Proofreading
Once you’ve been through the editing gauntlet, you’re almost ready for the final challenge: publishing your book! Proofreading applies healing potions and repairs your adventuring equipment before you set out. (This is also known as correcting spelling errors and grammatical issues, and making sure everything’s consistent.)
What’s included?
- A slow, meticulous and thorough check of your manuscript. This is more than just a quick sweep for a few typos. My checks include looking at capitalisation, headings/chapter titles, hyphenation, page numbers, grammar, spelling, spacing, punctuation and more.
- I’ll work according to your style sheet if you supply one. If not, I’ll create one. This will track your preferences, and can be invaluable for consistency if you write additional books.
Who’s it for?
This service will suit you if you’re happy with your story; you’ve nailed the big-picture elements (plot, pacing, dialogue etc.), and you’ve refined your writing at sentence level so everything flows clearly and effectively.
If you still need some help with elements like pacing and character development, a manuscript critique, full developmental edit or trip to the editing forge could be more suitable. For sentence-level work, you may need to hire a copyeditor. Get in touch for recommendations!
What does it cost?
My fee for proofreading is £28.65 per hour (based on the CIEP recommended minimum rates). The level of amendment required will influence my working speed, which is usually between 1,000 and 3,000 words per hour. (A 20% non-refundable deposit is required upon booking.)
More about the process
- First, send me a 2,000 word sample of your writing as a Microsoft Word document or PDF. I’ll proofread this free of charge and estimate the total fee, based on how long it takes me. (Available for manuscripts of 30,000 words or above.)
- If we’re both happy we’re a good fit, I’ll proofread the rest of your hard work.
- I’m familiar with UK and US English, and I can check consistency with either.
- With Word documents, I’ll make my amendments using the Track Changes and commenting features. With PDFs, I’ll mark up with clear instructions using Adobe DC Reader.
- I’m a fantasy editor, but I love to proofread widely. You can get in touch about novels, novellas and short stories in most genres. I also proofread non-fiction!