COPYEDITING AND PROOFREADING
What do I do?
I am a full-time freelance proofreader and copy editor. Whether your document needs a sentence-level edit or a final check, I will provide a thorough and reliable service.
My goal is to make your work look polished and professional. I take great care to review your document thoroughly, reading word by word to ensure that I pick up as many errors as possible.
If you’re not sure which service you need please read the descriptions below.
Copyediting
Copyediting focuses on fixing errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and usage, and ensuring that the writing is clear and consistent.
Copyediting usually takes places after a developmental/content edit (if required) and before proofreading.
When copyediting I check for the following:
- Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Consistency of capitalization and hyphenation
- Correct word usage
- Repeated or missing words
- Formatting issues with font size, style, and layout
- Dialogue tags and punctuating dialogue
- Consistency of timeline and character details
- Fix or flag confusing phrases
- Fix or flag sentences that are repetitive or too wordy
- Basic fact-checking (e.g., brand name or place name spelling)
- American or British English
Proofreading
Proofreading is the last step in the editorial process – the final quality check.
Proofreading is typically done after a manuscript has been copyedited. I will focus on catching any errors that slipped through the editing stage.
When proofreading I check for the following:
- Correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Consistency of capitalization and hyphenation
- Correct word usage (e.g., homophones and homonyms)
- Repeated or missing words
- Formatting issues with font size and style
- Consistency of layout
- Cross-references errors
- Broken links
- American or British English
If I’m proofreading an already typeset document, I check for the following:
- If necessary, I compare the proof against the copy editors copy to ensure all the copy editor’s changes were made.
- I check that word breaks are appropriate.
- I ensure that the design specifications have been carried out.
- I will not make unnecessary changes. At this stage in the process, changes cost money!
- I mark up using the British Standards Institution’s (BSI) proofreading symbols.
How do I do it?
I use the track changes function in Microsoft Word, allowing you to review my amendments and accept or reject them as you see fit. I can also work in Google Docs. Please let me know your preference.
Some of the reference manuals I use include The Chicago Manual of Style, New Hart’s Rules, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Oxford A-Z of Grammar & Punctuation, and The best punctuation book, period. I will also take your preferences into account. If you have your own style sheet or would like me to use a different reference manual, please let me know, and I can accommodate you.
At the end of the project, I will email the following documents to you:
- A tracked changes file with all amendments and comments showing
- A comments-only file with all amendments accepted. This copy will be less cluttered and easier for you to review
- A personalized style sheet giving a short explanation of some of the decisions I made about capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation, spelling, etc.
What kind of documents do I proofread/copyedit?
I can work with any writer who needs a second set of eyes to ensure that their document looks polished and professional including self-publishing authors, bloggers, businesses, etc.
I have particular experience in the areas of nonfiction books, online course material, website content, blogs and email newsletters, and economic publications. I have a bachelor’s degree in business studies, specializing in economics and finance. I also have a career-based knowledge of the finance sector and eight years’ experience of working in the public sector.
The genres I specialize in are true crime, entrepreneurship, online business, and self-help.
Click here for more information on how I can help you.