I offer professional proofreading to anyone looking to improve their written English. I’ve been proofreading for around 14 years, taking on new clients exclusively from ‘word of mouth’ recommendations, and during this time I’ve built a reputation for being fast, reasonably priced, and extremely thorough.
I mostly work with academics and students in the fields of sociology, classics, and biomedical research, but have also worked on websites, historical journals, and even a cookbook or two.
[I also make animations about climate change, if you’re curious.]
If you’d like to know more, get in touch.
How I work
Unlike many proofreaders, I charge according to how much time it takes me to complete the text, not by the word, which means you get a fair price for your work. Charging by the word almost always works out more expensive for you; I charge only for the time it takes me to correct what is needed.
To give you an estimate of how much your text will cost, I’ll ask for a sample of the text (even if it’s just a page or two) and an approximate word count – I can then proofread a page and give you a cost estimate.
I work in Microsoft Word with Track Changes, so you’ll see exactly what I change.
If something is unclear, I’ll highlight it to let you know it needs further revision.
If you have any questions or special requirements, feel free to get in touch.
FAQ
How much do you charge?
Please see the Pricing section.
Do you correct to UK or US English?
Whichever you prefer – please let me know if you have a preference / requirement.
How long will it take to correct my text?
It depends – mostly on how long your text is. For most short to medium documents, I’ll have it back to you in a week to 10 days; if you need it returned sooner, get in touch to see if I can adjust my schedule. For longer texts (book manuscripts or PhD theses) I’ll normally need 3-4 weeks to complete the text.
How can I pay?
Payment is through bank account transfer; I’ll also send you a PDF invoice with the finished project.
What file format should I send?
I work in Microsoft Word, with Track Changes enabled so you can see exactly what I’ve modified. If necessary, I’ll correct in Adobe Acrobat for a PDF file, but as this is a highly inefficient way to correct, it’ll always be more expensive, so I prefer to work with Word files.
What’s the difference between copy editing and proofreading?
With a proofreading service, you’ll get professional help with grammar, language, style and sentence structure as well as helping to improve the ‘flow’ of the writing (how it sounds when you read it). Copy editing is for when an essay needs light correction without changing a lot of the style or sentence structure. Most texts need a combination of these, so I don’t normally separate the two – I work on your text until it’s looking the best possible.
Pricing
I charge only for the amount of time it takes me to complete a text, not by the word, so it’s a standard hourly rate – 20 euros per hour, with no hidden costs.
This rate includes two checks of the text to ensure it’s as error-free as possible, and all taxes. I’ll send you an invoice once the text is completed, so you don’t need to pay until you’re satisfied with the work.
If you need something in a rush, I’ll normally charge a small extra fee (15% of the total) to give your work priority over others.
Testimonials
“After seeing the first chapter Andy sent back, I knew straight away that he was in a different league. He worked painstakingly hard on my thesis and the quality of his work was outstanding. Andy’s grasp of English grammar is excellent and he’s a perfectionist.”
Daliany Kersh, PhD student
“Proof Red allowed us to accelerate deployment of a number of projects on time and on budget. Andy was professional, highly communicative and we will continue to use his services in the future.”
Robert Brennan, Marketing Communications Manager for the Americas, Microchip Technology Inc
“I was very impressed by Andy’s efficiency and professional engagement with my academic texts. He went beyond correcting the manuscript for publication, providing me with extremely useful comments and feedback that helped me to improve my writing style and make the most of proof-reading as a learning experience.”
Dr Marta Garcia Morcillo, Senior Lecturer in Ancient History, University of Roehampton