Working together

You’ve put in time and hard work crafting your writing. The final step is getting the message across effectively to your audience.

Your text has been written and edited. It’s now in its final layout and ready to be proofread. Please contact me by email or through my website. At this stage, it would be very helpful if you could provide a few details about your document:

  • Is it fiction or non-fiction?

  • What format is it in (e.g. Word or PDF)?

  • What is the word count?

  • Does the text have additional features (figures, tables, references etc.)?

  • When would you like it proofread by?

Proofreading a sample

I’d like you to send me a sample of 500–1,000 words from the middle of your text at this stage. I’ll then work through the sample free of charge. Once I’ve done this, I can assess how many hours it will take to proofread the whole document. Your personalised quote will then be sent to you. If you are happy to go ahead, we can then start the project.

My hourly fee for proofreading is calculated using the rates suggested by the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP). Please see more information about this below. If you require a very quick turnaround, then my quote will take this into account.

What does proofreading usually cost?

The CIEP publish information about the suggested hourly rate for proofreading. Please see more detail on suggested minimum rates by visiting their website.

What will the proofreading involve?

I will find and correct any errors in a document in its paged and fully designed form before it is published. This is the final stage of the editing process. Proofreading will involve:

  • checking the edited text in its final layout

  • finding essential errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation

  • making minor changes to ensure it makes sense

  • ensuring all page elements are consistent and correctly placed and that the chosen style is followed

  • checking that tables and illustrations are consecutively numbered and placed correctly

  • checking all references, citations and indexes are correctly formatted.

How will the changes be marked on the document?

I will ask for your preferred format e.g. PDF or MS Word. I can mark the changes:

  • on paper (using the BSI standard proofreading marks)

  • in Microsoft Word (using track changes and comment boxes)

  • on PDFs by annotating with text mark-up and commenting tools

  • on PDFs by using stamps to replicate the BSI standard proofreading marks.