Righting Writing: proofreading services UK
We are often required to write documents, essays, CVs, letters, reports, internet pages, etc., whose content is important. It is essential, therefore, to make sure that the text is well written and presented in order for it to achieve its intended impact. This is where our on-line proofreading service can help.
What is proofreading?
In short: it is the process of reading texts in order to find and correct errors.
With our on-line proofreading service, you send us your document and we will check it over for errors. We will then return one copy of your document to you with suggested corrections (which you can accept or reject individually) and another copy with all suggested corrections in place.
Although the bulk of our work involves proofreading students' essays and dissertations, we can actually proofread anything in written form: letters, flyers, websites, adverts, CVs, etc.
There are two main areas with our on-line proofreading service: style and content.
- Proofreading for style
The style aspect of a document includes: formatting, spelling, punctuation, grammar and word selection. Errors are corrected so that the document is written in correct English.
- Proofreading for content
Content editing a document is concerned with the use of language. Rather than concentrating on the spelling of each word for example, content editing involves changing the wording so that sentences and paragraphs become clearer and more readable.
In some instances we concentrate mainly on style - for example, students' essays where it's paramount that the document is written in the author's own words - whereas with letters, websites, CVs or flyers, we can include more in the way of content editing to help you express your message more clearly and effectively.
Is proofreading necessary?
Yes, proofreading is always a necessary component in the production of important documents. There's a common notion that things such as spelling, grammar and punctuation don't really matter as long as people know what you mean; but unfortunately, it isn't true. Presentation is an important factor if documents are to be taken seriously and have the impact intended.
It is very difficult to spot errors in your own work as you already know exactly what you mean to say. Consider this:
Lady Poncenby-Smithers could not go sailing on her ship this summer, as upon inspection, she was found to have barnacles on her bottom.
Poor Lady Poncenby-Smithers!
That's an amusing example of how the ambiguous use of a word can alter and even change the intended meaning of a sentence - in this instance the pronoun 'she' was meant to refer to the ship, but it could also be applied to the woman. Subtler instances of such ambiguity can be just as destructive to a sentence's meaning while being much harder to spot - particularly by the author who knew what they meant to say.
It is even more difficult to spot your own systematic errors. No matter how carefully you read over your own work, you won't spot errors you make systematically simply because you won't notice them as errors!
What are the advantages of having work proofread?
For academic work, such as students' essays or dissertations, ensuring that your work meets your university's presentation criteria for higher grades will improve your chances of achieving such a grade. Your content is the most important aspect of your work, but ~5% of the mark is typically awarded for good presentation and clarity - and that could make quite a difference.
In other areas, such as with business stationery, letters, adverts or your company's website content, it is important to present your target audience with a professional image. People will judge you and/or your business based on your presentation, so it is important to get it right. The cost of getting small things such as flyers, web content, or even business cards checked by a proofreader is quite small; the cost of presenting these things badly to your potential customers could well be considerably more - by way of lost business.
How much does it cost?
We charge a basic rate of £7.50 per 1,000 words. For very small documents it becomes disproportionately expensive to proofread them on a per word basis so the price begins at £2.50 as the cost of processing the payment etc. needs to be factored in.
There is a price calculator built in to the submission form which provides an estimate based on your word count; and we will always provide a quote before undertaking any work.