The value of freelance proofreading
What’s the value of freelance proofreading? Well, think about it this way.
You’ve commissioned a consultant to write a report for your business. Before it’s signed off, that copy may or may not go via a subject expert, a marketer (or two), a manager (or two), a designer (or two), and perhaps a few other senior people besides.
It’s probably also had an automated spell-check and grammar check, in Word or in Grammarly, several times.
So am I seriously saying that, in this agile, flexible, technology-led world, a freelance proofreader needs to see it as well – adding even more time to sign-off?
To answer that question, let me ask a question of my own. How many people, in that long list of people who see your copy, are editorial professionals?
If the answer is “no one”, that’s potentially a concern.
If you care about reducing the risk of errors in a report or website, it’s worth asking an editorial professional to come in and proofread it after the last on-page amendments have been made.
That “final pair of eyes” is your freelance proofreader.
The value of proofreading is in having someone who hasn’t been involved in a project to provide a fresh, external view – and alert you to content issues that an automated check can’t spot.
And remember: proofreaders often find editorial issues not only in copy – but also in the numbers, tables and diagrams that accompany it.
So to commission me to proofread your report, brochure or website, please get in touch. I’ll come back to you with a proposal and a price.
