Copyediting & Proofreading
Print and Digital
Reports, Websites, Newsletters, etc.
Journal articles for academics
The BENEFITS of using a copyeditor / proofreader
When writing a document we immerse ourselves in our work, and as a result we don't see the wider structural and other editing changes that our document might require.
Likewise, when proofreading our own text we read what we think is there, rather than seeing what actually is ... so we can miss typos, errors, misspellings, etc.
Believe me, it happens.
6 Benefits for you and your text
- CONSISTENCY - of the document's formatting and layout
- NO MISTAKES - of grammar and spelling
- CLARITY - of how the content is expressed
- TONE OF VOICE - that is right for your audience
- IMPLEMENT - an organisation/publisher's style guidelines
- FRESH PAIR OF EYES - brought to a document.
Copyediting/Proofreading – What is the difference?
'An excellent service on each occasion.'
'Robert has provided an excellent copy-editing service. We continue to use his services and have no hesitation recommending him.
- Good communication with all parties.
- Deadlines have always been met, with many edits being supplied early.
- Positive author feedback on the editing and query process.'
(Kim Storry - Fakenham Prepress Solutions)
Editing/Proofreading for businesses
I do editing and proofreading of printed and digital documents for businesses –website content, newsletters, brochures, case studies .. even non-fiction books.
It is easy to miss mistakes in ones own writing, eg because you are in a rush to get a job published or printed. I know the temptation, but don't. Mistakes create a bad impression with clients, and reprinting wastes money. So, it is always always worth getting a fresh pair of eyes to check your text. Believe me. I can offer you a quick/weekend turnaround, so that you aren't left with egg on your face.
Academic copyediting and proofreading
Reports and Journals - Economics expertise
I copyedit and proofread books, reports and articles written by academics – each year I complete 12–15 books for the project managers/publishers listed below. Typically, I work on business, management, education, politics and other social sciences.
I have particular experience in economics (marked **), which I studied at university and then practised for several years. (In bold are my principal clients.)
- Brookes University, Oxford
- Fakenham Prepress Solutions – for Continuum/Bloomsbury, Taylor & Francis
- Free Range Book Design & Production – for IB Tauris
- HarrperCollins – several Revision Guides for subjects under the Caribbean Examinations Council
- IDRC - Canada **
- Oxford Language Editing – help for non-native English speakers, for Oxford University Press **
- Oxford Internet Institute – for Oxford University Press
- Sunrise Setting – for Taylor & Francis and SAGE
- Swales and Wills – for Taylor & Francis
- Tom Hardy Publishing – for HarperCollins **
- WordsIn Time
- 4word
"One should aim not at being possible to understand, but at being impossible to misunderstand."
Quintilian c. 35 - c. 100 AD
Tips for editing/proofing - some articles on my blog
Split infinitives – Are they OK or not?
When to use colons and semi-colons
Punctuation explained - simply!
8.5 tips for effective editing
What will my proofreading / copyediting cost?
It depends on how much work is needed, but typically ...
Proofreading is the lower figure in the following ranges: £30–£38 per hour ... £10–£20 per 1000 words ... roughly £4– £6 per page (depending how many words).
But if the document needs more substantial copyediting, with passages that require rewriting, obviously it will be more costly than the rates above (or if a fast/weekend turnaround is required).
Benefit from 20 years' experience
My copyediting started when I was editor of a quarterly magazine (1996–2003) and continued when I wrote features for national newspapers/magazines such as the Guardian and Daily Telegraph.
My skills are accredited by the national Society for Editors and Proofreaders (SfEP) - now called the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading - whose courses I took in copyediting, proofreading, on-screen editing, development/ substantive editing, and project management.
During 2012-15 I also coordinated the Oxford SfEP group. More recently I have done some Development Editing jobs eg for HarperCollins. This has involved scoping out a book and its format, writing an author brief, selecting authors and advising them on writing style, developing and editing chapters, ensuring coverage of a syllabus, and ensuring the quality and accuracy of manuscripts prior to typesetting.
EXAMPLES of books I have edited (since 2012) include:
- The Festival of Britain, Harriet Atkinson (IB Tauris, 2012)
- Oxford Handbook of Internet Studies, ed. William Dutton (OUP, 2013)
- The Monetary History of Iran, Rudi Matthee (IB Tauris, 2013)
- State Responses to Minority Religions, eds D. Kirkham and B. Young (Ashgate, 2013)
- Foundations of Sports Coaching, Paul E. Robinson (Routledge, 2013)
- #2sides, Rio Ferdinand's autobiography (Blink Publishing, 2014)
- The Sacred Architecture of Byzantium, Nicholas Patricios (IB Tauris, 2014)
- Sackcloth and Ashes, Ann Widdecombe (Bloomsbury, 2014)
- A-Level Economics textbook for Caribbean Examinations Council (Collins, 2015)
- Economics and Maths for Economics (Cengage Learning, 2017)
- + 40 books for Bloomsbury, since 2012