essay editing and proofreading

Editing and Proofreading

What this handout is about.

This handout provides some tips and strategies for revising your writing. To give you a chance to practice proofreading, we have left seven errors (three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors) in the text of this handout. See if you can spot them!

Is editing the same thing as proofreading?

Not exactly. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, editing and proofreading are two different stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques.

Some tips that apply to both editing and proofreading

• Get some distance from the text! It’s hard to edit or proofread a paper that you’ve just finished writing—it’s still to familiar, and you tend to skip over a lot of errors. Put the paper aside for a few hours, days, or weeks. Go for a run. Take a trip to the beach. Clear your head of what you’ve written so you can take a fresh look at the paper and see what is really on the page. Better yet, give the paper to a friend—you can’t get much more distance than that. Someone who is reading the paper for the first time, comes to it with completely fresh eyes.
• Decide which medium lets you proofread most carefully. Some people like to work right at the computer, while others like to sit back with a printed copy that they can mark up as they read.
• Try changing the look of your document. Altering the size, spacing, color, or style of the text may trick your brain into thinking it’s seeing an unfamiliar document, and that can help you get a different perspective on what you’ve written.
• Find a quiet place to work. Don’t try to do your proofreading in front of the TV or while you’re chugging away on the treadmill. Find a place where you can concentrate and avoid distractions.
• If possible, do your editing and proofreading in several short blocks of time. Your concentration may start to wane if you try to proofread the entire text at one time.
• If you’re short on time, you may wish to prioritize. Make sure that you complete the most important editing and proofreading tasks.

Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You reread your draft to see, for example, whether the paper is well-organized, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your evidence really backs up your argument. You can edit on several levels:

Have you done everything the assignment requires? Are the claims you make accurate? If it is required to do so, does your paper make an argument? Is the argument complete? Are all of your claims consistent? Have you supported each point with adequate evidence? Is all of the information in your paper relevant to the assignment and/or your overall writing goal? (For additional tips, see our handouts on understanding assignments and developing an argument .)

Overall structure

Does your paper have an appropriate introduction and conclusion? Is your thesis clearly stated in your introduction? Is it clear how each paragraph in the body of your paper is related to your thesis? Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? One way to check the structure of your paper is to make a reverse outline of the paper after you have written the first draft. (See our handouts on introductions , conclusions , thesis statements , and transitions .)

Structure within paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs? (See our handout on paragraph development .)

Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader? Is the meaning of each sentence clear? (One way to answer this question is to read your paper one sentence at a time, starting at the end and working backwards so that you will not unconsciously fill in content from previous sentences.) Is it clear what each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas? Avoid using words you find in the thesaurus that aren’t part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse them.

Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Is your use of gendered language (masculine and feminine pronouns like “he” or “she,” words like “fireman” that contain “man,” and words that some people incorrectly assume apply to only one gender—for example, some people assume “nurse” must refer to a woman) appropriate? Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences? Do you tends to use the passive voice too often? Does your writing contain a lot of unnecessary phrases like “there is,” “there are,” “due to the fact that,” etc.? Do you repeat a strong word (for example, a vivid main verb) unnecessarily? (For tips, see our handouts on style and gender-inclusive language .)

Have you appropriately cited quotes, paraphrases, and ideas you got from sources? Are your citations in the correct format? (See the UNC Libraries citation tutorial for more information.)

As you edit at all of these levels, you will usually make significant revisions to the content and wording of your paper. Keep an eye out for patterns of error; knowing what kinds of problems you tend to have will be helpful, especially if you are editing a large document like a thesis or dissertation. Once you have identified a pattern, you can develop techniques for spotting and correcting future instances of that pattern. For example, if you notice that you often discuss several distinct topics in each paragraph, you can go through your paper and underline the key words in each paragraph, then break the paragraphs up so that each one focuses on just one main idea.

Proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

Why proofread? It’s the content that really matters, right?

Content is important. But like it or not, the way a paper looks affects the way others judge it. When you’ve worked hard to develop and present your ideas, you don’t want careless errors distracting your reader from what you have to say. It’s worth paying attention to the details that help you to make a good impression.

Most people devote only a few minutes to proofreading, hoping to catch any glaring errors that jump out from the page. But a quick and cursory reading, especially after you’ve been working long and hard on a paper, usually misses a lot. It’s better to work with a definite plan that helps you to search systematically for specific kinds of errors.

Sure, this takes a little extra time, but it pays off in the end. If you know that you have an effective way to catch errors when the paper is almost finished, you can worry less about editing while you are writing your first drafts. This makes the entire writing proccess more efficient.

Try to keep the editing and proofreading processes separate. When you are editing an early draft, you don’t want to be bothered with thinking about punctuation, grammar, and spelling. If your worrying about the spelling of a word or the placement of a comma, you’re not focusing on the more important task of developing and connecting ideas.

The proofreading process

You probably already use some of the strategies discussed below. Experiment with different tactics until you find a system that works well for you. The important thing is to make the process systematic and focused so that you catch as many errors as possible in the least amount of time.

