It is important to get your written work edited by an expert or an online proofreading service if you want to achieve writing success. This is essential despite the fact that spell checks are included in all major word processing software and all online editing tools. We’ve previously seen how both can improve your writing in different ways.
You’ll be overwhelmed with options if you do a simple search for online editing services. So, how do you pick the best one for the job? Before you pick one, ask yourself the following questions:
- Will they handle your work fairly and do it justice?
- What qualifies them to edit academic papers?
- Why should they be the first to read your manuscript?
- How would they assist you in making your story a bestseller?
Let’s take a look at some lesser-known facts about proofreading services online. This will also help in your decision-making since there are hundreds to select from.
Let’s get started:
1. Before You Ruin it, Double-Check it
All of the top online proofreading services offer a free sample edit to show you how the task is done. This is a useful feature since it allows you to estimate the value of your whole document before sending it to be reviewed.
What to check for in your free sample edit:
- Are all of the changes kept track of?
- Have they left detailed feedback and suggestions?
- How long do you think it will take them to process the document?
Also, many online proofreading services provide free rounds of changes after the first round of editing.
2. Location of the Service
Naturally, many services are based in nations where English is the native language. The majority of online proofreading services are situated in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia.
They house not just the greatest English speakers, but also highly educated experts who are familiar with the language’s technicalities, which may be confusing even to native speakers of the language.
3. Customer Reviews
Client support is high with online proofreading services. Users frequently have questions about the pricing, types of services, and turnaround time before choosing in to move further, therefore they must give round-the-clock support.
If they are unhappy with the way the document has turned out, they return for the second round of revisions, specifying what they want to be changed.
4. Pricing
Each service provider has a unique set of skills. Some people excel at editing books, while others excel at proofreading dissertations and thesis.
Only a few take pride in formatting resumes, and TrueEditors excels at all of them. (Seems like, we never miss an opportunity to humblebrag.) As a result, pricing varies slightly depending on the strength of each.
Discounts, free sample edits, revisions, and other perks are common among online proofreading services. However, don’t settle for a poor proofreading service simply because the price is inexpensive. Take advantage of the free sample edit – you have nothing to lose!
5. Keep in Mind that Proofreading and Editing is Completely Different
Many people believe they are the same thing. However, there is a clear difference between editing and proofreading. Those are two distinct services, each requiring a unique set of skills, and they are also priced accordingly.
What an editor does
- Ensure that the language, tone, and style is consistent.
- Examine the logical flow of your ideas.
- Correct spelling and grammar are essential.
- Assess that the work is readable.
- Facts and figures should be double-checked.
- Ensure that the work is easier to read.
- Remove any obvious mistakes.
Proofreaders go through the final copy of the text with a fine-tooth comb, highlighting and correcting mistakes. All of the mistakes are underlined and denoted by the relevant symbols. At this stage, no rewriting is being done.
Proofreaders put the finishing touches on the copy-edited document.
What a proofreader does
- Correct and consistent spelling and style
- There are no errors in the page numbers, headings, or captions.
- The photographs and illustrations are well-organized and labelled.
- Maintain proper usage of language (British or American English), punctuation, grammar, abbreviations, and acronyms throughout the work.
- Fix inconsistent formatting.
Proofreading is a simple procedure that comprises correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, and other issues. It is the last clinical correction and polishing of your paper, and it is usually done at the conclusion.
6. The Scope
Another frequent misconception is that only authors and students use online proofreading services. That is only a majority of the clients. We’ve worked with customers from all walks of life, editing resumes and CVs for job seekers, formatting film scripts, reviewing text for comics, and processing business papers, among other things.
Conclusion
If you have a written document, online proofreading services will undoubtedly assist you in improving it.
There is a plethora of sites for free online proofreading, but using them might really harm the quality of your work. We need to look at how free online services work in order to understand why this is the case.
To begin with, these services are almost certainly automated, which means they rely on computers rather than humans to detect and rectify errors. To differentiate these ‘mistakes,’ they use an algorithm, which is essentially a set of rules.
This is where accuracy fails since the algorithm cannot account for the text’s contextual background or the tone you’re trying to establish.
When you examine the context of your content, mistakes may go unnoticed on the net, or the machine may identify faults that aren’t actually errors. It has no idea who your target audience is or what you’re attempting to say to them. It’s a little problematic.
Free online platforms may be useful if you’re searching for something similar to Microsoft Word’s spell checker, just to point out obvious spelling or punctuation errors. The bulk of grammar errors, such as tense issues or poor sentence form, will go unnoticed.
-Isabell S.
