The last read before your readers.
Proofreading is the final pass for the errors every earlier read missed — typos, punctuation, inconsistencies and the small slips that readers notice and reviews mention.
Everyone misses their own typos. That isn’t carelessness — it’s how reading works.
After the tenth read, your brain sees what you meant, not what is on the page. A fresh, trained eye catches the doubled word, the name spelled two ways and the quotation mark that never closed.
Proofreading should be the last edit, done once the words have stopped changing. If the manuscript still needs bigger work, we will tell you before you spend money on this.
What your Proofread includes
Quoted from your word count before we start. One rate, the whole manuscript, nothing added halfway through.
Spelling and grammar
- Typos and misspellings
- Grammar and agreement
- Punctuation, including dialogue
- Words spellcheck lets through
Consistency
- Names, places and invented terms
- Capitalisation and hyphenation
- Numbers, dates and times
- UK or US spelling, held throughout
On the page
- Doubled and missing words
- Chapter numbers and titles
- Quotation marks and italics
- Every fix tracked for your approval
One rate. Worked out in advance.
No packages, no tiers, no surcharges appearing halfway through. Your word count divided by 1,000, multiplied by the rate, is the number on your invoice.
Charged on the manuscript you send. Proofreading assumes the words are final; heavier sentence-level work is a line edit, and we will say so if that’s what we find.
| Example | Words | Proofreading |
|---|---|---|
| 60k-word manuscript | 60,000 | $600 |
| 80k-word manuscript | 80,000 | $800 |
| 100k-word manuscript | 100,000 | $1,000 |
Prices in US dollars. We confirm your exact word count and send a written quote before any work begins — the quote is the number you pay.
What a proofread looks like.
Small, precise corrections, each one tracked. Where something could be a deliberate choice — a spelling, a fragment, an unusual name — we query it rather than change it.
“You’re late”,” said Hollis, not looking up. “Again..”
Annika set the box down on the the table1 and pulled off her gloves. Outside, the bells of St Marys Mary’s were striking 9 nine. She had promised Katharine2 she would be home by eight.
Illustrative sample. Your proofread is returned as tracked changes in your own Word file.
What we need from you
Proofreading works best on a manuscript that is finished — nothing else to add, cut or rewrite.
Three edits, in this order.
Most manuscripts don’t need all three. We will tell you which ones yours does — and which ones it doesn’t.
Developmental Editing
The whole book at once: structure, pacing, character and narrative flow.
- Story structure and shape
- Pacing across chapters
- Character arcs and motivation
Line Editing
Sentence by sentence: clarity, rhythm and voice, without changing who you sound like.
- Clarity and precision
- Rhythm and sentence variety
- Your voice, protected
Proofreading
The final read for the errors every earlier pass missed.
- Spelling, grammar, punctuation
- Names and terms consistent
- Doubled and missing words
Let’s make it clean.
A free, no-obligation conversation. Bring the manuscript and we will tell you whether it is ready for a proofread — and what it will cost before we start.