Many of them worry about getting impeccable editing services, but only a few think about getting the best essay proofreading services for their compositions. One reason for ignoring proofreading efforts in favor of better editing services is that editing impacts the marks and grades more. Yet, proofreading has its own place and worth. If you submit an essay without proofreading, it may contain embarrassing errors that may change the meaning of your text.
This blog post will tell you the benefits of hiring a professional proofreader for your essay. You will also learn how professional services differ from poorly conducted proofing services.
Proofreading Versus Editing
Many students believe that an editor will make their paper flawless, so they don’t need a proofreader to look at their work. This can be true only when they have agreed on a combined essay writing service. If your editor agrees to proofread as well as edit your document, then you are covered. However, if the contract is only for editing and not proofreading, you might have to enter into another contract to get rid of mistakes.
Editing only cares about improving the essay. It will make it more understandable, concise, and easy to read. Don’t expect your editor to detect sentence structure errors or spelling mistakes for you. They may decide to improve sentences using subject-verb agreement, use of right pronouns, or correcting number disagreements in the sentences. However, these efforts will relate to improving the comprehensibility of your document.
If you find a mistake lingering in your paper after essay editing services, you cannot ask for a revision for this. After all, any mistake they have highlighted previously was done in good faith and was beyond their scope of services. Heck, you should also expect these editors to not check the grammatical impact of the suggestions they have made for you to change in your essay.
So, what will a proofreader do for you? First of all, these professionals will ensure that your essay is free of spelling mistakes. They will read every word in every sentence of your essay to find out if it’s written correctly. Not only will they pay attention to these words individually, but they will also ensure that the spelling is appropriate considering the sentence need. For example, they will check that the ‘effect’ is spelled as ‘effect’ and not as ‘affect’.
Qualifications
You don’t need to hold a diploma or certificate to become a professional proofreader. All you need is impeccable English writing and proofreading skills. However, many professionals adorn their resumes with professional proofreading certificates. Holding these certificates is a good sign that the service provider takes their skill seriously and is willing to improve it.
However, don’t excessively attach to these certificates. Instead, look for their professional portfolio. How many clients they have catered to till now? Are their clients satisfied with their work?
Portfolio
Many proofreaders will show you a rich portfolio of their work, however you need to check the quality of this work before proceeding. The best way to check the quality is by reviewing the pieces they have proofread. You can only do that if you are comfortable with your proofreading skills. If you lack these skills, you will want to use the second method to verify their quality.
This method includes asking them for referrals of their clients. Note that you can only use this method if you have a big project or if you promise to bring repeat business for them. In these two cases, you can ask for reviews from their clients. Contact these clients yourself and inquire about their experience. At the same time, if you want to bring a small project, you may test the services with your essay proofreading instead of doing all these efforts.
Formatting Styles
One particular thing that distinguishes between a proofing exercise and an editing one is formatting. Proofing includes formatting the final draft to suit the needs of the assignment writer. So, your proofreader must understand that your essay is academic. Also, you should be upfront about the essay style you want them to adhere to.
So, if your lecturer wants you to format your essay in MLA style, tell the proofreader while signing the contract. Every style has different formatting guidelines. Make sure to ask about their knowledge in that particular style if your lecturer has awarded marks for following the format demands.
Their Language Expertise
While you may believe that the language you speak and write is the only English language on the entire planet, this belief is a myth. English has seven common variants which are entirely different from one another in accent, style, and spelling. For example, UK English is far different from US English. Most proofreaders specialize in either UK or US English. So, you must ask them about their language proficiency.
The Rate They Charge
In the end, you will want to know the rates they will charge to proofread your work. Many students and consumers assume that a high price tag represents high quality. It’s not always true. You need to assess the quality of any proofreader separately. Their rates should only raise a red flag if they are below average for the country in which they are living.
The only concern you should have when discussing the cost of your proofreading project is if it fits your budget. If it does, move ahead with this proofreader. Otherwise, you will have to negotiate with the second-best candidate you searched for.
Wrapping Up
When you are in the market to hire the best essay proofreading service, you must act prudently. This market, like any other in the world, is filled with all types of professionals from those who offer the best quality to those who run your essay through an online editing tool only before sending it back. Use this blog post to find top talent offering their proofreading services.
