Proofreader and Copy Editor Eldo Barkhuizen

Proofreader and Copy Editor You Can Rely on

1. Qualified English teacher – BA in English literature, psychology and church history, and a postgraduate teacher’s diploma.

2. Taught English and then worked as an in-house proofreader – taught GCSE English and English as a Second Language in a UK secondary school and later proofread full-time for a well-known Christian printing firm.

3. Professionally trained – Publishing Training Centre, London, copy editor course (pass with distinction). 

4. Further trained – completed five UK Society for Editors & Proofreaders courses: 

• On-Screen Editing
• Efficient Editing
• Proofreading Problems
• Working for a Client
• Project Management 

5. Advanced membership – accepted as an Advanced Member of the UK Society for Editors & Proofreaders in 2002. 

6. Publishers’ tests completed – passed various publishers’ proofreader and copy editor tests with flying colours, which proves my ability and removes your risk in hiring a freelancer you haven’t dealt with before. 

7. Competent – I have 27 years of experience (1997–2024), forged in the furnace of dealing with numerous authors and working on 667 books for major UK/US publishers and self-published authors (see the ‘Portfolio’ page of this website). 

8. Secret system – I’ve devised a special way of proofreading and copyediting, a secret system crafted over the years. The result never ceases to delight both publishers and authors.

9. Meticulous proofreader and copy editor work – many authors and publishers have praised me for my thoroughness and attention to detail. 

10. High standard – publishers and authors have said my proofreading and copyediting are of a consistently high standard. 

11. Professional – because I’ve been well trained and have a long track record, I know what both publishers and authors want when I freelance for them as a proofreader or copy editor and how to deliver the work in a timely, professional way. 

12. Reliable – I always meet deadlines, which gives a desk editor or author more breathing space. It also gives typesetters confidence their schedule won’t be turned upside down. 

13. Follow your brief – I stay close to what you request in your brief, so you won’t get any nasty surprises when I’ve returned the proofread/copyedited file to you. 

14. Flexible proofreader and copy editor – if your publishing schedule changes, I’ll flow with you. 

15. Work hard – I put in extra hours of work (evenings and Saturdays) if needed, to meet your deadline. 

16. Wide range of subject matter – I have a lot of experience proofreading and copyediting both complex academic titles and simpler, more popular books (see the ‘Portfolio’ page of this website for many examples). 

17. Easy to contact – I reply fast to your emails (or you can phone me if you prefer). You won’t have to wait hours – or days – for a reply to an urgent query. 

18. Diplomatic skills – I’ve dealt with hundreds of authors, ranging from professors to a German woman who survived the Second World War and asked me to copyedit her astonishing autobiography. I know how to query courteously and keep authors happy. 

19. Author queries dealt with – I resolve all queries before returning the copyedited files to a publisher (I have a secret, highly effective system for getting authors to respond quickly). 

20. Light editing – no one likes to have his or her work heavily edited and changed (unless the author/publisher requests this), a sure way to stoke up author anger and give you a major headache if you’re a traditional publisher. 

21. Many testimonials received over the years I’ve worked as a proofreader and copy editor – multiple glowing written testimonials from both publishers and authors. 

22. Numerous mentions – many authors praise me as the copy editor in the front of their published books. 

23. Rehired many times – publishers rehire my services. One publisher has hired my copyediting service for 26 years . . . 

24. Peace of mind – you’ll relax, knowing your project’s in the safe hands of an expert proofreader and copy editor.

Pay Less to Have Your Book Proofread or Copyedited

The UK Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (formerly the Society for Editors & Proofreaders), as of 1 March 2024, suggests the following minimum hourly rates: 

• Proofreading: £29.85
• Copyediting: £34.70
• Substantial editing, rewriting or development editing: £39.90 

However, my professional proofreader and copy editor fees are far lower than these proposed rates.

>>>  Get a quote for your proofreading or copyediting project now