• Don’t rely entirely on spelling checkers. These can be useful tools but they are far from foolproof. Spell checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may really just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word. For example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their,” the spell checker won’t catch the error.
• Grammar checkers can be even more problematic. These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences or too-frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.
• Proofread for only one kind of error at a time. If you try to identify and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammar errors if you aren’t checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.
• Read slow, and read every word. Try reading out loud , which forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you may skip over errors or make unconscious corrections.
• Separate the text into individual sentences. This is another technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the return key after every period so that every line begins a new sentence. Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. If you’re working with a printed copy, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working on.
• Circle every punctuation mark. This forces you to look at each one. As you circle, ask yourself if the punctuation is correct.
• Read the paper backwards. This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word. You can also read backwards sentence by sentence to check grammar; this will help you avoid becoming distracted by content issues.
• Proofreading is a learning process. You’re not just looking for errors that you recognize; you’re also learning to recognize and correct new errors. This is where handbooks and dictionaries come in. Keep the ones you find helpful close at hand as you proofread.
• Ignorance may be bliss, but it won’t make you a better proofreader. You’ll often find things that don’t seem quite right to you, but you may not be quite sure what’s wrong either. A word looks like it might be misspelled, but the spell checker didn’t catch it. You think you need a comma between two words, but you’re not sure why. Should you use “that” instead of “which”? If you’re not sure about something, look it up.
• The proofreading process becomes more efficient as you develop and practice a systematic strategy. You’ll learn to identify the specific areas of your own writing that need careful attention, and knowing that you have a sound method for finding errors will help you to focus more on developing your ideas while you are drafting the paper.

Think you’ve got it?

Then give it a try, if you haven’t already! This handout contains seven errors our proofreader should have caught: three spelling errors, two punctuation errors, and two grammatical errors. Try to find them, and then check a version of this page with the errors marked in red to see if you’re a proofreading star.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Especially for non-native speakers of English:

Ascher, Allen. 2006. Think About Editing: An ESL Guide for the Harbrace Handbooks . Boston: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Lane, Janet, and Ellen Lange. 2012. Writing Clearly: Grammar for Editing , 3rd ed. Boston: Heinle.

For everyone:

Einsohn, Amy. 2011. The Copyeditor’s Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications , 3rd ed. Berkeley: University of California Press.

Lanham, Richard A. 2006. Revising Prose , 5th ed. New York: Pearson Longman.

Tarshis, Barry. 1998. How to Be Your Own Best Editor: The Toolkit for Everyone Who Writes . New York: Three Rivers Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services in 2024

#scribendiinc

Written by  Scribendi

As a writer, it's not always easy to find typos or spelling errors in your own work. 

However, online editing services make error-free writing easy so you can focus on writing, not editing.

Below, we've listed the top 11 best editing and proofreading services for 2024 while considering years of experience, turnaround times, pricing, and quality. 

What Is the Difference Between Editing and Proofreading? 

Many people will hire a proofreader when they are really looking for an editor, and vice versa. However, editing and proofreading have different functions, and you will need one or the other depending on the requirements of your document. 

With editing services , your editor will: 

• Focus on improving the flow of language
• Check the overall readability
• Verify the accuracy of language
• Ensure the content follows a logical order
• Make sure your transitions are clear
• Verify that every paragraph is relevant to the overall argument
• Determine whether the tone fits the audience
• Ensure gendered language is used properly

With proofreading services , your proofreader will: 

• Check for grammatical errors
• Point out mechanical mistakes, such as misspelled words
• Correct missing or incorrect punctuation
• Verify correct and consistent capitalization 
• Fix sentence structure errors, such as run-on sentences or fragments

If you want in-depth feedback and revisions to improve your writing, editing is what you need.

If you need a final check to ensure your document is error free, proofreading is what you need.

What to Look for When Hiring an Editing or Proofreading Service

When hiring an editing or proofreading service, there are a few things to keep in mind!

Editor Qualifications

Experience and education play a large role in selecting the right editor or proofreader. You want to work with someone who is qualified, who has expertise doing the type of editing you're looking for, and who has had satisfied customers in the past. 

Check each service's ratings on review sites to ensure their customer satisfaction levels match what the service promises.

An editing or proofreading sample can give you an excellent idea of what to expect from your editor. Samples may be free or paid and allow you to evaluate the quality of an editing or proofreading service.

Communication

Good communication is also crucial. Will you be able to ask your editor questions during or after the process? 

The goal of any editor is to help you develop your best work, so clear communication throughout the process is key.

You might be wondering what is a fair price to pay for proofreading. Professional proofreading rates vary, and so does quality. To get the best-value proofreading, you will need to find a reputable proofreading company.

Read More: How Much Does Proofreading Cost?

11 Best Editing and Proofreading Services for 2024

1. scribendi.

Since 1997, Scribendi has been providing high-quality editing and proofreading services to students, academics, and authors from around the world. 

An ISO-certified industry leader in editing and proofreading services, Scribendi has a global team of hand-picked editors, many of whom hold master's degrees and PhDs. The onboarding process for new editors at Scribendi is intentionally rigorous so that only the highest-quality editors are selected—around 5% of all applicants. 

With Scribendi, you can expect affordable services and turnarounds in as little as 2 hours. The type of content Scribendi edits ranges from websites and blogs to essays and personal documents, with many other document types in between. Scribendi offers extensive feedback to its clients to help them develop their best work.

On the Scribendi website, you can also find case studies and reviews , along with a breakdown of how Scribendi customizes each service to specific clients. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours

Number of years in business: 25+

Free sample: Yes, 1,000-word free sample for editing or proofreading

ISO certified: Yes

Account deposit feature: Yes

Competitive Advantages

When it comes to fast turnaround times, affordable services, and professional, high-quality revisions, Scribendi has a competitive advantage over many other editing services.

