What is a proofread?
A proofread is the final check of your completed copy-edited project for errors before publication.
By this stage in the production process, the material will be in its final format (and laid out in a design or digital program if appropriate), and edited and polished. (Sometimes clients ask for a proofread when their project needs a more thorough copy edit or even a heavy or structural edit.) Proofreading is a check for:
typos and other minor errors
consistent format (fonts, heading styles, page numbers, captions, etc.)
correct implementation of editing changes.
A thorough proofread will:
correct faulty spelling, grammar, and punctuation (note rephrasing or rewording is not done at this stage as this is part of the editing stage), with some checking of names, correct titles, addresses, and other similar details
ensure consistency of style in spelling, punctuation, hyphenation, capitalisation, and use of articles in headings
check consistency of presentation and design formatting
correct errors in cross-references to sections, figures, tables, pages, etc.
check numbering of figures and tables
check numbering of references and footnotes
query out-of-date or possibly inaccurate or inconsistent statements
check the table of contents for completeness and agreement with text headings
scan indexes, glossaries, references, and lists for inconsistencies and errors
check weblinks on digital versions (if appropriate and required).
Please note: I do a thorough proofread unless a client specifically requests I look for obvious typos only. (A thorough proofread might possibly be termed a ‘light edit’ by some people.) I can do a thorough proofread of an unedited manuscript if required, but you will not get the same quality of result as if I did a full copy edit or heavy edit of the manuscript.
If supplied with the version sent to design or digital production as well as the formatted pages laid out in the design program or the digital version, I will also ‘cross-read’ the two versions to make sure that all the content is there in the new version and in the correct order, and that there have been no problems created by the conversion of the manuscript into the final format (e.g. missing formatting, such as missing italic and superscript, the incorrect conversion of scientific and other symbols, problems with the conversion of in-text reference citations and reference details, etc).
Find out about what other services I provide.
Find out about the types of projects I can take on.
If you feel that my skills would be useful on your projects, I would be keen to hear from you.