Write and edit
Book proofreading services, on the pages readers will see
The last read before print. Spelling, punctuation, consistency and the layout faults that only appear once a book is typeset, caught by someone who has not read the manuscript forty times.
What it is
Why proofreading happens last, on the typeset pages
Proofreading a Word file catches the typos. Proofreading the laid-out book catches the things that embarrass you in print.
A typeset book introduces its own errors: a heading stranded at the foot of a page, a widow line carrying one word, a chapter starting on the wrong side, running heads left over from the chapter before, an index entry pointing at the wrong page.
None of those exist in the manuscript, so a proofread done too early cannot find them. We proofread the PDF proofs as a reader meets them, and mark up corrections your typesetter can apply directly. Non-fiction with tables, figures and references needs this most — there is more on non-fiction publishing and on how the stages fit together in our guide to the cost of publishing a book in Australia.
- Proofread on the typeset PDF, not only the manuscript
- Two passes: one for text, one for layout and consistency
- A marked-up PDF your typesetter can work straight from
- A final check after corrections are applied
In detail
What a proofreader is looking for
Three passes over the same pages, each hunting something different.
The errors that survived editing
Spelling, punctuation, doubled words, missing words, tense slips, a character whose eyes change colour in chapter nine. Editing moves text around, and every move leaves a seam where an error can hide.
- Spelling and punctuation against your style sheet
- Names, places and dates checked for consistency
- Dialogue punctuation and speaker attribution
The faults typesetting creates
Widows and orphans, bad hyphenation breaks, uneven spacing, a running head that still says the previous chapter, page numbers that skip, cross-references pointing at nothing.
- Page breaks, widows, orphans and loose lines
- Running heads, folios and chapter openings
- Captions, footnotes and cross-references
The front and back matter nobody reads twice
Copyright page, imprint details, ISBN, dedication, acknowledgements, contents list. These are written last, pasted in quickly, and are where the most visible mistakes end up.
- Contents page matched to actual chapter titles and pages
- Copyright, ISBN and imprint details correct
- Author bio, blurb and back-cover text proofread too
How it works
How a proofread runs
Four stages, finishing with a check of the corrections themselves.
- 01
Sample and quote
FreeSend the proofs or the manuscript. We proofread a few pages, show you what we found, and quote by word count and condition.
Your part: Send the file and your style sheet, if you have one.
- 02
Text pass
1–2 weeksA slow read for spelling, punctuation, grammar and consistency, against your style sheet or one we build as we go.
Your part: Nothing. This is the quiet part.
- 03
Layout pass
Within the same windowA second pass for the typeset faults: page breaks, running heads, captions, contents page, front and back matter.
Your part: Nothing yet.
- 04
Corrections and final check
2–3 daysYou get a marked-up PDF and a query list for anything we could not decide for you. Once corrections are applied, we check the corrected pages so no fix introduces a new error.
Your part: Answer the queries. Usually there are a handful.
You keep your rights
Full copyright and royalties stay with you
Fixed written quotes
The quote you accept is the amount you pay
Australian owned
Local team, AUD pricing, GST invoices
Work you approve
Nothing goes to print without your sign-off
Packages
What proofreading costs
Proofreading is included in all three packages as the final stage before print. Bought on its own it is priced by word count and the condition of the text; send the file for a figure.
Manuscript
Get the writing right before you spend anything on design.
for a 60,000-word manuscript
- Written manuscript assessment
- One round of structural editing
- Line edit and final proofread
- Australian spelling and style sheet
- A call with your editor at each stage
Publish
Everything needed to turn a finished manuscript into a book on sale.
for a 60,000-word manuscript
- Everything in Manuscript
- Original cover design, print and ebook
- Typeset interior for paperback and ebook
- ISBN registration and legal deposit
- Retailer and print-on-demand setup
- A printed proof copy before you sign off
- You keep the rights and the royalties
Publish and launch
For authors who want readers to find the book in its first month.
for a 60,000-word manuscript
- Everything in Publish
- A launch plan with dates and owners
- Author website with an email sign-up
- Retailer advertising for the first 90 days
- Review and bookshop outreach
- Monthly sales reporting for six months
Every quote is confirmed after we read your manuscript. Prices in Australian dollars and include GST. Longer books and illustrated books cost more, and we will say so before you commit.
Related services
What usually comes next
Questions authors ask
Proofreading: questions authors ask
For most books it is the smallest line on the invoice, priced by word count and how clean the text already is. A heavily corrected manuscript takes longer than a clean one, so we read a sample before quoting rather than charging a flat per-word rate that penalises careful writers.
Only if the writing is already doing what you want. Proofreading fixes errors; it does not fix a slow middle, a confusing timeline or flat dialogue. If you have not had an edit, ask for a manuscript assessment first. We will tell you honestly which of the two your book needs.
Whichever your book is written in, consistently. Australian spelling and punctuation by default, since most of our authors publish here first. If you are targeting a US readership we set the style sheet to US conventions instead. What we will not do is leave a book half in each, which is the most common fault we find.
One to two weeks for a typical novel, plus two or three days to check the corrections once they are applied. Longer and more complex books, especially non-fiction with references, tables and an index, take longer. We will give you a date with the quote and hold to it.
No, and nobody can promise that honestly. A good proofread catches the overwhelming majority; a second pair of eyes after it catches a few more. What we can promise is a systematic read against a style sheet rather than a skim, and a final check of the corrections, which is where errors most often sneak back in.
Yes, and we do it often. Bring the typeset PDF or the final manuscript. If we find problems that are really editorial rather than proofreading faults, we flag them in a query list and leave the decision to you rather than quietly rewriting, and we will tell you if a proofread is not the service you need.
Still have a question? A real publisher will answer it.
Start your publishing journeyFree, no obligation
Send us your proofs
We will proofread a sample free, tell you what we found, and quote the rest by word count and condition. If the book needs editing rather than proofreading, we will say so.
- A sample proofread before you commit
- Both passes: text, then typeset layout
- A marked-up PDF your typesetter can use
- The corrections checked after they are applied
- 1. You send it
- 2. An editor reads it
- 3. You get a written price