With 25+ years' experience, their 480+ editors are available to proofread academic essays, novels, business materials, personal documents, or student essays 24/7, 365 days a year. 

Polish Your Writing with Our Book Proofreading Service

2. proof-reading-service.com.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers high-quality English editing and proofreading services exclusively for professionals in science and academia. 

An England-based company, the proofreaders at Proof-Reading-Service.com are native English speakers with experience in various academic disciplines. Each proofreader on their team is personally selected and holds at least a master's degree, so their academic clients are fully supported.

The types of editing they help with range from journal and scientific editing to PhD thesis and manuscript editing. Since their specialty is in science and academia, this service would be most helpful to professors, lecturers, post-doctoral researchers, and research students.

Proof-Reading-Service.com offers a flat rate per 1,000 words. This rate does not change based on the type of content, so you always know how much proofreading will cost you.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: No instant quote

Number of years in business: 16

Free sample: No

ISO certified: No

An affordable option for academics and scientists, Proof-Reading-Services.com offers highly educated editors with expertise in many fields. 

Fiverr is a marketplace for digital services that allows buyers and sellers to work with each other through Fiverr's transactional platform. 

Through Fiverr, many freelance proofreaders offer their services at different rates and turnaround times. Within the platform, editing services can be filtered by budget, delivery time, and content type.

You can also sift through the profiles of freelance editors, read their reviews, and learn about their history with editing and with Fiverr itself. Each editor offers different rates depending on their experience and turnaround time.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: N/A

Number of years in business: 12

Account deposit feature: Yes (for Fiverr Business users)

With Fiverr, you have the flexibility to choose a specific editor, and many niche options are available. The process is simple and easy, and each transaction is made through the Fiverr platform.

4. True Editors

True Editors offers professional editing services for academics, business owners, authors, and job applicants.

Their editing team is composed of engineers, research scholars, postgraduates, physicians, and even journal peer reviewers. Each editor on the True Editors team receives specialized training in academic editing and must take a language proficiency exam to qualify for their editing team.

To use True Editors' services, you can upload a file or enter your word count and choose your turnaround time. Their pricing varies by word count, and their website provides editing samples so you can get a feel for their editing style. If you're ever unhappy with their work, they also offer a free revision of your document.   

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 4 hours

Number of years in business: 10+

Free sample: 300 words or less for editing

True Editors has editors with specific subject-matter expertise.

5. ProofreadingPal

Operating out of Iowa City, IA, ProofreadingPal is an editing service that utilizes a two-proofreader model. This means that two proofreaders work on every piece of content ordered through their service.

ProofreadingPal offers editing services for students, professionals, and authors, including academic editing for writing styles such as APA, Chicago, MLA, or CSE. Their services are available 24/7, 365 days per year, with turnaround times ranging from 30 minutes to 7 days.

What also makes this service unique is that they accept orders both online and by phone, and their customer service team is available every day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT. They offer free sample edits of up to 400 words, and they don't have a minimum word requirement if you'd like to submit a small document for review.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 1.5 hours

Free sample: 400 words or less for editing

With ProofreadingPal, you get two proofreaders reviewing every submission instead of one and quick turnaround times. 

6. PaperTrue

PaperTrue started in 2014 as an editing service but has since expanded its services to include essay writing, formatting, and plagiarism checking for students, as well as cover design, typesetting, and online distribution for authors.

Operating with the belief that language shouldn't be a barrier to success, PaperTrue helps a global audience of businesses, authors, and researchers edit their writing so they're able to reach their full potential. To date, they've served over 52,000 clients and have 4.5+ stars on review sites, including Google Reviews and Sitejabber. 

PaperTrue also offers a three-step quality checking process and hand-picked, qualified editors for each document reviewed. With locations in the US, Singapore, the UK, and India, they offer round-the-clock editing services with a turnaround time of 12 hours for documents up to 6,000 words. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 12 hours

Number of years in business: 8

With PaperTrue, you get not only editing and proofreading services but publication services as well, including typesetting, cover design, and online distribution.

Proofed is an editing and formatting service that helps students, businesses, authors, academics, researchers, and other professionals communicate effectively. Its mission is to provide the highest quality proofreading and editing services in the world.

With a diverse group of editors, the team at Proofed offers extensive knowledge on nearly every subject. All editors have undergone Proofreading Academy training, a course developed by Proofed, to ensure the highest standard of editing possible. 

Proofed offers speedy delivery (up to 10,000 edited words within 24 hours), with express and rapid turnaround times that range from 2 to 12 hours for select word counts. Their system supports over 15 different document formats, which makes the submission process easy, and their team offers 24-hour support.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 2 hours  

Free sample: 500 words for proofreading only

ISO certified: Yes 

Account deposit feature: No

Proofed offers proofreading expertise in many fields, as well as formatting services.

Enago provides 24/7 editing services for the global research community. More than just a team of editors, Enago works with researchers in over 125 countries to help them publish their work in international journals. 

With end-to-end publication support services, such as pre-submission peer review, journal selection, and post-submission review, Enago also offers competitive quality assurance with unlimited edits and a money-back guarantee for manuscripts that are rejected due to language issues.  

Enago's editors all hold a PhD or master's degree, and they have an average of 19.4 years of academic editing experience. Each manuscript is assigned to an editor with similar subject area expertise, assuring high-level accuracy. 

Like ProofreadingPal, Enago also operates on a two-editor model, where all manuscripts are reviewed by no fewer than two native English-speaking editors. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 24 hours

Number of years in business: 17

Enago offers highly educated editors in the fields of science, academia, and business, along with help and support during the academic publication process. 

