Professional Editing and Proofreading Offered by a Service Provider

There has always been a strong demand for editing and proofreading services, but online proofreading services in particular have grown massively in popularity over the last decade. With the proliferation of service providers available on the Internet, a key question that has emerged is whether you can ensure that your proofreader or editor is reliable and effective. As a matter of fact, is there anything you can do to increase the likelihood that you receive a satisfying service?

Well, there are quite a few things you can – and should! – be doing. The main thread that links together all the strategies you can adopt to increase your chances of receiving the strongest editing and proofreading services is the variable of “professionalism”. In short, your aim should be to find a professional proofreader or editor because, when you do, you are extremely likely to have a satisfying outcome, and the readability of your written work will improve dramatically.

But what exactly is a professional proofreader or editor? And how can you find one?

There is no universal or institutionalised definition for the terms “professional” or “professionalism”, and depending on the context, these may mean different things. For example, one might refer to their friend as a “professional gloom-monger”, which is – of course – not a flattering description. This contrasts, however, with the main usages of these terms, which commonly refer to individuals who have a high level of competence, skill, and assurance in a particular area (e.g., law, medicine, or document editing). Professionals are also people who engage in a particular activity (e.g., proofreading) as their main paid occupation (i.e., a professional as opposed to an amateur).

In editing and proofreading services, then, a professional proofreading services provider is an individual (i.e., freelancer) or group (i.e., proofreading agency) with specific and proven expertise in this area. Moreover, professional editing and proofreading services are provided by individuals or groups that do this for a living, and – as such – are likely to have received dedicated training in order to provide these services effectively. This is strikingly dissimilar to an individual or group that provides these services part-time, has not received any training or accreditation, and which potentially lacks competence and skill in this field.

Finding a professional person or group to provide proofreading services, therefore, relies on identifying someone who satisfies the above criteria. For example, if you ask your friend to check over your essay before you submit it, this would not be classed as professional work, and so the standard of the work completed is not likely to be high. By contrast, having your document checked out by an established freelancer with decades of experience would be classed as professional work, and although you would need to pay for this service, you can expect the standard to be high.

Ultimately, it is you who must decide whether or not a professional revision of your written work is required before you use it or publish it. If you decide against hiring a professional, please remember to have a final examination of your document before you submit it. And likewise, if you choose to go with a professional, whether a freelancer or a proofreading company, it is well worth vetting them first and accurately determining the value they can add to your important document.