pieces of what you write,” Champy told the New York Times. “I don’t think they have an appetite for reading a long, serious business book.”

Indeed, that's snack culture at work, as our sister site would say, and it's diminishing appetites for full-sized portions the world over. What can your brand offer to satisfy snack-minded consumers...? (Related: Music site offers updated playlists in 22 genres — Healthy snacks, delivered by mail in serving sizes.)

Website: www.ftpress.com/delivers
Contact: www.ftpress.com/about/contact_us

'Try before you buy' is an ages-old maxim that's at the heart of the tryvertising trend we write about so often. It's a tough one to apply to books, though—beyond enabling browsing—and even tougher when it comes to cookbooks. That's where 25° Celsius comes in. First, it's a bookstore that sells only cookbooks. Second, it features an on-site test kitchen and café that lets patrons sample from the recipes served up on the shelves.

Singapore-based 25°C aims to offer a wide variety of cooking-related titles, browsable by region or ingredients as well as special interest topics like travel. Even more interesting, however, is that 25°C has created what appears to be the first bookstore-owned test kitchen in Singapore. On a regular basis, the 25°C staff will pick a book off the shelves and test out a few of the recipes it contains, making a point to closely follow the prescribed steps. Those recipes are then included on the menu of the month at the 25°C Café.

The lesson to be learned? All those who think the tryvertising trend doesn't apply to you, think again! With a little ingenuity, you may just hit upon a way to make it happen—and to build a loyal community while you're at it. One to emulate as soon as possible! (Related: More meal prep and cooking instruction, this time by Jamie Oliver — Tasting bar for babies serves up tryvertising for tykes.)

P.S. Many thanks to Malika for pointing out a similar concept in London: Books for Cooks.

Website: www.25degreec.com
Contact: ask@25degreec.com

Spotted by: Sharon Sng

Remember the excitement you felt receiving mail as a child? That's the inspiration behind San Francisco-based Little Passports, a new educational subscription service that aims to turn 5-to-10-year-olds into world travellers, one country at a time. Little Passports delivers monthly travel packages designed to provide a fun, hands-on way for kids to learn about other countries without leaving home. The first shipment in the USD 10.95 per month subscription prepares little voyagers for their global adventure with a mini suitcase, passport, world map and a letter and photo introducing their travel guides, Sam and Sofia.

Each following month, children receive a personalized letter and package from Sam and Sofia, which includes travel-related items like a passport stamp, suitcase sticker and collectible boarding pass to access online games and activities that teach geography, history, culture and vocabulary. As the months pass, little travellers notch up a jetsetter's stamp-filled passport, personalize their suitcase, and pack it with country-specific souvenirs.

In an era dominated by electronic communication, people are embracing concepts from a slower age, like the company that transforms emails into paper letters and one that resurrected the classic telegram. Little Passports combines that nostalgia for 'real' mail and combines it with the convenience of a subscription service. What else could this formula be applied to? (Related: Interactive piggy bank teaches kids about money.)

Website: www.littlepassports.com
Contact: info@littlepassports.com

Spotted by: Jason Ferguson