What is proofreading?

Proofreading means different things to different people. Outside of publishing, proofreading is often considered to include some level of editing, restructuring or rewriting. However, this is not the case and, generally, a proofreader's role is to:

  • check for errors in spelling, grammar and punctuation as well as any ambiguous text
  • ensure there is consistency of both style and content (e.g. hyphenation, use of capitals, dates, names etc.
  • correct any misleading or awkward word breaks as well as 'widows' and 'orphans' (short last or first lines at the top or bottom of a paragraph, respectively)
  • check page/chapter numbers and page/chapter headings and ensuring they correspond to the table of contents
  • check cross-references
  • check that any citations within the text match the reference list
  • look out for inconsistencies in layout, content and presentation to ensure that it looks right and is logically arranged
  • check that material is correctly captioned or labelled and corresponds with the text (such as illustrations, graphs and tables)                
Above all, a proofreader's job is to ensure material is clear, concise and accurate.

For more detailed information about proofreading, and what you can expect a professional proofreader to cover, take a look at this FAQs page on the SfEP website.  
So it's not the same as editing then?

Well...no.  In book and journal publishing, proofreading is the final quality check that takes place after text has been edited. A copy-editor works with the original material and its author. Their role encompasses much more than just checking for spelling and grammatical errors. For more information on copy-editing visit the FAQs page on the SfEP's website.

But I think I need more help with my words!

While a proofreader doesn't (and shouldn't) make significant or structural changes to an author's text, you may feel that your work requires some 'light' editing and that is something I can help you with. If you feel that 'proof-editing' might be what you are looking for then just let me know when you get in touch with me.

If you are a self-publishing author looking for a proofreader then please get in touch to see how I can help you.