Proofreading

Updated June 2025

What Is Proofreading?

Proofreading is the final quality-control pass performed after all revisions and layout changes are complete. Your proofreader combs through the manuscript, catching lingering typos, punctuation slips, spacing glitches, and styling inconsistencies so the book you publish—or submit—arrives flawless and professional.

Why This Stage Matters

A single typo can pull readers out of the story; a misnumbered heading can frustrate reviewers; an extra space can make printed pages look amateur. Proofreading protects your reputation by removing these last imperfections, ensuring that editing, design, and authorial craft shine without distraction. If your manuscript still needs clarity or sentence-level improvements, consider completing line editing first. Proofreading is the final step that ensures your work looks polished and professional, ready for publication or submission.

What a Proofreader Checks

Line by line, the proofreader verifies spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and word breaks. They flag repeated words, misplaced italics, inconsistent indentation, and extra spaces. Any deviations from your style sheet are marked for correction so the finished manuscript reads clean and consistent from first page to last.

What You Take Away

You receive a Word document with every correction shown in Track Changes. Earlier in the process, copy editing addresses grammar, consistency, and style in more detail before proofreading begins. A concise proof sheet lists systematic issues resolved, giving you a clear record before the file proceeds to design or upload.

How the Process Works at Authors’ HQ

Choose a proofreader from our roster or ask us to recommend specialists familiar with your genre or citation style. If desired, you may share sample pages to confirm fit. The proofreader contacts you directly, discusses scope and timeline, and provides a transparent quotation. All files, clarifications, and payments move between you and the professional you select, giving you a direct line of communication and full control of the schedule. Not sure if proofreading is the right step? Developmental editing and manuscript critique can help you refine your book before the final polish.

Editors You Can Trust

Our proofreaders are final-detail guardians—veteran newspaper copy-desk chiefs, journal production editors, and meticulous wordsmiths whose reputations rest on catching the slip no one else sees. Before joining our roster, each candidate must pass a rigorous in-house proofreading test; fewer than 2 percent succeed.

Those who do have already shepherded award-winning novels, academic titles, and corporate white papers through press checks without a blemish.

Their trained eyes catch stray spaces, broken formatting, and last-minute typos that creep in after layout, delivering a manuscript polished to absolute, publication-ready perfection.

Quick Answers

When should I schedule proofreading?

Only after the manuscript is fully revised and no further structural or line changes are planned. Any edits made afterward can introduce new errors.

Do I still need a proofreader if I ran spell-check?

Yes. Automated tools miss homophones, layout glitches, doubled words, and punctuation slips. A trained proofreader catches what software overlooks and ensures every page meets professional book editing standards.

How long does a typical proofreading pass take?

Turnaround depends on word count and complexity, but most 80,000-word manuscripts are proofread in 7–10 business days. You and your proofreader agree on a firm schedule before work begins.