We've reached land again! Proofreading is our time to make sure we're in the right spot and prepared for our readers.
Proofreading is the final stage of edits a book braves before its birth in a printing press! Where copy editing is the first, more intense edit for grammar, punctuation, mechanics, style guide, headings, consistency, spelling, etc., proofreading is the second examination. This edit is (usually) provided after the book has been typeset (designed), and the changes are noted via markup in a PDF (usually), which the designer then implements. This is to catch what was missed during the first review, what was introduced in the designing stage, and ensure consistency and readability. The corrections made at this stage are strictly obvious errors...no drastic changes are made to a manuscript by this stage. This service does not include any debrief calls.

What to Expect:

  1. We get acquainted with each other and the project via Zoom, phone call, or email.
  2. Happy with everything, we sign a contract, and a retainer is paid (20% of the total cost).
  3. I edit the full book using Adobe Acrobat Pro unless otherwise requested.
  4. Before I return the proofreading edits on deadline, I expect the remaining balance to be paid.
  5. I send the proofreading edits via email in a PDF file.
  6. You are responsible for sending this file to the typesetter, who implements the changes to the manuscript.
  7. I include two reviews of changes in my contracts. A review means checking that the typesetter didn't miss any of the corrections, and if they did, then re-checking after they fix the remaining.​

Cost:

Each project is individually rated. That means that I evaluate each manuscript's needs and decide how much it will cost based on the labor and resources needed. With that said, the most common rates I charge for proofreading are $0.01-$0.02 per word.