Proofreading for writers

The authors I work with are usually taking the self-publishing route and often do not have endless funds for round after round of editing and proofreading. As a qualified editor trained in both proofreading and copyediting, I decided to give authors the option of a combined service. This service is more accurately referred to as proofediting your manuscript and can be a much more cost-effective option.

Proofediting is a fairly new term that you may not have come across before. It defines a service that combines the main elements of editing and proofreading. You’ll get a thorough review of grammar, punctuation, spelling and consistency, plus I’ll look at your use of language, the style and the clarity of your writing.

My proofediting service ensures that your manuscript adheres to current language ‘rules’ and is free from any obvious errors that might distract your readers.

This service is designed to be carried out when you have finished the writing stage of your book, but before your manuscript has been to the typesetter.

However, I would also recommend a final proofread of your book when it has been laid out and formatted for publication to make sure no new errors have been introduced during this stage.

My services involve checking your text meticulously, word by word and line by line. I use the Oxford English Dictionary for spelling checks and the British English standard for grammar and punctuation, New Hart's Rules – The Oxford Style Guide.

Things I’ll be looking out for include:

✓ spelling, grammar and punctuation errors

✓ the structure of your sentences

✓ the consistency of your language

✓ the readability for your intended audience

Citations and references

If you are referencing other works in your book, I will make sure that your citations and references are set out consistently (and correctly according to your style guide, if you are using one). However, I do not check if your reference sources are correct.

Your citations and references will be included in the final word count.

Tone of voice

Your ‘tone of voice’ won’t be altered, so don’t worry – it will still sound like you wrote it! However, I will be working hard to ensure that your words are presented as well as they possibly can be.

❌ Structural or developmental editing

❌ Styling and formatting your text

❌ Fact checking

❌ Reference checking

❌ Indexing services

You can see that deciding on which editorial service you require may not be as straightforward as you may have initially thought! I aim to fulfil – and hopefully exceed – your expectations, so you’ll need to be very clear about exactly what you’d like me to do with your writing.

If I don’t think we’ll be a good fit, or if I think you need a service that I don’t provide (such as structural or developmental editing), I will let you know.

✓ Your manuscript should be supplied as a Microsoft Word document. I’ll use the Track Changes feature in Word to highlight any amendments made and to leave my comments, queries and suggestions for you.

✓ I will assume you are writing in British English unless you explicitly tell me otherwise. If your manuscript has been written according to US English rules and styling, you will need to let me know before work commences.

✓ I will be asking you to make style choices as I work through your manuscript, especially at the beginning of the proofreading. You'll need to be available during our time together to answer my emails in good time so that we can keep on schedule.

My fees are based on your word count rather than calculated at an hourly rate. This means that we both know how much your project will cost from the outset, and you don’t get any unpleasant surprises when you receive my final invoice!

My graduated fee structure is based on a progressive pricing model – the principle behind this is the economies of scale: longer projects tend to require less time per word when compared to shorter projects, so I can pass this efficiency saving on to you.

Fee structure

Minimum fee = £75

Then:

• The first 2,500 words = £30 per 1,000 words

• The next 5,000 words = £25 per 1,000 words

• The next 10,000 words = £20 per 1,000 words

• The next 20,000 words = £15 per 1,000 words

• The next 40,000 words = £10 per 1,000 words

• The next 80,000 words = £7.50 per 1,000 words

• The next 80,001+ words = £5.00 per 1,000 words

Example fees:

→ A 2,000-word essay = £75 (minimum fee applies)

→ A 10,000-word short story = £250

→ A 50,000-word novel = £825

→ A 100,000-word novel = £1,268.75

I understand that submitting your manuscript for editing and proofreading can be an expensive business. Perhaps you haven’t allocated enough funds to cover the costs of having a professionally trained editor analyse your work and need to self-edit before submitting your manuscript to me.

As my fees are based on your word count, the best way to reduce the cost is to reduce your word count.

Some self-editing tips:

✓ Leave your finished draft for a few days, then go back to it and re-read it with fresh eyes. Honestly, you'll be surprised at how much you want to change or get rid of!

✓ Rework sentences for clarity and conciseness. This also helps to improve the readability of your text.

✓ Remove 'filler' words such as 'there', 'here' and 'it' to tighten up your writing - you can often eliminate these by rewriting a sentence.

✓ Remove weak adjectives such as 'really' and 'very'. These rarely add anything to your writing.

✓ Remove versions of 'to be' verbs as they can weaken the words that follow. You can usually replace 'am', 'is', 'are', 'was', 'were', 'been' and 'being' with stronger alternatives. For example, a weak sentence is: They were not enjoying the editing process. You can easily lose three words and make a stronger sentence by replacing 'were not enjoying' with 'loathed' to give: They loathed the editing process.

✓ Eliminate jargon and cliches as these can be very offputting to your readers!

✓ Change the font type or background colour before you start your edit. You likely know your manuscript inside and out – making temporary changes like this will help your brain to see the page differently and can often flag things up that you otherwise wouldn't have noticed.

Take a look at my article, How to proofread your own writing for more top tips!