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Proof-reading service

About us

Our Proof-reading service

Proof-reading is the final check on a manuscript before it goes to print or e-publication. When the manuscript has been copy edited, formatted and set up in pages, proof-reading ensures that all necessary corrections have been made, and no typographical errors have crept in during the writing, editing, and formatting process.

Our expert editors will proof-read your manuscript to a high professional standard and ensure that it is ready for publication or printing. We have years of experience in preparing manuscripts for printing and e-publication so they are free of errors and formatted correctly. As part of our proof-reading offer, we will also check the prelims, page layout, page numbering, picture captions and ancillary text.

Our proof-reading service offers competitive rates and excellent value for money.

Does my work need proof-reading?

It is extremely difficult for an author to proof-read their own work; your familiarity with the text makes it hard for you to spot typos and formatting errors. If you are preparing a book for publication or printing, proof-reading will help you to ensure that your work goes to press free of errors, and in the best possible condition.

The proof-reading package

You will receive two copies of your manuscript: a track changes version, showing you exactly what the proof-reader has done, and if necessary containing comments from the proof-reader on format or page layout; and a clean copy, showing your manuscript with all the changes accepted. We strongly recommend that you use the clean copy for any further changes or amendments.

Please send your work to us as a standard Microsoft Word document. Other formats, such as pdf files, make editing much more difficult.

How much does it cost?

Our basic rates for proof-reading are:

Fiction: £4.00 per thousand words (£0.004 per word). So for a manuscript of 80,000 words the basic fee would be £320. Our final fee will depend on the condition of the manuscript and the amount of time and work required.

Non-fiction: £4.50 per thousand words (£0.0045 per word). So for a manuscript of 80,000 words the basic fee would be £360. Our final fee will depend on the condition of the manuscript and the amount of time and work required.
All fees are payable in advance.

Deadlines

We normally aim to return your work within two weeks of receipt of your manuscript and payment; our deadlines may change depending on the condition of the manuscript, or the volume of work we have. However, if you have a specific deadline, or you are working to a shorter timescale, we can arrange to return your work on a specific date.

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