Proofreading Services from SRD Editing Services
SRD Editing Services offers proofreading services for self-published and traditionally published fiction and nonfiction authors, as well as graduate students and academic writers. Located in Orlando, Florida, editor Cortni Merritt is available to meet local Central Florida writers to discuss manuscript proofreading needs.
SRD Editing Services offers finalized proofreading according to the standards of American English, using the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, for commercial fiction and nonfiction manuscripts, and the APA Publication Manual, 7th edition, for academic manuscripts. Both style guides recommend the Merriam-Webster Dictionary for questions of spelling and usage. If you have questions about the specifics of style during your proofreading, ask your editor.
Connect with an editor/proofreader at SRD Editing Services. Contact us to discuss your manuscript.
What is proofreading?
In traditional publishing, proofreading is the last step in the publishing process and is not completed until you have a final “proof” of the manuscript, where all changes are implemented and the design and layout are finalized. The proofreading step is one last chance to catch final (and potentially costly) errors before the document goes to the printer.
In today’s self-publishing world, proofreading might occur after all writing is completed but before the document is formatted for publishing, or it may take place after your manuscript is laid out in book format but before you push “Print.”
Proofreading is for writers with a completed manuscript. If you don’t have a completed manuscript, see the SRD Editing Services Line Editing page.
SRD Editing Services recommends performing multiple line edits (also called “copy edits”) until your manuscript contains fewer than 40 errors per 1,000 words. Once this lowered rate of errors is achieved, your manuscript may be ready to move into the final proofreading stage.
A proofreader’s eyes are the last set of eyes to go over the manuscript before it goes to the printer. Proofreaders are conducting one very light, “one last final” review of the text for details of:
- punctuation
- typos & spelling
- capitalization
- style guide consistency
- spacing & heading consistency
Proofreaders do not rewrite sentences, check for verb tense or word usage issues, fact check, or research needed references. SRD Editing Services proofreading services do not include document re-formatting.
Proofreading Can Turn Into Line Editing
SRD Editing Services proofreaders and editors reserve the right to determine whether a manuscript needs “just a proofread” or a more extensive line edit. If the proofreader begins their review of a manuscript and finds that it contains a greater number of errors than 40 errors per 1,000 words, the proofreader may halt the process and contact the author to discuss shifting the scope of work to a line edit.
SRD Proofreading Process for MS Word Documents
SRD Editing Services provides Tracked Changes proofreading in MS Word documents. If you’re not familiar with how to use Tracked Changes, take a look at this YouTube video from LinkedIn Learning for a brief tutorial.
Step 1: Send the proofreader your MS Word document, and the proofreader will begin reading the manuscript on the agreed-upon date. You will receive correspondence once proofreading begins on your manuscript, and the proofreader will alert you to any causes for concern or urgent questions.
Step 2: The proofreader will use Track Changes to annotate the proofreading changes made to your document.
Step 3: The proofreader returns the document to you along with a custom Editorial Letter that includes specifics of the changes made, along with your manuscript’s editing statistics, including the beginning and ending word count and the number of tracked changes. This Editorial Letter will also include any final thoughts or recommendations.
Step 4: You review and accept or reject your proofreader’s Tracked Changes suggestions, ask any final questions you have, and send your book to your graphic designer, book formatter, or the printer! It is assumed that after the proofreader has reviewed the material, no additional changes will be made — neither by adding new content nor revising existing content.
What’s Next After Proofreading?
After your book’s proofreading is complete, I can easily perform the ebook formatting as well. this is also the time to talk about your back cover copy or query letter, as well as whether SRD Editing Services can help with your professional online reviews.
After you’ve delivered the Word doc to your designer for book formatting/layout, you may wish to perform an additional review of the PDF to ensure no errors exist in the final print-ready copy. At this time, SRD Editing Services does not offer this level of post-layout proofreading of PDFs.
Average timeline for proofreading:
🗸 2 business days per 50K words.
Ready to speak with a proofreader about your needs? Contact SRD Editing Services today!
Genres Available for Proofreading Services
SRD Editing Services offers book proofreading services in a wide range of genres with which our editors are experienced. If you don’t see your genre listed, just ask!
Fiction
Nonfiction
- Children’s Literature
- Young Adult
- Short Stories (any)
- Fantasy
- Science Fiction
- Contemporary Fiction
- Women’s Literature
- Literary Fiction
- Romance
- Erotica
- Memoir, Autobiography, & Biography
- Self-help/Psychology
- Business/Entrepreneurship/Leadership
- Humanities, Philosophy & Spirituality
- Political Commentary & Philosophy
- Children’s Nonfiction
Proofreading Pricing
Pricing for Serial/Bulk Proofreading Projects
Looking for bulk pricing for your series or ongoing project? SRD Editing Services offers a 15% discount to repeat customers and is happy to discuss bulk rates with authors interested in ongoing manuscript proofreading services.
UCF or FSU Alum? Enjoy 10% Off!
If you attended the University of Central Florida or Florida State University, don’t forget to ask about the 10% discount for fellow alumni and current students!
Repeat SRD Editing Services Clients Enjoy 15% Discount
If you’re returning for proofreading of a new manuscript, welcome back and enjoy a 15% discount on the cost of your proofreading services.
*SRD Editing Services editors prefer not to be the proofreader on manuscripts that we also line-edited. We will be happy to recommend another professional if needed.
Don’t forget to mention if you are interested in bulk pricing, repeat client discount, or UCF or FSU alumni discount!
Legalities, Contract Questions, Refund Policy
Editors and proofreaders with SRD Editing Services sign a standard Nondisclosure Agreement (NDA) and freelance editing contract with every client. To find out more about our proofreading contract terms, privacy policy, and refund policy, please visit this page.
Steps After Proofreading
After you finalize your manuscript, it needs to be prepared for publication. To publish an ebook, your MS Word file needs to be converted into a properly formatted ebook file.
Once your proofreading is complete and the manuscript is finalized, you can start prepping the book for publication. You need a streamlined summary of the book for your back cover or online description copy, and it needs to pop.