Book Proofreading Service

The requirements of each client are different and every job is unique, so my rates are dependent on the subject matter, word count, required turnaround time, and the amount of proofreading required (the amount of corrections and amendments needed). Therefore the cost is advised on an individual basis. Additional Work: Once the manuscript has been returned, one further revision is carried out after the client has checked the changes and amendments. Any further changes made by the client to the text or formatting/layout which results in additional work to rectify is charged at £30 per hour (minimum charge £30).​ How to Make Payment: I accept payment by debit card, credit card, PayPal account and bank transfer. ​​See my Terms and Conditions (link at the bottom of the page) for more information. Please note: - I charge per 1,000 words, not per mistake or by the hour. ​ - There is a minimum charge of £50 for all services. - Quotations are valid for 30 days from the date provided. - I do not proofread text that has been written by an author with English as a second language / the text has been translated from a foreign language. - I do not proofread data or text applied to or within photographs, images, illustrations or tables/graphs/charts/etc.

It is essential to have your work proofread to prevent costly mistakes, both financial and reputational, whether you have written an ebook, a fiction novel, non-fiction book, a collection of short stories or poetry. - The smallest of errors could mean further costs to correct once your work is published or printed. - Many readers do not take seriously books or text with errors in them. - Having your work proofread by a professional provides peace of mind before publication. - Errors can confuse and distract readers, therefore deterring them from buying your published work. - Using a professional proofreader will ensure you book is not classed as ‘amateur'. - A ‘human proofreader’ is essential as you cannot rely 100% on a computer’s spellchecker or even AI tools to find all proofreading errors. - Proofreading is not a ‘nice to have’; it’s a fundamental part of the writing process. It is best not to proofread your own work as it’s easy to miss errors when you check it yourself. When you’re close to the material you’re not detached, so you read what you expect to see and not necessarily what is there. Our brains tend to automatically correct mistakes, which makes it difficult to notice even small mistakes in your own writing. It pays to spot any errors early as there is never a second chance to make a first impression. Publishers and agents won’t accept work with typos or grammatical errors. If you’re self-publishing, the greatest story will not be enjoyable for readers if it’s littered with mistakes that could have easily been corrected.

You cannot rely on a computer’s spellchecker alone to catch spelling mistakes. Even the most advanced software cannot replace the careful judgement of a professional proofreader. Spellcheckers often miss incorrectly used words because they do not fully understand context, especially when a typo results in another word. They also cannot ensure that your wording is precise, clear or consistent throughout. "Miss steaks like these will note bee putt rite bye ewer spell chequer..." This sentence above is correct according to Microsoft Word. Spelling and grammar checkers are well known for their limitations and are never 100% right. In addition, despite recent advances in technology, AI cannot be relied upon as a spell checker. It often prioritises context and meaning over strict accuracy, which means subtle errors and inconsistencies can go unnoticed. In some cases, it may even introduce mistakes that appear correct at first glance but are not. I provide professional proofreading in the UK, and I am trained to find the errors you and your spellchecking software or AI tool/s miss. As well as removing errors, I will ensure the consistency of your text and increase the effectiveness of your writing.

Proofreading is carried out when the book or piece of writing is complete and only needs a final check for grammatical and consistency errors. This service is NOT the option if any of the following are needed: ​- The writing needs rewriting or restructuring. - You require a ghostwriter to write the material for you. - You need in-depth fact checking on events, dates, historical facts, for example. - You would like a project manager to oversee the process of researching, writing and promoting your book. - To ensure there are no problems with copyright or plagiarism​. - This service does not cover copy-editing which looks at sentence structure and flow, improving word usage, and ensuring clarity and conciseness, for example. - Check out my Copy-editing Service for information on this more in-depth edit.