American Journal Experts (AJE) offers in-depth scientific and academic editing services, in addition to translation and manuscript formatting services, to help researchers publish their best work. Its mission is to improve the exchange of discoveries in the international research community by identifying opportunities to improve the research, publishing, and discovery cycle.  

In addition to providing quality editing services, their team of PhDs supports researchers when they have questions regarding manuscript submission and publishing. AJE also matches each manuscript with an editor who is a subject-matter expert. 

Prices and turnaround times, as well as more in-depth information regarding the details of each type of editing offered (standard, advanced, or premium), can be found on the AJE website. 

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours  

Number of years in business: 18

Free sample: Editing of up to 500 words for an abstract

AJE's editors have subject-matter expertise, and the service also offers translation and formatting services. 

10. Editage

Editage partners with researchers to offer advanced and premium editing as well as publication support and translation services. Their goal is to assure the publication success of hopeful researchers, scholars, and students. 

Each document submitted to Editage is assigned to an editor who best matches the content subject matter. Editage even offers the option to select your expert, price, deadline, and style, so researchers have full control of the service they receive. Researchers can also collaborate with their editing expert to ensure the paper follows their vision. 

Editage also has local language support, turnaround times of as little as eight hours, and a two-step revision process for quality. Their team of over 2,000 native English editors has publication expertise and covers over 1,000 subjects.  

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 8 hours

Number of years in business: 20

At Editage, two editors review every submission. They also offer client-to-editor Q&A interaction and translation services.

LetPub offers editorial services for researchers in the scholarly publishing community. In addition to editing, LetPub offers scientific illustration services, plain language summaries, and graphic and video abstracts. 

The LetPub team is composed of experts and senior editors who come from a wide range of disciplines, each one a native English speaker with experience editing both scientific and technical documents. The types of editing included in LetPub's services range from grant and language editing to response letter and scientific editing. 

Because many of LetPub's editors and staff have research backgrounds, they're familiar with the level of effort it takes to write a paper for publication, and they will reedit a paper at no cost if it is rejected for language reasons.

Fastest turnaround time for 1,000 words: 48 hours

ISO certified: Yes (for translation services)

Competitive Advantages 

LetPub offers expertise in science for scientists and academics, as well as translation and formatting services. 

Perfect Your Writing with High-Quality Academic Proofreading

There's a lot to consider when choosing an editing service. Save our table as a quick reference for your next document.

As long as you understand the important factors that go into choosing a great editing service, like experience, customer satisfaction, and quality, you'll be well equipped to choose the right one for you.

About the Author

Scribendi's in-house editors work with writers from all over the globe to perfect their writing. They know that no piece of writing is complete without a professional edit, and they love to see a good piece of writing turn into a great one after the editing process. Scribendi's in-house editors are unrivaled in both experience and education, having collectively edited millions of words and obtained nearly 20 degrees collectively. They love consuming caffeinated beverages, reading books of various genres, and relaxing in quiet, dimly lit spaces.

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A Guide to the Proofreading and Editing Process

Proofreading and editing are two important parts of the revision process, and they are both essential for written documents that will be published or presented to the public. However, they produce different results depending on the type of document, and writers should be aware of what each step entails so that they can make the right choice when it comes to perfecting their work.

Table of Contents

• 1. Proofreading vs Editing
• 2. Editing and Proofreading Examples
• 3. Stages of Editing and Proofreading
• 4. Editing Tips and Guidelines
• 5. Proofreading Checklist
• 6. Online Editing and Proofreading Services
• 7. Frequently Asked Questions About Editing and Proofreading

Proofreading vs Editing

Most texts are both edited and proofread after the draft is completed. These texts include essays, research papers, journal manuscripts, and other works for publication or submission. Both editing and proofreading demand careful attention, but each focuses on different aspects of the writing.

What is proofreading?

Proofreading means checking for and fixing objective errors in a text. This includes identifying and correcting the following:

• Grammar mistakes and mechanics issues
• Spelling errors and typos
• Incorrect punctuation
• Formatting and writing inconsistencies

Before a work is published, proofreaders check a “proof copy” (a printed version of the text) and note errors using standard proofreading marks. Nowadays, most professional proofreaders review digital texts using MS Word’s “track changes” feature or Google Docs’ “editing” mode.

When to proofread

Proofreading is usually the final step of the revision process and is done after editing has been completed. After all errors, formatting issues, and inconsistencies have been corrected, the work is considered complete and ready for publication.

What is editing?

Editing means improving the quality of writing in terms of style, vocabulary, readability, and natural phrasing or “flow.” Editing typically identifies and corrects the following:

• Wordiness (using too many unnecessary words)
• Incorrect or inappropriate terms and expressions
• Repetition and redundancy
• Unacademic and awkward terms
• Incorrect formatting of citations and references

After receiving editing (which can include language editing, copy-editing, and line editing), your expressions and terminology should be more precise, your language less repetitive and awkward, and the overall quality of your writing better.

When to edit

Language editing is usually done after the first draft of a document is finished. After reviewing the work to ensure proper content and organization, authors should edit to improve the language and clarity of their ideas and arguments. This increases the writing’s impact on the reader.

Editing and proofreading can be completed in two separate stages or simultaneously. The revision order depends on the type of work being revised (research paper, essay, cover letter, etc.) and whether the author is self-editing or receiving help from a peer or professional editor.

