FAQ
Why Do I Need Proofreading?
Have you ever been totally immersed in a story only to suddenly stop because there’s a typo, a misspelling, or three spaces after a particular word?
Have you ever read a conversation between, say, Henry and April, and halfway through, April becomes Angela? Or you see an entirely different name for a character when there is no character of that name in the book!
I’m sure, as a reader of books, you’ve come across errors similar to these.
These little inconsistencies take the reader right out of the story.
When you’re writing a novel, crafting storylines and characters, you’re spending countless hours immersed in your story, repeating the cycle of writing and editing. You know what you want to say, but at some point your brain starts to autocorrect typos because it knows what you’ve intended to say, so you miss what’s actually on the page.
Enter the proofreader.
The proofreader is the ‘fresh eyes’ coming in, not knowing anything about your book, having never read it before. The proofreader picks out those little errors so your reader is taken on a beautiful journey, rather than left wondering who the heck Michael is.
How Long Does Proofreading Take?
Proofreading is not the same as curling up in your comfy chair, cracking open the newest novel from your favourite author, and diving in. Though, it’s just as fun!
There is so much more to proofreading. It takes time to meticulously go through every word, every punctuation mark, and every line to ensure it all makes sense and is consistent throughout.
I carefully comb through your book, checking for any last remaining misspellings, grammar and punctuation errors, formatting issues (remember that ‘three spaces after a particular word’ earlier?), as well as inconsistencies in your characters’ names, descriptions, and place names—such as Happy Days Cafe in chapter 2 becoming Sunny Days Cafe in chapter 6—all while staying consistent with your style sheet.
Proofreading an entire book takes time; it’s not a fast process. And that’s what you want from a proofreader to ensure accuracy.
