Proofreading

Proofreading is the final editorial step for the book manuscript, which has by now been edited and is typeset in "pages." At this point, we can stop calling it a manuscript—it's a book!

The process

Your publisher will send you a copy of the typeset pages (generally a PDF but sometimes printed pages) and will give you a period of time to go over the text once more, looking for any remaining errors or omissions. At this point the publisher usually only allows typos or errors of fact to be corrected. Rewriting or restructuring is not allowed. If this is a task you'd like to move off your desk, I can help. I will also review the pages for design errors--incorrect running heads, words hyphenated in the wrong place, illustrations out of place in the text, incorrect pages references in the table of contents, and so on.

About the cost

  • I use a per-page rate for proofreading.
  • A deposit of 50 percent of the fee is required at the time of scheduling the work.
  • If you will be using institutional funds to pay for my services, I will likely need to register as a vendor or independent contractor with your institution. I'm happy to do this, but I'll need your help to make that connection as soon as possible.

When to schedule

Proofreading can take one to two weeks.
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Plan to schedule proofreading three or four weeks in advance.
Contact Diligent Editorial