Proofreading
A final pass for typos, punctuation, grammar and obvious consistency issues after the writing and editing are settled.
Best when the manuscript is already edited and close to layout or publication.
Book editing & proofreading
Make every page clearer. Keep your voice.
A finished manuscript can still carry repetition, uneven phrasing and small errors. I review what the book actually needs, then edit for clarity, consistency and reading flow without flattening the person behind it.
What gets attention
The words and the whole reading experience.
- Clarity
- Sentences that carry the intended meaning without asking readers to work around them.
- Consistency
- Names, terms, tense, punctuation and choices that stay coherent across chapters.
- Voice
- Changes shaped by the book’s purpose and the way its author actually speaks.
Scope based on a manuscript sample
Editorial decisions explained
Written quote before work begins
Choose the right level
Editing is not one single pass.
I recommend the service after reading a representative sample. A light proofread will not solve a manuscript that needs sentence work, and a fuller edit should not be sold when the text only needs final checks.
Copyediting
Sentence-level corrections for grammar, clarity, usage, consistency and awkward passages, with attention to the author’s meaning.
Best when the structure is in place but the prose needs a more careful pass.
Line editing
Closer attention to flow, rhythm, repetition, tone and how each passage sounds while retaining the author’s intent.
The amount of rewriting and review is defined after a sample assessment.
Anonymized client project
The story was strong. The edit made room for it.
In a recent memoir and personal growth manuscript, the author’s lived experience and recurring metaphors gave the book its identity. The editorial assessment found that some repeated themes and broad statements were getting in the way of the more personal moments.
What needed attention
Ideas about healing and progress returned in similar language. Some passages sounded more formulaic than the author’s firsthand account.
Editorial approach
Tighten unneeded repetition, vary sentence patterns and bring sweeping claims back to the author’s own experience, while keeping the book’s metaphors and reader framework.
What the author received
An edited manuscript and an overall editorial assessment explaining the main strengths, recurring issues and decisions behind the edit.
A second memoir project
Every change stays visible.
A life-story manuscript called for hands-on sentence editing across its chapters. The supplied Word file contains tracked insertions and deletions throughout, making individual wording and punctuation changes reviewable by the author.
It is an example of working directly in a manuscript while keeping its first-person perspective and personal chronology in view.
Both examples are anonymized. No client names or manuscript passages are reproduced here.
Want to see a sentence-level example?
The homepage includes a short fictional before-and-after copyediting demonstration. It illustrates the type of changes an edit can make; it is separate from the real projects described above.
Working together
Start with the manuscript you have.
You do not need to diagnose your own editing level before reaching out.
Send a sample
Tell me the genre, word count, current stage and deadline. A representative excerpt helps me assess the scope.
Agree on the edit
Receive a written recommendation, price, schedule, deliverables and revision terms before work starts.
Review the work
Read the edited file and any agreed editorial notes, ask questions and decide on the next production step.
Starting prices · USD
A quote that fits the manuscript.
Genre, condition, word count and the depth of editing affect the final price. I confirm the level after reviewing a sample.
ProofreadingFrom $0.012 per word
CopyeditingFrom $0.020 per word
Line editingQuoted after sample review
Proofreading has a $180 project minimum. Formatting, cover design and publishing setup are separate unless your written quote combines them.
For planning, proofreading or copyediting up to 50,000 words commonly takes 7–12 or 10–20 business days respectively. Your schedule is confirmed in the agreement.
Common questions
Before the edit begins.
Will you change how I sound?
The aim is to make your intended meaning clearer while preserving your voice. The sample review and scope help us agree how much intervention is appropriate.
Can you edit an AI-assisted draft?
Yes, if you have the rights to the material. Such drafts can need more work on repetition, factual accuracy, consistency and voice, so I review a sample before quoting.
Do you also format the book?
Yes. Editing and formatting are distinct stages. We can quote them together, but the manuscript should be settled before the print or EPUB layout begins.
What should I send first?
Your word count, genre, a representative sample, desired deadline and a note about what worries you most in the draft. I will recommend a realistic next step.
Let the manuscript sound like itself, at its best.
Share the book’s stage and a sample. I will recommend the level of editing it needs and give you a clear quote.
Discuss my manuscriptPrefer email? Write to Adetayo.