Basic editing can be done by the author or an experienced peer. However, language editing and proofreading are often done simultaneously by a professional editor with subject expertise and a deep understanding of style conventions and English language rules.

Editing Example

In the editing sample below, the editor has improved readability and elevated the language by changing vocabulary terms, rephrasing sentences, and modifying the transitions.

Proofreading Example

In the proofreading sample below, the proofreader has limited their revisions to objective errors: focusing on correcting grammatical, spelling, and mechanical errors. As you can see, potential issues with style, vocabulary, and expression have not been addressed.

The Stages of Editing and Proofreading a Paper

Do I need both editing and proofreading?

Not all texts require both language editing and proofreading. The type of revision your work needs depends on your writing quality, the type of document, and where you are submitting the work.

Whoever edits your work should:

• Be an “expert” or possess a “professional” level of written English
• Have a deep, technical understanding of English
• Have a native-level knowledge of vocabulary terms, phrasing, and expressions
• Be capable of catching all grammatical, mechanical, and stylistic errors

For these documents, both language editing and proofreading are strongly recommended

• Texts written by ESL authors ( Academic Editing Services )
• Scientific journal manuscripts , books , or other long texts ( Paper Editing Services )

For these authors, language editing would be helpful (but perhaps not essential)

• Academic authors submitting an academic manuscript for publication ( Manuscript Editing Services )
• Businesses and professionals ( Business Editing Services ; Document Editing Services )

For these authors, proofreading alone is likely sufficient

• Students, researchers, and other authors with strong writing and editing skills. ( Assignment Editing Services )
• Fiction and non-fiction writers who have already received editing ( Editing Services for Writers )
• Bloggers and script-writers ( Blog Editing Services ; Script Editing Services )

Ready to get professional editing and proofreading?

Our Pricing

How much does editing and proofreading cost?

Companies vary in how they calculate editing and proofreading rates: by the hour, by the page, by the individual word, or by bulk numbers of words (one price for 1 to 1,000 words; another price for 1,001 to 3,000 words, etc.).

Authors should receive price quotations from several companies and compare to see whose rates are most affordable for the quality. Some companies require a document to be submitted before offering a price estimate.

Proofreading and editing rates per hour

Per-hour editing rates are usually charged by independent freelance editors and can range from $10 to $100 an hour, depending on the editor’s experience and level of subject expertise.

Editors cannot predict exactly how long it will take to edit or proofread a document; therefore, authors may not know the full price of proofreading or editing until after the revision has been completed. Cost, speed, and quality should all be considered when choosing hourly editing rates.

Proofreading and editing rates per word

Professional proofreading and editing services charge per-word rates ranging from $0.01 (one cent) to $0.10 (ten cents) for “standard” revision, which can include basic style editing or simply proofreading or copy-editing.

Application Essay Editing Services

How long does editing and proofreading take.

Authors should leave enough time for editing and proofreading between drafting and publication. However, for papers or essays with a hard deadline, be sure to find an editing service that can deliver revised files on time.

Most online editing services offer several different turnaround times, but a minimum of 24 hours is recommended for proofreading. For longer documents or documents that may require more extensive revision, it is best to allow for at least 48 hours. Additionally, a longer turnaround time is typically associated with a lower editing price.

Wordvice calculates editing rates based on three factors: document type, word count, and turnaround time. For example, editing for a 1,000-word research paper would range in price from around $.05 per word ($46) for a turnaround of 96 hours to $0.08 cents per word ($80) for a turnaround of 24 hours.

Admissions essay editing for documents such as SOPs or letters of recommendation is priced at $0.04 per word ($40) for a turnaround of 96 hours and $0.09 per word ($90) for a turnaround of 24 hours. Lower rates are available for longer turnaround times, but longer turnarounds are only available for documents with higher word counts (minimum 4,000 words for a 7-day turnaround).

Wordvice offers similar pricing for business editing and book editing. Prices are determined by built-in rates that factor in the amount of time and attention different document types require.

Editing Tips and Guidelines

Basic proofreading and editing skills are essential for anyone who writes. For more basic texts such as college and university essays, blogs, and personal writing, there are some techniques you can use to revise effectively before sharing your work with others.

Take a break from the text before editing

When you write, read, and review the same text for hours or days, it becomes much harder to catch errors. Before proofreading and editing, set your work aside for a day or two so that you can come back to it with a fresh perspective.

Edit your writing before proofreading

Before proofreading your work for grammatical and mechanical errors, thoroughly revise your work for style, vocabulary, and clarity. Fixing minor errors will be the final stage in the revision process, so only proofread once you have completed a draft that you are satisfied with.

Make an editing checklist

Before you begin editing your work, create a list of the exact issues you plan to address so you don’t overlook your editing objectives.

Here are some examples of the issues you might want to focus on:

• Substitute incorrect or non- academic terminology and vocabulary.
• Rephrase unnatural phrases, expressions, and sentences.
• Revise transition terms and phrases to better tie your paragraphs together.
• Enhance flow and readability by removing unnecessary and repetitive terms.
• Vary the structure and length of your sentences.
• Apply active and passive voice correctly.

Use proofreading tools and editing software

While many research authors use special typesetting systems such as LaTeX, the most widely used word processing program is MS Word. Using Word’s “track changes” function, you can view the precise changes made to a document.

If you have repeatedly misspelled certain words, misapplied capitalization or formatting, or even used UK English when you meant to use US (or vice versa), you can use the Find and Replace function to fix instances of the same mistake.

