Timing matters – proofreading takes focused time, you'll need time to review the changes, and the best proofreaders often book up early. This article gives you a simple timeline you can use for common document types, plus rules of thumb to plan backwards from your deadline without stress.

Your essay, dissertation or thesis is the culmination of months, or even years, of your hard work and research – here are seven tips to get you started on the writing process!

Whatever your reasons for writing, what you say and how you say it could be the difference between achieving your goals or falling flat on your face.