Let Me Introduce Myself
Hello, my name is Deborah Mulholand.
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Would you love to publish a self-help book that inspires your audience, activates their curiosity, and motivates them to change their future?
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Have you ever imagined the sheer delight of leading your readers on an epic, spellbinding journey around the corner or to distant lands unknown?
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Do you enjoy a thought-provoking news article that challenges you—one that causes you to rethink everything you once believed about personal wellness, exercise, and health?
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Do you need help catching typos or missing words in your books, academic articles, daily news web articles, ministry podcast web promotion, business marketing website, or online course or blog content?
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We read thousands of interesting words every day—words that have the power to comfort, challenge, and create new ideas—never realizing the colossal effort by a team of experts to make it happen!
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I grew up in the library. Reading romance novels under an umbrella at the beach is my favorite activity! Relaxing in my comfy rocking chair is even better! Whatever takes me to my happy place is where I want to be. I also homeschooled my three kids from Grades K–5.
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My background is proofreading and editing thousands of corporate documents with indexes and tables of authorities as a legal secretary. Since attorneys are sticklers for getting things right, there were many drafts and do-overs!
My Proofreading Certificate of Excellence is for General Proofreading: Theory & Practice with Proofreadanywhere.com. I use The Chicago Manual of Style as my guidebook for proofreading rules. Grammarly Premium and PerfectIt™ are great tools for editing suggestions. The Associated Press Stylebook is my resource for news or web articles.
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The only way to see the context of an author’s words is for a trained professional to evaluate all the info. Proofreaders make expert judgment calls and put their training to good use.
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For me, reading and proofreading have always been life-long endeavors.
I sometimes wish I could unsee all those grammar and punctuation rules! Once you’re no longer a naïve, innocent reader, everyone’s writing foibles jump out of the pages of every book you read!
What Do Proofreaders Do?
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Have you ever wondered why some books catch your interest so much you can't put them down even for a nap? So, why do others stop you in your tracks and cause you to scratch your head, wondering what the author is trying to say?
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There’s something magical about holding a paperback in your hands, turning the pages, feeling the embossed print on the cover, and laying a book on the nightstand to grab first thing in the morning. Online novels have their place, especially when you're traveling. Either way, a story is captivating when it flows like running water, making its way downstream.
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What makes for a good reading experience? How can writers make sure readers understand what they’re trying to communicate? Trained professionals are waiting in the wings to coach you! Editors, copyeditors, and proofreaders can help make your words leap off the page into the hearts of your readers.
Editors move your news or fiction narrative along, matching names, dates, and places. They review the overall flow, catch run-on sentences, and identify word tense agreement inconsistencies. Editors point out repetitive phrases and suggest revisions to clarify the author’s meaning. Typically, these structural changes happen in the editing phase.
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A proofreader pays attention to the specifics. We catch any glaring errors before your book goes to press, and we notice anything unusual! Spelling, spacing, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, quotation, and double or missing words will surely catch our eye! As a rule, proofreaders don’t automatically correct rambling or repetitive ideas.
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A proofreader’s prayer is that authors use special book writing software and a handy thesaurus as they attempt to capture their thoughts digitally. Many proofreaders can perform light editing services to transform a book manuscript into complete, concise, and logical sentences and paragraphs. They will, however, need to charge more for the extra time involved.
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Proofreaders concentrate on the fine details to ensure your writing looks professional and polished. They feel satisfied when your readers are happy campers! A proofreader is the safety net that makes your book shine!
The Proofreading Process
I use The Chicago Manual of Style, Merriam-Webster Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Grammarly Premium, and PerfectIt™ online software programs for my proofreading and editing services. I’ve even used WordHippo.com for modern-language ideas!
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In a perfect world, developmental, copy, and line editors would review a manuscript several times before sending it for proofreading. Editors often correct punctuation to match The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS). The goal is to preserve the author’s style and voice while offering recommendations and guidance to improve clarity and fluency. Editors may request revisions if phrasing feels confusing or distracting, especially if they see syntax or logic problems. Editors review all aspects of the big picture and fine details at conceptual and developmental stages, keeping the reader’s viewpoint in mind.
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The proofreader is the last set of eyes before the publisher formats your work of art into book publishing style. Proofreaders focus on missing and double words, misspellings, grammar, homophones and homonyms, punctuation, formatting inconsistencies, hyphenation, paragraph indentations, double spacing between words and sentences, and when to spell out numbers, etc.
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Proofreaders are your last line of defense before an obvious error is made permanent. After publication, readers will scratch their heads or roll their eyes if the plot baffles them, if character names are not consistent, or if punctuation or a missing word creates a comprehension stumbling block. The goal is effortless, enjoyable, captivating narration that flows smoothly, forming an irresistible bestseller readers can’t put down.
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Self-publishers will significantly benefit from a writing software program. I love to run each paragraph through my Grammarly Premium online subscription. Grammarly is adept at suggesting changes to tighten up a document when it gets wordy, repetitive, or confusing. Sometimes we write the way we speak, which may not translate well into published books. Writing software, a dictionary, and a thesaurus are cost-effective and convenient ways to keep the writing process on the right track.
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While editors notice many of the same things proofreaders do, a proofreader will be laser focused on the details. It’s impossible to concentrate on the storyline and catch everything else simultaneously. A team of professionals carries the day and successfully brings the author’s thoughts into the reader’s mind. Proofreaders are aware that their piece of the puzzle can dramatically impact readability and professionalism and will carry your project over the finish line!
What Is My Pricing?
Pricing depends upon several factors:
1) the level of editing, copyediting, or proofreading needed for your manuscript,
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2) the timeframe requested for your work to be returned, and
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3) a sample of your completed text to verify the extent of revisions needed.
The short answer is between $.02 and $.05 USD per word.
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CLASSIFICATION AVG RATE PER WORD
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Proofreading (fiction & nonfiction) $.01 to $.02/word
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Light Copyediting plus Proofreading $.02 to $.03/word
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Business Proofreading $.02 to $.03/word
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Your manuscript will take more time if you are self-publishing and need heavy editing and proofreading. The proofreading phase will move along much more quickly if you've used professional writing software and have had several editing passes.
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An experienced proofreader is worth every penny. She's worth her weight in gold! Why? Because she will review every page of your book multiple times as she edits and/or proofreads your manuscript. She knows it's on the PDF or printed page where errors magically appear!
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While the author and production editor control what appears in the final copy, an experienced proofreader can lend a helping hand to enhance your printed masterpiece. A seasoned proofreader is more precious than rubies. Her clients sing her praises everywhere they go!
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Contact me for a professional evaluation of your project!