Proofreading & Editing
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How to find the right proofreading services
In a day and age when it’s easier than ever to share to the world via social media, email, web content etc. making sure your message lands clearly and without error is critical in order to stand out. This is where a proofreader comes in, they’ll take an objective view of your content and correct any mistakes before your readers can do so.
Proofreading is the final check before your content goes live to eliminate spelling and punctuation mistakes, clear up poor grammar and ensure the message is clear and the target audience can understand.
FAQs
In looking for a proofreader you should be looking for them to demonstrate the following:
Attention to detail
You need your proofreader to catch the mistakes you’ve missed. As a writer you can become blind to minor grammatical errors having read over your work many times. A proofreader needs to be really attentive and review every detail of the content and help make sure the message lands with perfect grammar and style.
Language
Proofreading goes beyond just being a native speaker, they’ll need to understand the rules of writing in your particular field and use the appropriate style (Associated Press, Chicago Manual Style etc. etc.) Looking for someone who is passionate about the written word and the ways it can be used to convey the right message to the right people is a key.
Communication
In order to improve the way in which your content communicates a message they need to be able to clearly substantiate their reasoning for their edits. Having a proofreader change your writing without sharing their reasoning will lead to repeated occurrences, stunting the growth of your or your teams writing.
What to ask a proofreader before you hire an editor?
Do you have experience in my field?
Copy can exist across many formats, you’ll want to pry to understand the types of the work your proofreader has been involved in.
Technical documents
With technical documents communication can be challenging and obscure and adapting the writing to ensure intricacies are maintained is quite a skill.
Marketing material
Marketing content needs to pack a punch and you want your proofreader to maintain brand guidelines and get the message across to the audience.
Emails
Email communications can be binding and often convey an important update or message.
Legal documents
Context and reference are a huge part of a legal contract, your proofreader will need to understand the entire context of the contract to ensure edits maintain their purpose
What style guide do you use?
Style guides differ depending on the industry you’re in. Style guides set the expectation for what is acceptable in a professional piece of writing.
AP (Associated Press): This is one of the most commonly used amongst journalists.
CMS (Chicago Manual Style): Novelists use this style most frequently.
MLA (Modern Language Association): This is most used within academic writing.
APA (American Psychological Association): This is the standard for social sciences (psychology, sociology, education, politics). Sometimes, it’s used for engineering and business.
In short, check that the proofreader understands and has experience in the style guide you’re working with as it’ll impact the way in which they correct any mistakes.
Proofreader FAQ’s
What is included in proofreading?
Proofreading is the final stage of the publication process and comes after editing. Proofreading involves looking for, and correcting, spelling, grammar, style, typography, formatting, sentence structure, idioms and punctuation mistakes.
How much do proofreading services cost?
Proofreading services vary depending on the experience of the proofreader and the volume of proofreading needed. Typical proofreaders will charge by the word and subject area.
How long does it take to proofread 1000 words?
On average proofreading professionals will edit 1000 words per hour but this will vary depending on the scope of your work
Why is proofreading important?
People reading your content are going to judge your services and ability based on what they’re reading. If it’s riddled with errors you’re going to lose brand credibility and likely sales.
What’s the difference between proofreading and editing?
Editing occurs before proofreading and involves editing the core writing including, sentence structure, language clarity, context, flow etc. Editing can involve completely changing the structure and flow of the content while proofreading focuses more on spelling, correct grammar, and inconsistencies.