If your manuscript hasn’t yet had a full professional edit, a proof-edit can provide a helpful middle ground between a standard proofread and more in-depth editing.
Alongside all the usual proofreading checks, I’ll also make light stylistic improvements to help your writing read more clearly and smoothly. The focus is still on preparing your manuscript for submission or publication, but with a bit more room to refine the way it reads.
Is proof-editing right for me?
Proof-editing may be a good fit if:
- Your manuscript is structurally complete but hasn’t been professionally edited
- You’d like help improving clarity, flow and readability
- You feel your writing is “almost there”, but would benefit from some polishing
If your work requires more substantial changes still, a developmental or line edit would be more appropriate.
On the other hand, if your manuscript is already very clean and you’re simply looking for a final check before publication, proofreading is likely the better option.
What I change
A proof-edit builds on a standard proofread by allowing for a slightly wider range of changes.
Broadly, these fall into two areas:
- Mechanical and clarity improvements
- Light stylistic edits
Mechanical and clarity improvements
On a standard proofread, I focus primarily on essential corrections. On a proof-edit, I may go a little further where it improves readability, for example by adding or removing commas where it isn’t crucial but nevertheless improves readability.
Stylistic changes
These are small, targeted changes to help the writing read more naturally, such as:
- Smoothing awkward sentences
- Removing unnecessary or repetitive wording
- Suggesting alternative word choices where something doesn’t quite land
- Breaking up overly long paragraphs
- Flagging repetition or overuse of certain words or constructions
I aim to make changes for clear, identifiable reasons (not just because it’s how I would have written it), and where helpful I’ll explain my thinking.
As always, you’re free to accept or reject any suggestions.
I needed a proper proofread and final edit for my novel and Luca proved to be a great help. His edit was diligent, thorough, knowledgeable and at the same respectful of my personal style. Also, my manuscript is properly formatted, at last! Thanks to him I now feel confident to submit it to agents. He returned the proofread/edited manuscript punctually and responded quickly to all my follow-up questions. Thumbs up!
Alex Vogel
Contemporary literary author
It was an absolute pleasure working with Luca! He walked me through the proof-editing process with ease and patience, and provided the feedback and corrections my complete manuscript needed to become the polished final work I’d strived to achieve. Highly recommend!
ML Carrington
Thriller romance author
Turnaround
Turnaround time depends on the length and condition of the manuscript, as well as my current availability and commitments elsewhere. As a rough guide, for a standard-length novel (80–90K words), please allow around 4 weeks, though shorter or particularly clean manuscripts may be quicker. Equally, longer or higher-need manuscripts may take longer.
I’ll always agree a schedule with you in advance and do my best to work within your desired timeframe.
Pricing
I charge £16 per 1,000 words for proof-editing in MS Word, with a minimum fee of £50.
This reflects the additional time and attention involved compared to a standard proofread, while still keeping the service accessible.
Before starting work, I’ll ask to see a short sample (3–5,000 words from the middle of the MS). This helps ensure that proof-editing is the right level of intervention for your manuscript.
If you’re unsure whether proofreading or proof-editing is the better fit, feel free to get in touch. I’m always happy to take a look and advise.
