Book Proofreading for a Clean, Professional Finish

About this service

What our proofreading service involves

Proofreading is the last quality check before a book goes public. By this point the content is settled, so the proofreader focuses purely on accuracy: spelling, punctuation, grammar, repeated words, missing spaces, inconsistent capitalisation and broken formatting. It is detailed, patient work that benefits from a fresh pair of eyes.

We can proof your manuscript in Word or the typeset PDF from your formatter, which is the best moment to catch problems with page breaks, headings, page numbers and widows. A clean book builds reader trust and protects the reviews your listing will earn over time.

Our approach

How we handle proofreading

Proofreading is a different skill from writing. Proofreaders read slowly and in small pieces, sometimes backwards or aloud, to stop the brain from auto-correcting errors. They also check things the author rarely sees: whether a chapter title matches the contents page, whether page numbers run in order and whether a heading is stranded at the bottom of a page.

Timing matters too. Proofreading before formatting catches text errors, and proofreading after formatting catches layout errors. When budget allows, doing both gives the cleanest result. When it does not, we recommend proofing the typeset pages, because that is the version your readers will actually see.

Common mistakes we help you avoid

• Proofing your own work. Authors see what they meant to write. An outside reader sees what is actually there.
• Changing text after the proofread. Late rewrites can introduce new errors. Finish editing before the final proof.
• Skipping the front and back matter. Copyright pages, author bios and links are read by many readers, so they need checking too.