Once you have finished editing your work using “track changes,” toggle between “Simple Markup” and “All Markup” to view the finalized revision or individual alterations, respectively. Carefully review the revised text before accepting any changes.

Learn from your mistakes to improve your writing

Pay close attention to the specific writing and punctuation errors you tend to make. Understanding what mistakes you repeatedly make can help you understand how to avoid them and improve your writing skills.

Proofreading Checklist: Common Errors in Grammar, Punctuation, and Mechanics

Knowing which errors to look for is challenging. Typos and spelling errors are easy to spot, but mistakes in grammar and punctuation can be more difficult to catch. The table below presents some of the most common objective errors to watch out for when proofreading.

How can you check the quality of an editing service?

Editing quality varies greatly between services, and all authors should do their homework before choosing one to revise their document. Here are a few criteria to assess the quality of an editing company:

A proven record of professional editing and proofreading

Has the service been around for a few years? The length of time an editing company has been in operation can be an important indicator of its quality and trustworthiness.

Highly qualified editors

Does the company have well-qualified editors from a range of academic and scientific backgrounds? Many online editing services display editor profiles on their website.

Client review ratings

Does the service have independent third-party reviews? (e.g., Trustpilot and Google Star Ratings). A good service will often display client reviews and testimonials on their site.

Affordable rates

Does the service charge a per-word rate rather than an hourly or bulk-word rate? For the most affordable proofreading services, choose a company that charges by the word.

Convenient ordering process

Does the service offer an instant price quote for editing and proofreading based on factors such as word count and delivery time?

A range of delivery times

Does the service offer different turnaround times? Can they provide express delivery (24 hours or less) for urgent documents and multiple-day delivery for longer documents?

Security and confidentiality

Privacy is crucial when choosing any online service. Does the editing service use data encryption and 2-step verification? Do their editors sign non-disclosure agreements to keep submitted documents confidential?

Great customer support

Does the service offer a quality or satisfaction guarantee? Are they available to answer questions or concerns about your order 24/7? Choose an editing service that provides contact information on its website and makes itself available to answer questions about its services.

Recommended Editing Service

Wordvice provides English proofreading and editing for a wide range of documents, including journal manuscripts, academic and research papers, college and graduate admissions essays, theses, dissertations, research proposals, and business and corporate documents.

Our standard academic editing , which includes both proofreading and language editing, begins at a rate of $0.04 per word. We offer turnaround times ranging from from 24 hours to 7 days, with 9- and 13-hour express turnaround times also available. Our standard admissions essay proofreading and editing begins at $0.02 per word with similar turnaround times.

Wordvice has an average client review rating of 4.9 on Google Star Ratings and 4.5 on Trustpilot .

Use our citation generator for APA, MLA, Chicago, and Vancouver styles to ensure accurate reference and formatting styles.

Regardless of the turnaround time, document type, or total word count of your document, Wordvice guarantees professional editing by an editor with expertise in the subject area or topic of your work. In fact, we guarantee 100% language accuracy and will work to revise your document until we have met your expectations. Visit our Pricing page to receive an instant price quotation.

Frequently Asked Questions about Editing and Proofreading

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Academic writing is a formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. It is characterised by a clear focus on argumentation, the presentation of evidence, and a logical structure. This type of writing is essential for communicating complex ideas and research findings in a coherent and credible manner.

What is Academic Writing?

Academic writing is a structured and evidence-based form of writing that is used to convey scholarly information. It includes essays, research papers, dissertations, and reports. This writing style emphasises clarity, precision, and a logical flow of ideas, often incorporating a formal tone and style. The main goal is to inform, argue, or analyse a topic based on evidence and sound reasoning.

Types of Academic Writing

There are several types of academic writing, each serving a different purpose:

These are short pieces of writing on a particular subject, presenting the author’s argument or perspective.

Detailed studies presenting original research findings, often published in academic journals.

Extensive research projects submitted as part of a degree program, presenting the author’s research and findings.

Comprehensive surveys of existing research on a particular topic.

Structured documents that describe and analyse specific topics or events.

Why is Academic Writing Important?

Academic writing is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it contributes to the body of knowledge in various fields, helping to advance understanding and innovation. Secondly, it allows scholars to communicate their findings and ideas clearly and effectively, fostering academic discourse and collaboration. Thirdly, academic writing helps develop critical thinking and analytical skills, as it requires writers to evaluate evidence, construct coherent arguments, and engage with complex ideas. Additionally, mastering academic writing is essential for academic and professional success, as it is a key component of most higher education curricula.

Academic Research Writing

Academic Writing Structure

The structure of academic writing typically follows a standardised format, which helps organise the content logically and coherently. The basic structure includes :

• Introduction : This section introduces the topic, provides background information, and presents the research question or thesis statement.
• Literature Review : A survey of existing research related to the topic, highlighting gaps and justifying the need for the current study.
• Methodology : A detailed description of the research design, data collection, and analysis methods used in the study.
• Results : Presentation of the research findings, often accompanied by tables, figures, and charts.
• Discussion : Interpretation of the results, discussing their implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.
• Conclusion : A summary of the main findings and their significance, reiterating the importance of the study.

Academic Writing Styles

Academic writing can vary in style depending on the discipline and the type of writing. Common styles include :

• APA Style: Used primarily in the social sciences, focusing on author-date citation and a clear, straightforward presentation.
• MLA Style: Common in the humanities, emphasising author-page citation and often used in literature and language studies.
• Chicago Style: Used in history and some other disciplines, offering flexibility with either author-date or notes and bibliography citation formats.
• Harvard Style: Similar to APA, commonly used in various fields, known for its author-date citation format.

