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“The reason to stand up for punctuation is that
without it there is no reliable way of communicating meaning.”
– Lynne Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves

A little care leaves a great impression

We all have a story to tell – perhaps it’s a novel or short story, a blog or an article. Whatever the format, ensuring your work is polished and error-free goes a long way to creating a great impression, especially when readers are so quick to judge.

At NoTypos, I offer a professional and confidential proofreading and copy-editing service. Your work will be treated with the care, respect, and close attention it deserves. Projects are completed in a time-sensitive and reliable manner. 

Your documents will not be copied, shared, or stored (post-completion) without your permission.  

Copy-editing and proofreading are quite different stages in the publishing process

Both roles require a particular skill set and focus on specific areas of your writing.

What does copy-editing involve?

Copy-editing looks at cohesion, flow, and accuracy within the text. I check grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation while also looking at technical consistency throughout your manuscript:

  • Are names spelt correctly?
  • Is capitalization used properly?
  • Is the document in US or UK English, and is this maintained?
  • Are all fonts the same? 

I also check for continuity of character descriptions, scene settings, and plot lines, and I may improve phrasing and organization to help your writing be more effective and fluid.

  • Is the copy clear?
  • Does it make sense and flow well?
  • Is anything missing or repeated?
  • Does the subject-verb agreement work?

I will also point out gender/racial bias and check for plagiarism.

I will respect your voice, writing style, and creativity throughout this process. However, I won’t comprehensively rewrite or restructure your work. If you need a heavier hand to help guide your writing (looking at the big picture: character and plot development, creative content, writing style, or narrative), I can put you in touch with an editor who can help.

What does proofreading involve?

Proofreading is usually the final stage on the road to publishing and takes place after your document has been edited. When proofreading, I focus on finding mechanical errors in punctuation, spelling, grammar, consistency, and formatting. For example:

  • Are commas, apostrophes, hyphens, semicolons, and other punctuation marks used correctly?
  • Are quotes formatted properly?
  • Is the line spacing correct?
  • Do chapter headings and numbers match the table of contents?
  • Do illustrations, tables, and figures match their captions? 

Apart from fixing incorrect words (e.g. ‘your’ instead of ‘you’re’, ‘piqued’ instead of ‘peaked’), I will not edit your content – your words and sentence structure remain unaltered.

Note: While I aim to flag elements that may require copyright permissions, I am not responsible for complying with copyright laws or getting the necessary permission to use text, graphics, photos, music or song lyrics, designs, trademarks, or other created work in your document.

Rates

Each piece of writing is as individual as its author, so my quote will be tailored to suit your unique project.

Give me a call so we can chat about your work and see how I can help with proofreading or copy-editing or both. We can also discuss other important factors, such as your timeframes, writing style, genre, and intended audience. It’s important to let me know of any urgent deadlines you may have, so I can confirm availability and ensure your targets can be met.  

I’ll then get you to email through your document, and I’ll do a free sample edit from a selection of text (between 500 and 1,000 words) so we can see if we are a good fit.

If you’re happy with the sample edit, I’ll send you a quote based on the length, scope, nature, urgency, and grammatical quality of your work. 

Please note that a student discount can be arranged.

An international advantage

As NoTypos is based in New Zealand, international clients can take advantage of the different time zones and have their content processed overnight. I am comfortable with both UK and US English and use location-appropriate dictionaries and style guides, such as The Chicago Manual of Style or New Oxford Style Manual, to inform changes and maintain consistency.

Yes, I'd like a quote for my project

I can't thank Mel enough for the work she did on my article. I realised copywriting is very skilful and that it is worth engaging with a skilled professional like Mel. She added creativity to my piece, editing my waffle but maintaining my voice. I was very happy with the final piece.

Victoria Brookbank
Mindful Community

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