 |
 |
 |
 |
| November 21st, 2008 |  |
 |
 |
Email your Word or PDF files to your proofreader now at
hello@proofreading
resources.co.uk
or call
0845 200 7830
Your proofreading resources
Freelance proofreading, contract proofreading and advice on your writing and written materials.
When you need to ensure that your marketing material is ready to print or distribute, we can proofread your brochures, customer newsletters, sales letters, white papers and web sites.
When you host an event, we can proofread your handouts, presentations and speeches.
When you need to communicate in the media, we can proofread your case studies, feature articles, news articles and press releases.
When you need to communicate internally, we can proofread your employee communications, reports and reference manuals.
We can advise on developing your organisation's corporate style and train you and your people to write effectively for business.
We can also write and edit your material.
Whatever proofreading and editorial help you require, we can apply our skills and experience for your benefit.
Email your Word or PDF files to your proofreader now by emailing us or calling 0845 200 7830
Free assessment by a freelance proofreader *
To sample how a freelance proofreader can help you, send us a short passage from your text and we'll provide a free assessment of what editing or proofreading it requires – see terms and conditions.
Example projects
You can also see examples of recent proofreading assignments we have completed.
where to begin when you need a professional proofreader
Below are the answers to immediate questions you may have about using a freelance proofreader – click on a question to go to the answer.
If you have any further questions about how our proofreaders can help you, please call us on 0845 200 7830 or email hello@proofreadingresources.co.uk for us to answer them.
Your proofreading questions answered
- Which areas of the UK do Zarywacz's freelance proofreaders cover?
- How do we charge for proofreading?
- What value do you get from proofreading?
- Can we guarantee confidentiality?
- How do we proofread for you?
- How do we start proofreading projects?
- How do we meet your proofreading deadlines?
- How do we receive texts for proofreading?
- How do we mark up texts that we proofread?
- What do we mark up on texts that we proofread?
- What writing style do we recommend?
- What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
- What if your proofreading requirements change?
- What subject areas do we specialise in proofreading?
- Do we have experience of proofreading web sites?
- Who are our clients?
- Do we proofread academic and research texts?
- Do we do anything else apart from proofreading?
- Do we offer a free proofreading assessment?
- Further proofreading questions
1. Which areas of the UK do Zarywacz's freelance proofreaders cover?
We proofread for clients all across the UK, using telephone and email. Where viable, we can travel from our offices in Berkshire and Devon to meet clients in most UK towns or cities. Generally, our proofreaders can travel to the following areas:
South East – London, Middlesex, Sussex, including Heathrow. Our associate proofreaders now cover Essex and Kent.
Midlands - Herefordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, covering Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick, Worcester.
Thames Valley - Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, covering Banbury, Basingstoke, Bracknell, Farnborough, Guildford, High Wycombe, Maidenhead, Milton Keynes, Oxford, Reading, Slough, Staines, Windsor, Wokingham.
South Wales - Gwent, Mid Glamorgan, covering Newport, Cardiff, Swansea.
South West - Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Wiltshire, covering Barnstaple, Bath, Bideford, Bristol, Exeter, Ilfracombe, Minehead, Penzance, Plymouth, Salisbury, Swindon, Taunton, Tiverton, Truro.
If we do not cover your area, we can proofread your text remotely or suggest an associate based near you.
back to proofreading questions
2. How do we charge for proofreading?
We always provide a quotation for you, so that you know what it will cost for us to proofread your project before we start. To prepare your quotation, please send us a sample page demonstrating the quality of writing so that we can estimate how much work is required.
We can charge:
- per project
- by the number of words we read
- by the time needed to read and check your text
It's your choice.
Payment terms are 30 days by cheque or BACS transfer. We are VAT-registered and 17.5% VAT is added to all prices.
back to proofreading questions
3. What value do you get from proofreading?
When you've spent hundreds or thousands of pounds on a copywriter to write your text, hundreds or thousands more on a designer to create a beautiful brochure, document or web site, and even more on high quality printing, your investment is rendered worthless if the first thing readers spot is a mistake.
Proofreading is likely to increase your production costs by just several percent, but will ensure that errors and mistakes do not cost you more.
Everyone makes mistakes when writing and typing, and it is almost impossible to check your own work. A proofreader's fresh pair of eyes will check for errors, mistakes and inconsistencies. Isn't it better that a proofreader feeds back comments that they can't understand a text so that you can improve it, rather than you send out thousands of copies of an unchecked text to customers who won't understand it?
back to proofreading questions
4. Can we guarantee confidentiality?
Often we are commissioned to read commercially sensitive or confidential material. We guarantee to maintain confidentiality when proofreading such material and are happy to sign non-disclosure agreements.
back to proofreading questions
5. How do we proofread for you?
We complete the majority of our projects remotely, using broadband internet connections to communicate with clients by email. Often we do not meet clients face-to-face due to distance or short timescales, although we build long-term relationships, because clients are happy with our work.
