Expert Proofreading Ensures Best Quality

prooftext — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 22:30:12 +0000

What Do I Offer?

I offer a Proofreading Service to maximize writers’ Quality Control. In this way, only their best writing possible is released for others to see.

My service includes proofreading and editing suggestions. I fondly imagine my suggestions are helpful, but you can be the final judge of that!

There are so many shoddy products and money-making scams around, that I’ve no interest in assisting their authors who might want me to improve their written materials — thereby helping them to rip off even more people.

I choose to offer my QC Proofing Service to two types of writers.

Type 1:

Those who have written a genuine product, that offers good value to the buyers for a reasonable price.

Type 2:

Those, perhaps not very far on their writing journey, who would welcome a helping hand along the way.

So, if you fit either category and need help, please contact me.

Why Do You Need Me?

You need me for two main reasons.

Firstly, many folk today have been sold short by numerous educators who threw teaching basic English essentials (like grammar, punctuation and so on) out of the window. A case of “Goodbye bath water and… Oooops! Where’s the baby?”

When I trained as teacher in the 1960s we were told: “Every teacher is a teacher of English.” And we were given the skills to do exactly that.

Sadly, many of today’s younger teachers are unable to teach English basics because they, themselves, were not taught these essential skills.

Secondly, you’re probably also a bit like me (you already have my wife’s sympathy) because we can both miss things, either through fatigue, or through over familiarity.

By ‘over familiarity’ I mean we see the same text so often as we write it, that we end up only reading what we expect to see.

For example, efficient readers very often quickly read this warning…

BEWARE OF THE
THE DOG

…and fail to spot the error on their first reading. That’s because they only read what they expect to see.

So it’s very useful, and usually necessary, for all of us to have a reliable, yet sympathetic, ‘third eye’ available to pick up on what we’ve missed in our own writing.

I’m the first to confess I have to work hard, and concentrate really hard, to proof my own major productions such as Simple Fixes For Your Sick PC

And, even then, I occasionally miss some. Fortunately, a colleague and I cast an eye over each other’s writing to ensure top quality. Little gets past us.

I can do that for you, too. With my editor’s hat on, I’m really good at spotting other peoples’ written errors — if not always my own. (That Biblical bit about logs… and eyes… comes readily to mind, doesn’t it?)

What Exactly Can I Do For You?

My Proofreading Report to you has four parts.

Part 1: RECOMMENDATIONS

I will proof your text specifically for the following areas:

spelling mistakes
typos
punctuation
capitalization errors
awkward grammar
general structure
clarity
sense
contradictions
verb-subject agreement
word choice
redundancies
inconsistencies
logical flow

Part 2: TEXT ANALYSES

Characters per Word
To aid readability and concentration short words are more preferable to long words.

Words per Sentence
Ideal text offers a mixture of short and long sentences to provide and to maintain the reader’s interest.

Sentences per Paragraph
There needs to be plenty of white space in digital publications for easy reading on-screen.

This helps concentration, and also helps prevent strain. Therefore, it’s best to avoid long, solid blocks of text.
The standard newspaper format of just one or two sentences par paragraph is ideal for digital publications — just as I’ve done on this page.

Part 3: READABIILITY

Passive Sentences
For active, direct writing there should be none.

Passive sentences hamper the reading flow, weaken the ideas expressed, and complicate comprehension and persuasion of the text.

Flesch Reading Ease
The higher the Readability Index the easier the text is to read.

0-100: understandable by average 11 year old.
60-70: understandable by average 13-15 year old.
0-30: understandable by average college graduate.

NB: The Reader’s Digest FRE is around 65.

Flesch Kincaid Grade Level
Minimum grade level needed for an understanding of the content.

Coleman-Liau Readability
Shows approximate US grade level needed to read the text.

Part 4: A SUMMARY

Here’s where I try to offer sensitive, positive feedback.

My sympathetic comments will build on your existing strengths, and seek to develop your potential strengths.

Do you like that last bit about “potential strengths”? How’s that for avoiding the use of the word ‘weaknesses’?

(See? Told you I’d be positive!)

Please CLICK HERE to email any queries

What Will It Cost?

I generally work on a Word Rate of US 1c. In that way, you know the maximum cost in advance.

But most folk end up paying less than that to some degree.

This is because I take into account the fact that some pages take less work to proof than others. So I charge a bit less for those pages.

As a guide, a Letter or A4 Page is around 250-270 words.

How Will All This Work?

You would email me the copy to be proofed in Word format (preferred) so I can make the changes directly into it, or as a PDF.

We would then agree on a time frame. I generally like to put the document to one side for a day, and then give it a second reading to catch items missed on the first reading.

If it’s in Word format: I can directly change the document and show you how to track the changes.
If it’s in PDF format: I will list the necessary proofing changes in the Recommendations part of my Proofing Report for you to implement in the original text. (I don’t use a PDF editor.)
If it’s a website: We can discuss the best way to make the necessary changes.

I then email you back the Proofing Report, with a corrected copy of Word submissions.

You would pay me through PayPal within 24 hours of completion. (Sorry, but only PayPal, because it suits me best.)

If it’s a big project I can work on your manuscript in stages, and you can pay-as-you-go.

All things are possible. Together we can always come to an agreement that’s tailored to your needs.

What About Confidentiality?

You can be assured of total confidentiality at all times, both during and after our association.

Your documents and any details we discuss stay strictly between us.

I will NEVER reveal them to others. Nor, of course, will I ever steal your writing and try to pass it off as my own for profit or pleasure.

Journalists don’t reveal their sources. They would rather be imprisoned. And sometimes they are, rather than break trust and confidentiality.

I will always continue to abide by those professional principles.

YES! LET’S GET STARTED! Email Me Now To Get The Ball Rolling

Quality Control For Writers

Expert Proofreading Ensures Best Quality

Why Do You Need Me?

What Exactly Can I Do For You?