ProsePro Proofreading

When conventional English matters

Sometimes it matters a lot. Don’t let anyone dismiss your perspective because of grammar and spelling errors. 

JD Stillwater is an English writing geek. He actually researches things like when to use an em dash as opposed to an en dash. He can catch things most word processors can’t, like when it’s proper to use “its,” and whether quotation marks go before or after punctuation. He can also make editing suggestions for flow, readability, passive voice, etc. 

Once, JD found so many errors on a restaurant menu that he called it to the waiter’s attention. He was trying to be helpful. The waiter was a bit taken aback, but the manager gave JD a free dessert (cherry cheescake—yum!). [That was an em dash, by the way.]

 

They were grateful because the owner is an immigrant, doing her best, and glad to have the help with her professional image.

 

That story raises an important point: Conventional English is just that—conventional. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to speak or write any language. There is only “conventional,” as in, “accepted, agreed-upon, usual.” Languages evolve; what’s conventional now will change.

 

Judging or dismissing someone because of spelling errors is a kind of prejudice, snobbery, or outright racism.

 

JD’s proofreading skills can help you avoid such prejudice. JD wishes it weren’t necessary. 

How It Works

Simple: 

  1. You contact JD, alerting him to your project (approximate length, purpose, timeline, preferred way to communicate, preferred editing software);
  2. JD responds with his contact info for those preferences (or his inability to do it on the ten-minute deadline you gave him 😇);
  3. You send or share your manuscript to JD; 
  4. JD copies it and starts work;
  5.  JD lets you know when it’s done; you send payment; JD gives you access to his work. 
  6. There is as much back-and-forth as you’d like to refine your work. This is an additional charge (see below). 

I offer two different services; please be clear which you want when contacting me.

 

For editing, I charge $45 per hour in 10-minute increments ($7.50 per ten minutes). An initial consult is free, including a demonstration of my work. Editing includes style, making passive voice active, writing in your unique voice, consistency of tense, suggesting more flavorful verbs, etc. A full menu of tools to make your writing really shine. 

 

For simple proof-reading, I charge a penny per word, which is about $5 per single-spaced 12-point page. This will not include any editing, only spelling, punctuation, and grammar. If I find very few errors, I will give a discount at my discretion. If the errors are extreme (more than 20% of the text), I will refuse the work or inform you that it will cost more. Save money by getting your work as close to convention as you can before sending.