Proofreading is a final check to make sure the document is as good as possible. Minor errors are easy to miss in your own work, but can be hugely off-putting to readers and may prevent people from engaging with writing that you have worked hard on.
At Better World Words, I aim to ensure that your writing is as good as it can be before you put it out there. What you have to say is important, and it deserves to be taken seriously.
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What does a proofreader do?
As a proofreader (sometimes spelled proof-reader or occasionally proof reader), I check your English text for typos, grammatical errors, formatting issues and consistency, as well as anything you particularly want me to look out for. This can be particularly useful when a document has been authored by several different people, all of whom may make slightly different choices when it comes to grammar and style – but errors can be introduced at any stage of working on a document, and are often surprisingly hard to spot.
Proofreading checks I perform
- Spelling, grammar and punctuation.
- Consistency – for example, have you used an initial capital letter for a certain term on one page, and left it all in lower case on the next? Are names always spelt the same way? Have you consistently used US or UK English spelling?
- Headings – are they written and formatted consistently?
- Is the layout consistent?
- Other aspects of style (font size and type, numbering, bullet points).
- Checking that words are used correctly and the meaning is accurate.
- Highlighting sentences that might need rephrasing for clarity.
Who do I proofread for?
My clients come from all walks of life, and include:
- Organisations working on green transitions
- Students and academics
- People who speak English as a second language (ESL)
- Scandinavian speakers writing in English
- Publishers
- Authors
- Multinational businesses
- Training organisations
- Charities
What kind of things do I proofread?
One of the joys of editing and proofreading is that I’m always learning something new and reading on a huge variety of topics! In recent years, my proofreading has included the following:
- Impact reports
- Research reports
- Student dissertations
- PhD theses and chapters on topics such as rewilding, social policy and the European Court of Human Rights
- Training courses
- Fiction: novellas and novels, particularly those focused on environmental and thrutopian topics
- Non-fiction journal articles and books
- Business literature
- Marketing collateral
- Annual reports
Please note that I provide proofreading for both UK English and US English. If you’re unsure about whether I can help, just ask me! If I don’t feel able to take on your document myself, I may be able to point you toward another professional colleague.
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How I work
I always use a checklist for proofreading; this is based on professional experience of the kinds of issues that tend to come up. I will add to the checklist anything you particularly want me to check for.
During proofreading, I mark issues using Track Changes in Word, and occasionally add comments for clarification. I can also use PDF editing and commenting tools in Adobe Acrobat if you prefer.
As a member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) (formerly the Society for Editors and Proofreaders, or SfEP), I work to a highly professional standard and comply with CIEP’s Code of Conduct and Professional Practice Code, which you can find here. This includes maintaining confidentiality and working to industry-recognised standards.
Once I’ve finished proofreading, I will send you two versions of the document, one with changes tracked and one with changes accepted (the “clean” file). You are always very welcome to ask questions about the changes I’ve suggested and, within reason, I’m happy to take another look at certain sections.
Quick turnaround
Your deadlines are important to me, and I pride myself on working accurately in a way that fits with your timing needs. If you need your document back quickly, I offer an express service that includes a 24-hour turnaround for shorter documents (under 3,000 words). When contacting me, please mention that you are interested in the express service.
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
Free sample edit
For longer documents, I offer a free sample edit of one to two pages. This allows you to see how I work and determine whether I would be a good fit for your book, chapter, thesis or document. (It also allows me to judge the level of editing required and give you an accurate quote for the work.)
To take up this offer, please email a Word file to me at liz@betterworldwords.com, or message me via the contact form if you prefer. I will provide a sample proofread or edit using Track Changes. In my response, I’ll also give you an idea of the level of editing required, my estimated turnaround time and a no obligation quotation.
Can Work With You Anywhere
I live in Darlington, England, but can work with you wherever you are in the world. Whether you’re in Hyderabad, Manilla, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur or Shanghai, or in Nairobi, Lagos, Accra or Dakar, or closer to home in Glasgow, Leeds or Newcastle – get in touch. I am looking forward to working with you!
“I really appreciate your work on this project and your attention to detail. I didn’t have any further questions for you, only to say thank you for spending the time on this for me and making it easy to understand the edits you had made in it.” Lucy from Candlelighters, a charity that supports families affected by childhood cancer, on my work proofreading a research report and brochure.
Better World Words 