Book proofreading before you go to print

What proofreading catches

Even well-edited books pick up small errors along the way, often introduced during later revisions or layout. A proofread is a final, line-by-line pass that looks for:

• Spelling mistakes and typos
• Missing or doubled words
• Punctuation and quotation mark errors
• Inconsistent spelling, capitalisation and hyphenation
• Formatting issues such as widows, orphans, wrong fonts and page number errors
• Mismatches between the contents page, headings and chapter titles

Proofreading is not editing

Proofreading assumes your manuscript has already been edited. It fixes errors on the surface rather than reshaping sentences or structure. If your book has not had a structural or line edit, we will tell you honestly, because a proofread alone will not fix pacing, clarity or flow.

When to proofread

The best time to proofread is after editing and after your interior has been formatted. That way the proofreader checks the pages exactly as readers will see them, including layout problems that only appear once the text is set.

Australian, British or US English

We proofread to the spelling and style your book uses, and keep it consistent from the first page to the last.