Each style has its own rules for formatting, citations, and references, which writers must adhere to ensure consistency and credibility.

Understanding academic writing is essential for students, researchers, and professionals engaged in scholarly work. It encompasses various types, each with a specific purpose, and follows a structured format to ensure clarity and coherence.

Academic writing is crucial for contributing to knowledge, developing critical skills, and achieving academic success. By mastering different academic writing styles and structures, writers can effectively communicate their ideas and research findings, advancing their field and fostering academic growth.

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Professional Proofreading Services

Proofed’s top-rated proofreading services help you complete your work with confidence, knowing the writing is error-free and flows well from start to finish.

Clear, Concise Writing

Our proofreading service is all about making sure you can communicate your meaning as clearly and effectively as possible. This makes it great for putting a final polish on your work. Whether you’re submitting an academic paper or publishing a book, our proofreaders have you covered.

What Our Proofreading Services Include

Our professional proofreading service includes the following:

• Correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors
• Tweaking sentences to ensure that they flow smoothly
• Adapting vocabulary to suit the document type and purpose
• Removing repetition and editing for concision
• Fixing inconsistencies, including in capitalisation and punctuation 
• Highlighting unclear sentences and suggesting corrections
• Where applicable, checking that citations and references are clear and correct

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing

A Dedicated Team Of Expert Editors Working 24/7, 365 Days A Year

We pair you with the perfect proofreader based on your document type and subject matter. This ensures that you’re always matched with an editor ideally suited to your writing.

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How We Work

Lightning-fast delivery.

You’ll never miss a deadline with our speedy services: our Next-Day Guarantee means we’ll return any document up to 8,000 words long within 24 hours.

And if you need a faster turnaround, simply select your desired delivery speed when you submit your document. We have three options:

We can also meet custom deadlines! Just let us know what you need. 

* For documents up to 8,000 words

** For documents up to 3,000 words

Great Pricing

Our pricing is affordable and transparent – the cost is based on the exact length of your document. Check out our pricing calculator for an instant quote, and rest assured that you’ll receive the highest quality proofreading and editing for the best value on the market.

All Major Formats

Our system supports over 15 document formats, making it easy to submit content for proofreading and editing. Click the link below to find out more about how we’ll work with your document.

Learn More About Formats

Subject-Matter Experts

Our team of over 750 professional editors includes experts on thousands of topics. As a result, we can pair you with the perfect proofreader for your writing, no matter the subject.

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Our support team is available around the clock to address any concerns or questions you have about your order. This means you’ll never be left in the dark, no matter where you are or what time it is.

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Proofreading vs Copy Editing

You may have heard both of these terms, but how are they different? Technically, copy editing differs from proofreading in the traditional sense. In the old days:

• ‘Proofreading’ meant checking a printed proof. This ‘proof’ was an early version of a typeset text, so all a proofreader would do is look for typos.
• ‘Copy editing’ was the last step in the editing process before a text was typeset. It usually involved editing a document so that it followed a specific style guide.

This distinction is looser with most modern proofreading services. For example, we combine traditional proofreading with some elements of copy editing. But proofreading is always about making minor changes.

Need Editing?

If you’re looking for more extensive changes to your writing, we also offer an editing service.

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Daily Writing Tips

Breakthrough copyediting and proofreading light.

Hello, and welcome to Breakthrough Copyediting and Proofreading Light, your simple gateway to learning and mastering the essentials of proofreading, which will lay the foundation for a rewarding career in editing and writing.

This smaller and more streamlined version of our full comprehensive course is designed for those who just want to dip their toes into the world of proofreading without committing to the full course’s cornucopia of knowledge.  

What You’ll Gain

• Enhanced Writing Skills: Learn to write more clearly and correctly, a skill that pays dividends in both personal and professional worlds.
• A Foundation for Editing: This course is your first step towards a career in editing or proofreading, offering the essential skills you need to begin.
• Increased Confidence: Gain confidence in your writing and editing abilities, knowing you can produce work of high quality.
• Time Efficiency: Save time on editing and proofreading by learning to avoid common mistakes.
• Professional Development: Keep your written communication at its best, which is a must in today’s professional world.

This course addresses the critical problem of lacking confidence and competence in grammar and common writing errors. If you’ve felt anxious about your writing skills, overwhelmed by the intricacies of grammar, or frustrated by the errors that slip through, this course is for you.

It offers a concise, targeted way to brush up on the basics, ensuring you’re equipped with the skills necessary for proofreading, editing, or enhancing your written work.

Take a Step Toward More

Breakthrough Copyediting and Proofreading Light is a comprehensive course in its own right, but it also serves as a perfect introduction to our full course. A taste tester, if you will.

If you’re looking to turn your newfound skills into a career, the full course offers additional modules that really dig into the lessons, course certification, comprehensive practice essays, and opportunities to actually work with us at Daily Writing Tips!

Consider this light version as step number one toward a career you’ll surely love, with the option to dive deeper when you’re ready. Join us and lay the foundation for a future where you make words shine.

When you’re ready, email us at [email protected] for a discount on the full Breakthrough Copyediting and Proofreading course.

Course Content

Essay Grammar and Punctuation Proofreading

£20-250 gbp, about the project, place your bid, benefits of bidding on freelancer.

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Paper Formatting

Paper formatting for a perfect layout.

