Proofreading

Proofreading is different from editing in that we check for surface errors. This is normally a step that is done after the editing has been completed and before a document is sent for printing.

Proofreading should not be done in replacement of editing because they both involve different steps. In other words, technically the checklists for editing and proofreading are not the same. Therefore, make sure you always ask for what your document really needs and be aware of the differences. If you ask for proofreading, you will not get editing.

Typically, editing costs more than proofreading because it’s more involved and time consuming. The editor works more closely with the author to get the document ready for proofreading stage. Hiring someone to do proofreading because it costs less than editing, when in reality what you need is editing first and then proofreading, is doing a disservice to your document or book manuscript and all the hard word you put into it for weeks and months. During the proofreading stage, we prepare the document for publication. These are the items we look for:

• Consistent language
• Formatting
• Grammar
• Proper punctuation
• Spelling errors
• Typing errors
• Wording