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Why do I need a proofreader when my computer has a spellchecker? |
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Spellcheckers (and grammar checkers) can help writers, but they cannot guarantee that your writing is error-free. Far too often, spellcheckers fail to flag words that are used incorrectly (e.g. "goal" instead of "gaol" or "though" instead of "through"), and it can be embarrassing if a text is published with these mistakes. It is always wise to check documents for mistakes, especially if you know you need help with writing or if English isn't your first language. |
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What�s the difference between proofreading and copy editing? |
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Proofreading
involves detecting and correcting basic errors such as:
- spelling (including changing US spelling to UK/NZ),
- grammar,
- punctuation,
- wrong fonts or styles in the wrong place, or
- wrong captions in the wrong place.
Copy editing involves all of the above and also:
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preparing chapter titles, indices, contents pages and/or running heads,
- correcting or re-writing sentences to make them clear and understandable
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- setting headings at the correct level,
- writing/rewriting captions
- rewriting awkward sentences so they are easier to read and understand, or
- checking that material isn’t potentially racist, sexist, libellous or otherwise offensive.
It’s up
to you to choose which level of help you’d like. |
Since beginning Leaf It To Me, I have worked as an editor and/or proofreader on a wide range of projects. My clients have included the research department of a government organisation (Land Transport New Zealand), university researchers and three very different specialist magazines (for a full list, please contact me).
With such a diverse range of editing and proofreading clients, I have had to become very adaptable in applying house styles and learning technical vocabularies. Whatever your speciality, I'll be able to cater to your needs.
I have also written feature articles for magazines and created website content for a number of sites from aroud the world. |
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Proofreading
costs NZ$30/hour; copy editing costs NZ$40/hour. All prices are
exclusive of GST (if you are not New Zealand-based, then GST does not apply to you). I charge per hour rather than per 1000 words for editing and proofreading, as
some proofreaders and editors do, because you never know how much editing work will need
to be done. And don’t worry – I’m pretty quick as well as
thorough.
Leaf It To Me has a negotiable rate for writing website content, which can be either on an hourly or a per word basis. Charges for writing web content are around US$5-$10 (NZ$6-$12 plus GST) for most articles.
Payment can be made via direct deposit (online banking, cheque, cash and via PayPal.
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How do I get work to be checked to you and how do I get it back? |
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I can send
and receive hard copy, Microsoft Word documents and pdf files. Most people prefer to send documents to be edited electronically. For more
details, contact me and we’ll take it from there.
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Apart from giving you the document to work on, what other input do I need to give you? |
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There are
one or two areas in style that don’t have fixed rules (unlike
spelling), so you get to state your preferences when you get your document edited. Then it’s up to
me to ensure that the style you’ve selected is used consistently
throughout your document. Do you prefer to write dates as “December
25th”, “25th December” or “December the
25th”? Do you prefer en dashes (between phrases - like
this) or em dashes (between phrases—like this)? The choice is
yours. Of course, I also check with you before making any changes
permanent in case you’ve been doing something on purpose for
effect, like my “spellchecker” sentence in Question 1.
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I've seen another Christchurch-based company called Leaf It To Me. Is this anything to do with you? |
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Yes, Leaf It To Me Proofreading and Editing does know about the "other" Christchurch Leaf It To Me. This is my sister organisation, a gardening and landscaping business run by my husband. If you have done a Google search for this company, then he can be contacted through this site or by telephone (see the Contact page). |
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FAQ