All the answers to your proofreading questions!

Most people have very different ideas about exactly what proofreading is and what a proofreader does, often confusing proofreading with copyediting, which is an altogether different discipline.

According to publishers…

In the world of publishing, the copyeditor works with text (the ‘copy’) in its raw state, preparing it for publication. The copyeditor will check the document thoroughly for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation, clarity, consistency and accuracy. The document is then sent to the designer or typesetter to sort out the layout and formatting.

When the pages have been laid out (the proofs), they are sent to the proofreader for final checks before printing – this is the quality control stage of publishing. The proofreader makes sure that all the errors flagged by the copyeditor have been amended and that no new ones have been introduced, generally making sure that the document is indeed finished and ready for publication.

According to everyone else…

The projects I work on are generally for clients who are not in the publishing world – here, the line between a copyeditor and a proofreader is not so clearly defined!

The work that my clients expect from me is more accurately described as proof-editing – a combination of copyediting and proofreading. If you ask me to proofread your document, this is what you will get unless you specify otherwise.

For simplicity’s sake, I refer to the work I do as proofreading throughout my website.

Take a look at my proofreading and editing services →

All kinds of people benefit from using a proofreader – from sole traders, freelancers and creatives to small, medium and large businesses, and job hunters to graduate and postgraduate students.

My clients typically need their website, blog, company literature and documents, job application, or academic paper to accurately reflect them and their work, to be accessible to their readers, and not to contain any glaring spelling, grammar or punctuation errors.

Read a selection of my client testimonials →

Have you written something that other people will read? Then the chances are you probably do!

It’s incredibly difficult to proofread your own work – because you wrote it, you know exactly what you intended to say. And, as you’re used to seeing what’s in front of you, it’s not always easy to pick up on your unintentional slip-ups.

If you’ve ever read a piece of writing littered with errors, factual mistakes or inconsistencies, you’ll know how distracting it can be. You may even assume that the information is unreliable or untrustworthy, leading you to regard the source as unprofessional.

Hiring a trained pair of eyes to proofread your writing reduces the risk of your readers leaving with the impression that you're unreliable or untrustworthy. And if you are trying to publicise your business, you will definitely want to avoid ruining the reputation of your brand with copy that makes you look unprofessional.

Whether you are publishing your website or blog, issuing estimates, quotes and invoices to your clients, sending out newsletters or e-shots to your mailing list, getting business cards, menus, flyers or posters printed, compiling your CV and cover letter to apply for a new job, or submitting your essay, dissertation or thesis to be examined, you want to make sure your words are as good as they can be.

Get in touch to discuss how we can work together and to receive your free, no-obligation quote.

I work with websites, blogs, marketing materials, business documents, theses and dissertations, and CVs and cover letters. Basically, any form of written communication that you’ll be putting in front of an audience.

⭐ MS Word documents

This is my preferred format. I will proofread your document using Track Changes in MS Word. Track Changes is a great tool which allows you to review any amendments and changes that I have suggested, and to either accept or reject them.

⭐ PDF files

Whether it’s a magazine, a brochure or a poster, you can send it to me as a PDF file. I’ll use the comments tool to mark up all my amendments and suggestions for your consideration.

⭐ InDesign Files

You can also send me your InDesign files for formatting, editing and proofreading. Simply send me your file and any relevant images and copy, and I'll edit and amend your document directly in InDesign.

You'll receive a finished PDF and your .indd file fully proofed, edited and formatted. This is particularly useful if you have prepared your poster, flyer, brochure, magazine, newspaper, report, presentation, etc., in InDesign as you can forward the file over to me for direct editing, proofreading and formatting.

⭐ Content Management Systems

If you would like your website or blog to be proofread, I can either import your pages into MS Word and use Track Changes as I would for any other Word document, or you can give me permission to access your CMS and I will make any amendments directly so you won’t have to do a thing!

Whatever file type you use, there is usually a way that I can access it, so even if your file format isn’t listed here, do get in touch to discuss your requirements and we’ll see what we can do!

You want your reader to be able to understand the information that you are trying to get across, so my job is to make sure the standard of your writing is the best that it can be.

I’ll go through your text meticulously, word by word and line by line, fixing any spelling, grammar or punctuation mishaps as I go. I will also make suggestions regarding word choices if I think this will improve your text.

When your writing has been thoroughly checked, your document will:

✔ be free from errors, inconsistencies and repetition

✔ be accurate

✔ adhere to your preferred style guide

✔ observe the conventions of good writing

✔ be clearly presented and easy to read.

If you hire me to proofread your website or blog, I will also check the formatting of your page layouts and that your links are working correctly for no extra charge.

Proofreading and editing involve so much more than just quickly scanning through your document – to do the job properly takes a lot longer than people expect.

It’s important to note that editing or proofreading is not the same as reading a book or an article for pleasure – unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a ‘quick proofread’!

To answer this question properly requires a bit of explanation about the process – I have a post dedicated to this question on my blog: How long does proofreading take? →

The million-dollar question! As every project is individual, varying in size, scope and design, we’ll have a full discussion about your specific requirements so that I can give you an accurate quote.

I may also request a representative sample of your text so that I can provide you with an accurate quote.

Contact me with an outline of your project, an approximate word or page count and your proposed schedule, and I will get back to you as soon as possible (usually within two business days).

Yes, I do! I offer a range of packages carefully crafted to meet the needs of businesses, bloggers, students, writers, musicians and venues.

However, if your requirements don’t quite fit any of the packages on offer, do get in touch and we’ll see if we can sort out something just for you.

I have been working with words since 2006, both as an employee and running my own proofreading business. I undertake regular training courses to keep my professional development (CPD) up-to-date, and I am educated to postgraduate level.

For more information, you can check out my About page or perhaps drop me an email – I'd love to hear from you!

Did I miss something?

If you have a query about proofreading, editing or any of my services that I haven’t covered here, do get in touch – I’m always happy to answer your questions!

Head to my Contact page to send me a message – I’d love to hear from you and will get back to you as soon as possible (usually within two business days).