My proofreading service focuses on the mechanics and grammar of your manuscript. It is a final look at your manuscript to find any pesky typos, grammatical errors, and stylistic inconsistencies before your work is published. Remember, it is considered a surface check of your writing.
Proofreading entails:
- Correcting spelling, grammar, punctuation
- Ensuring consistency in spelling, hyphenation, numerals, fonts, and capitalization
- Ensuring consistency within the story such as character traits, setting, etc
- Fix any formatting issues
My proofreading is generally designed for a final quality-control check of a Microsoft Word document. Please let me know if you are looking for a proofread of final page proofs.
How to Know if You’re Ready for Proofreading
You are likely ready for proofreading if you are satisfied with the current state of your novel in terms of plot and style. In other words, no more substantive edits or changes are needed; this means that your plot is sold and consistent and you are confident with the prose. To reach this stage, you have likely completed all or most of the following:
- Several self-edits of your manuscript
- Beta reading
- Developmental edit with a professional editor
- Line edit and/or copyedit with a professional editor
- The final layout, design, and formatting of your novel
Proofreading Standards
Unless requested otherwise, I use The Chicago Manual of Style, or CMOS, as a standard reference for fiction editing. The CMOS is considered industry standard in the US. As for dictionaries, I typically refer to Merriam-Webster as my standard when editing fiction for US-based authors.
While these are my standard references, I am always willing to take into consideration an author’s personal style and preferences when editing fiction.
If you are coming to me for a standalone proofread, it is recommended that you provide me with a style sheet prior to beginning the proofread. For more information on what a style sheet entails, check out my copyediting service.