Proofreading is the last major stage of the editing process. To ensure your book is ready to hit the press (or the internet), a proofreader will step in to double-check everything, and spot errors which may have been inadvertently introduced during line and copy editing. Please note that proofreading should be done on the final draft of the edited manuscript. Here is what we look out for:
- Spelling mistakes
- Punctuation errors
- Minor grammatical errors
- Misplaced line and page breaks
- Incorrect pagination and note numbering
- Misplaced or unclear captions for any illustrations
- Any other minor issues that could spoil a reader’s enjoyment of your writing
We use The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary.
Here’s how our process works:
Step one: You fill out the Contact Us form.
Step two: We contact you within 48 hours to clarify the process and answer any questions
Step three: We arrange a free sample proofread of up to 1,000 words.
Step four: We return your proofread sample along with a quote within a week (probably less).
Step five: Once we have agreed on payment and time frame, we draft a contract which all parties sign.
Step six: You send us your entire manuscript along with 50% of payment.
Step seven: After we complete the work within the agreed time frame (usually two to six weeks), you pay the remainder of the money owed and we send you two documents:
- Your manuscript with Track Changes visible, for you to accept or reject individually
- A “clean” copy of your manuscript
After you have accepted or rejected all corrections your document is ready to go!
Rates: $0.02 per word. For standard manuscript pages of about 250 words, this works out at about $5.00 a page. Our per-word rates are based on the Editorial Freelancers Association’s standard pricing scale. For short projects, we have a minimum fee of $100.