Get support from our Paper Formatting experts and avoid losing points when submitting your work.

What we offer:

• accurate text formatting
• a consistent page structure
• uniform lists, tables, and figures

Add value with professional Paper Formatting

The appearance of your text is just as important as the content. A clear structure and layout can help make a lasting impression.

Our Paper Formatting experts will ensure consistent formatting and adapt the following:

Table of contents and other lists

• Page and heading numbering
• Paragraph formatting
• Font style, color, and size using style sheets

Formatting and labeling of tables and figures

Custom formatting in microsoft word.

We create automatic lists for content, figures, and tables for you.

Page numbering

Choose between Roman and Arabic page numbers and determine where they should start.

Consistent formatting of paragraphs

Line spacing, paragraph formatting, and potential indentations can be adjusted upon request.

Font type, color, and size based on style sheets

We create templates for headings, subtitles, and text for easy application.

We arrange graphics in the text, label them, and create the indexes for them.

Which formatting style should you choose?

Every layout is individually adapted to your requirements. To best fit your needs, choose between the Scribbr-style formatting or the APA formatting .

If you choose the Scribbr-style formatting, we follow your individual desired requirements, and if you choose APA, we will follow the APA guidelines. If your university follows APA guidelines, check out our APA editing options .

For either option, your formatting expert will use smart formatting tools that will allow for easy adjustments later on. Our expert team edits several hundred pages each week, and can help you use Microsoft Word with ease. Choose the style that fits your needs, and we will do the rest!

Scribbr-style or APA Paper Formatting

Scribbr paper formatting, $1.95 per page.

Choose this style for:

• personalized formatting following your requirements
• a clean and coherent layout

APA Paper Formatting

• formatting following APA 7th guidelines
• learning from the edits your expert provides

Perfect Formatting in 3 Steps

Upload work

Upload your work and choose your deadline: same day, 1 day, 3 days or 1 week.

Select areas

Let us know in which areas you would like to see your format improved.

Get formatted work

You will then receive the corrected and formatted document back from us.

“Always happy to do it again.”

I received excellent feedback in a timely manner. I incorporated most of the suggestions and changes both in regards to my paper’s layout, punctuation, and content. The team is super friendly and helpful and I highly recommend Scribbr’s service.

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Frequently asked questions

When performing the Scribbr-style Paper Formatting Service, your Scribbr expert will:

• Font type, size and color
• Indentation of paragraphs
• Line spacing
• Text alignment
• Spacing before and after a paragraph of headings
• Add page numbers in either Arabic or Roman style
• Add, remove, and/or fix heading numbering. This depends on your request.
• Update or generate a Table of Contents
• Update or generate a List of Tables and Figures
• Check your captions for tables and figures, and automate them

The Scribbr-style Paper Formatting Service does not include the following:

• Applying university guidelines from an additional document
• Creating a title page from scratch
• Editing the contents of tables. We can only check the format, not the content.
• Creating the content of the captions for tables and figures.
• Moving tables or figures around in the document

If you want to book the APA-style Paper Formatting service, please refer to this article .

The aim of the Paper Formatting service, both for Scribbr-style and APA-style, is to create a consistent layout that looks clean and coherent. To achieve this, we follow the information you provide during the upload process of your document, as well as standard academic guidelines.

To ensure that your formatting expert translates your wishes correctly, please indicate the following things in your booking:

• The editing style (APA or Scribbr-style)
• Font size and type
• Paragraph indentation
• Text alignment (left aligned or justified)
• Format of page numbering (arabic or roman numbers)
• If you want a Table of Contents, and/or a list of tables/figures

Please note that, for the APA style, we focus on checking and perfecting your document rather than implementing the style from scratch.

Choose APA style , if you strictly want or need to follow APA guidelines. APA provides clear guidelines as to how to format a paper. Here’s an overview of this style:

• APA is most frequently used by writers and students in social sciences, business, and nursing
• Used in academic journals
• the font must be selected from a specific list
• the text must be left-aligned and double-spaced
• headings must be formatted in a very specific way
• tables have a set format
• Edits are made with the track changes function, so you can learn from your formatting expert

Choose Scribbr-style , if you want our editors to tidy up your own formatting. Here’s an overview of this style:

• This is a custom formatting style based on your preferences
• pick your favourite font (type, size, colour)
• justify your text
• personalize your headings (size, colour, etc.)´
• select a style for page numbering
• Tables won’t be adjusted in content, but captions will be formatted
• Edits are made directly without the track changes function
• Read more about what this service includes, here.

Please note: If your paper mostly follows APA guidelines, but you want to tweak some elements (e.g., you want numbered headings), choose Scribbr-style.

Yes, you can. We have made the upload process easy for your convenience.

During the upload process, we will ask you a number of questions about your requirements or wishes. All you have to do is select the option that you prefer. For example, we will ask you about your desired fonts, line spacing, indentation, page numbers, and more.

You have the choice of filling in individual preferences, or selecting “ Scribbr can choose for me “. If you pick the latter, we will apply our default style to reach a clear and clean layout.

You also have the option to add additional thoughts and wishes into a separate text box.

This depends on your order. If you book the Paper Formatting service as a standalone service, you can indicate which pages you’d like to have formatted during the upload process.

If you book the Paper Formatting service together with the Proofreading & Editing service, we will format all the pages of your document.

Generally speaking, we recommend getting your entire document formatted, as our experts will make sure that the document is neat and consistent in its layout.