WHAT IS PROOFREADING?
​
When you publish any written content, in a book, magazine or online, proofreading is the final step before you go live.
​
It is the last check to make sure that everything is as it should be and so that there are no distractions from what you want to say.
This truly is the polish on your diamond.
​
Find out below what I will do when I proofread your work.
* GRAMMAR ERRORS - It's so easy to misuse a tense, choose the wrong preposition, or create a confusing 'dangling modifier' (don't ask).
I've spent decades teaching English grammar and I have a keen eye for what is right, what is acceptable, and what is flat out wrong.
* SPELLING MISTAKES - You might be surprised at how many websites contain the simplest spelling mistakes.
Many think it doesn't matter anymore.
​
It does matter. A company that allows a text full of mistakes in public will affect how your company is perceived, even if that is only subconsciously. It's like;
​
"If they can't check the spelling on their website, what else are they overlooking?"
I'm a Brit, and naturally use British English spelling, However, I won't recoil in disgust if you ask me to check your content with US English spellings - I'll turn those -ised into -ized in no time. Colour into color? No problem. And who wants to go to a theatre when you can attend a theater?
* PUNCTUATION - If you're English, you're probably familiar with the horror of the "Greengrocer's apostrophe" — potato's, anyone?
Punctuation is the lifeblood of writing.
It clarifies your message, and without it, meanings can get very skewed.
​
Just try; "Let's eat grandma" instead of "Let's eat, grandma" for (ahem) starters.
* FORMATTING, FONT & LAYOUT - For that professional look, you want to ensure that you use consistent fonts for certain tasks, have your formatting so that everything looks orderly, and make sure the layout is organised in such a way that it is easy to follow.
I will help you develop your own style guide, so that 16th May 2026 doesn't turn into 16.05.26 on the next page.
Although these are the main areas that proofreading covers, it is possible that I might suggest some light editing as well.
Does it require fact checking?
Perhaps a better word might work here, or did you know that you have repeated the same adjective three times in this paragraph?
And as for that paragraph, would bullet points be better than a block of text?
I am equally at home proofreading in Adobe pdf and Microsoft Word software, or directly onto your website.
