First, please contact me at michelleonebluepen@gmail.com or by using the contact form on this website. Please include information such as the type of document, word count, and your desired timeline.

Typically, I also ask my clients to send me about 5 pages of their document, which I will proofread and/or edit for free. This will give me the opportunity to evaluate which service would benefit you most. After I work through your document, I will send you a free quote of my services.

Once you accept the quote, I will send a letter of agreement. I will also send an invoice for 50% of the total fee. When you sign and return the letter and submit the deposit, I can begin work on your document.

I require the remaining 50% upon completion of my work.

Proofreading occurs at the final stage before publication. This is when the proofreader goes over the document with a fine-tooth comb to find errors such as typos, grammatical mistakes, and other inconsistencies. The proofreader works on the proofs of the document, which show what the document will look like in print.

Copyediting involves improving the document at a deeper level. In addition to checking for surface errors, a copyeditor checks for clarity, structure, and flow. A copyeditor also advises the writer on the style and tone of the document. For example, an academic article will require a different tone from marketing material. A copy editor works on the copy of the text which the author wrote.

I accept payment through Paypal.

I never share your information or your document with a third party without your consent.

Yes, most of the time I am able to expedite your order, depending on the length of your document and my availability. The additional fee is usually up to 50% of the entire cost. Please contact me for a free quote.

Currently, in the US, there is no certification or licensing process for proofreaders and copy editors. For that reason, it is important to hire someone with training. For proofreading, I have earned a certificate of completion in General Proofreading: Theory and Practice by Proofread Anywhere. For copy editing, I have earned a certificate of completion from ACES: Society for Editing and Poynter Institute of Journalism. Both courses require students to pass an exam to earn the certificate.

I can edit using Microsoft Word Track Changes, Googledocs, and Adobe Acrobat. I can also edit a webpage if it can be saved as a Word document.

There are many reasons to hire a proofreader or copy editor:

• Spellcheck doesn’t catch all the errors. It does not catch errors in word usage. For example, it does not check to see if soundalike and lookalike words (e.g. “imminent” and “immanent”; “pole” and “poll”) are used correctly.
• A proofreader understands rules of style (like Chicago Manual of Style), which is especially important in fields like academia. A style book provides guidelines for things like quotations, capitalization, and citations.
•  A professional proofreader can save time by taking care of the minutiae and by giving the writers the time to concentrate on the content of their work.
• A professional proofreader can save money. If a product with an error goes out on the shelves, recalling and fixing it is a costly process.
• Have you ever noticed an error in a book or other material? How did that affect your impression of the author? How did it affect your understanding of the text? An error can affect the writer’s credibility; worse yet, it can mislead readers to believe something different than what the writer intended.