Advantages of correct drafting and editing as an author, and how to do it

Book proofreading services UK can prove valuable for authors, writers, and academics, especially during the drafting process of their manuscript. The purpose of this article is to describe the drafting process, to examine its benefits, and to outline the role of editing and proofreading services in drafting and publishing written work.

The first stage of the drafting process involves deleting material. It is a difficult phase, especially when working with a proofreader or editor, but experienced editors will preserve your authorial voice. During this stage, you should return to the start of your document and then proceed through each sentence while you check for repetition, errors, or sentences that lack concision (i.e., that could be re-written to shorten them, without losing any meaning). Many people find it helpful to print out a copy of their writing at this point. One of the main reasons for this is to avoid straining one’s eyes at the computer screen, as well as to enhance error-spotting on paper.

The second stage of the drafting process is to rewrite material. In the first stage, you are likely to have found many areas where, for example, the same thing could be said in a more succinct or precise way. Therefore, by rewriting these phrases, sentences, or passages, you can help your reader to follow your argument, improve your document’s overall flow, and enhance the structure and readability of the text. Using editing and proofreading services at this stage can allow a fresh, well-trained pair of eyes to check over the sentences you are unsure about. Professional paraphrasing services, which are available at companies such as Proofessor.co.uk, can also be invaluable during this stage.

The third stage of the drafting process is concerned with double checking everything. When you have finished the previous stage – that is, rewriting material – the manuscript is likely to look significantly different compared to when you started. For this reason, it is necessary to start from the beginning of your document (or, at this point, potentially the end), and work either forwards (from the start) or backwards (from the end) to check that everything has been properly finished. Reference formatting, document formatting, and general language editing are critical factors to consider during this stage.

When the third stage is finished, the final stage – in this case, the last check – begins. While an editing service is valuable during the rewriting and initial check stages, working with a proofreader can be much more useful at the final check. This is because most of the major areas for improvement will already have been identified at this point by the editor, or by yourself. The final check allows any hard-to-spot typographical, punctuation, or spelling errors to be caught before the document is used. When it is undertaken systematically, drafting with professional editors and proofreaders can greatly improve your document’s readability and effectiveness, as well as your chances of publication.