We work from our own offices in Wokingham, Berkshire and Ilfracombe, Devon and can easily visit clients where this is viable for all involved. We can also work at your offices by arrangement.
back to proofreading questions
6. How do we start proofreading projects?
We start by agreeing the brief to establish precisely what you want us to proofread and how you want us to do it. This will cover:
- the content of the document or web site
- the format of the text (eg newsletter article, report or web pages)
- medium (eg word processing file, PDF file, hard-copy printout or online screens)
- length of text (eg number of pages or words)
- deadline
- how you want us to check the text (eg your preferred style of writing)
- how you want us to mark the text (eg write on a printed copy or amend a computer file)
- how you want the marked-up material returned to you
back to proofreading questions
7. How do we meet your proofreading deadlines?
Ideally, we aim to schedule all projects so that all text is proofread and checked thoroughly with enough time left to make necessary amendments. If you have an urgent deadline you need to meet, we do everything possible to proofread your text as best we can in the time available.
back to proofreading questions
8. How do we receive texts for proofreading?
You can send us:
- computer files by email, eg Word or other word processing files, Adobe Acrobat PDF files
- hard-copy printouts by mail
- Internet addresses of web sites you want us to read
back to proofreading questions
9. How do we mark up texts that we proofread?
Our proofreaders can mark up your texts by:
- changing Word files with "track changes" turned on. This enables you to approve or reject suggested changes
- annotating Adobe Acrobat PDF files, so that you can decide whether you want to make the suggested changes
- typing up notes in a word processing document and emailing it to you
- noting changes by hand on printouts of your text and mailing these to you
back to proofreading questions
10. What do we mark up on texts that we proofread?
Zarywacz proofreaders mark up:
- incorrect spelling and suggest the correct spelling
- incorrect grammar and suggest how to correct this
- typographical errors and omissions
- lack of sense and suggest amendments
- lack of consistency, eg where there are two possible spellings of a word and both are used. We suggest using one or the other
- numbering systems, eg page or section numbers
- differences between a version of a document marked up for amendment and the version that has been amended - to ensure that all suggested changes have been made
back to proofreading questions
11. What writing style do we recommend?
We proofread according to the style of writing you prefer. There are more styles of written English than ever before, with some writers preferring modern styles which depend less on accepted rules and others sticking rigidly to these rules. We do not say that either view is right or wrong, as change is crucial to the development of the language. Before we start, our proofreaders aim to familiarise themselves with the style you prefer and ensure that your text is marked up accordingly.
back to proofreading questions
12. What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
Proofreading ensures that spellings and grammar are correct and that a text reads well and makes sense. Editing can involve altering the structure of a text and rewriting parts or all of it. Sometimes it becomes clear early on that a text requires substantial editing and rewriting and we will tell you if this is the case.
back to proofreading questions
13. What if your proofreading requirements change?
Because the brief is a set of precise instructions on which our quotation is based, we may need to re-quote if you alter your instructions after we have started. We try to be as flexible as possible, although need to charge for work we have already undertaken. Our aim is to provide you with high quality proofreading at a competitive price at all times.
back to proofreading questions
14. What subject areas do we specialise in proofreading?
We proofread texts on most busines subjects. Where specialised knowledge is required which we do not have (eg medical terms), we will advise you and will work to find an associate proofreader who has suitable knowledge. For academic proofreading see below.
Our proofreaders have experience of checking texts on: general business, education, insurance, IT, law, oil and gas, retail and telecommunications.
back to proofreading questions
15. Do we have experience of proofreading web sites?
Yes, our proofreaders can check web sites on screen.
back to proofreading questions
16. Who are our clients?
Our proofreaders have experience of checking text for many commercial and public sector organisations, including large UK retailers, international insurance companies, marketing companies, local authority education departments and small businesses – see a sample of recent proofreading assignments.
back to proofreading questions
17. Do we proofread academic and research texts?
We don't proofread them ourselves, although we work with specialists who do proofread academic and research texts, including essays, dissertations, theses and other works. Fields covered include:
- psychology
- medical and healthcare
- nursing
- social sciences
- other fields
back to proofreading questions
18. Do we do anything else apart from proofreading?
We can write text for you, edit your existing text, advise on writing and communications and manage an entire project, if you require.
back to proofreading questions
19. Do we offer a free proofreading assessment?
Email or send us a short passage from your text and, for no charge, we'll provide a general overview of what editing or proofreading it requires to make it suitable for publication. The free assessment terms and conditions are simple and straightforward:
- One free assessment is available per client organisation and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
- Offer restricted to UK businesses.
- The free assessment does not include topics that could be considered offensive.
- We reserve the right to refuse this offer without giving any reason.
- Please provide your name, title, organisation, telephone number and email address, along with details of the document to be assessed.
- Does not apply to academic texts or fiction. We proofread commercial material, although have associates who proofread academic texts.
To try us out, please call 0845 200 7830 or email hello@proofreadingresources.co.uk
back to proofreading questions
20. Further proofreading questions
We're happy to discuss your proofreading requirements with you and offer advice. We aim to offer you a friendly and professional service and build long-term relationships with clients, so that you know there are always reliable proofreaders on whom you can depend at the end of the phone or email.
Ask our advice
Call now on
0845 200 7830
or email
hello@proofreading
resources.co.uk
* One free assessment
per UK client organisation.
See terms and conditions.
Visit our online magazine for more news, opinions and practical information on proofreading.
Latest proofreading news
The value of accuracy - We all do it: jot things down, bang out an email or a blog. ...
Spelling criteria - What are the criteria for deciding how to use this word?
Spelling bureaucrat - Don't get tied up by the red tape of this B when tangling ...
Spelling accommodate - It’s helpful to remember that both verb and noun forms ...
How to work with a proofreader - The client, a business, called to ask how much it would ...
Zarywacz web sites
| Copywriting Resources |
| Editorial Resources |
| PR Resources |
| Writing Resources |
| Zarywacz |
|
|
| © Zarywacz 2003-2008 |
 |
see our main web site at www.z2z.com |