Originally published October 29, 2021 , updated on August 29, 2024

If one of your goals is to get your research paper, article, or blog published, you are going to need proofreading and editing services. 

In a previous post, we mentioned how these two services are not the same. They are often confused for one another, though. Here’s what we said: 

“Proofreaders spot typos, correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and other errors. A professional editing service ensures that your articles have a good flow. Making use of these services also ensures that your stories read well and the format is easy to follow.” 

So, there is definitely a difference. Editing comes before proofreading. It’s the step that ensures that your paper or copy is clear and clean. Proofreading is the final step in the process and involves checking for any mistakes that have been overlooked. 

There are many benefits to using proofreading and editing services before you submit content for publishing. A well-edited and proofread piece will do several things for you and your writing. 

It Will Ensure Professionalism

A first step in creating a piece is to ensure that it looks and reads like professional content. You want your piece to be strong and enlightening. This is why editing services are a must. 

An editor will ensure that your content doesn’t include too much complex jargon. You want to sound professional and like you know what you are talking about, yes. But including complicated phrases in your pieces will confuse your readers who won’t necessarily have the background knowledge that you do. 

To ensure professionalism throughout, focus on ensuring that your spelling and grammar are all correct. Copy that is filled with errors won’t only not get published, but it may reflect badly on your company and name. It will make your work look sloppy and unprofessional. 

A Great Editor Will Give You Tips to Improve Your Writing Skills

If you keep track of the changes that are made to your content, you will walk away with sound advice for your next piece. A good editor should be able to pick up on repeated mistakes and alert you to these so that you don’t make them in future. 

For example, perhaps you are using American spelling in pieces that are meant for an audience outside of this region. A good editor will alert you to this so that you don’t continue to do it going forward. 

They can also suggest areas for improvement in your writing. You might be writing sentences that are too long. Or perhaps you are using too many adjectives in your writing, so it sounds verbose and flowery. The feedback that you get from an editing service will ensure that you learn where your weak spots are so that you can work on improving them.

Proofreading and Editing Services Will Catch the Smaller Mistakes That Slip Through Easily 

It’s very easy for small mistakes to slip through. Things such as typos or incorrect word usage. This is why writers should use editors and proofreaders before submitting. 

You might have made a comma splice error or you could have written a number incorrectly. These are super small mistakes that are easy to make. Both editors and proofreaders will be able to alert you to these errors before publishing so that you can make any necessary changes. A final proofread will also give you peace of mind and ensure that you are submitting the best version of your work possible. 

The Best Proofreading Services Will Help You Get Published 

No publication is going to be happy with untidy and error-riddled copy. Having pieces that are free of mistakes, well-written, and clear will greatly increase your chance of publication. 

If a publication likes your first submission, you might even get asked to write more. This won’t happen, however, if you are taking shortcuts and not putting checks in place. So, make use of an editor to clean up your piece and then get a proofreader in to do the final checks.

Now that we’ve established why you need professional editing for your work, let’s look at what that final proofreading stage is all about. 

These are some of the things that a proofreader will be looking out for. 

Spelling Errors

As the gatekeepers between your content and your publisher, proofreaders need to carefully check each word to ensure nothing has been misspelled. 

Typos happen very easily, so this part needs an expert’s eye. This process is not one to be rushed. Proofreaders will be checking everything twice to ensure every letter and punctuation mark is in its rightful place. 

Grammatical Errors

Things can get tricky when you are writing across regions. If your company caters to a global audience or has clients from different countries, your language rules will likely need to change depending on who you’re catering for. You know the market that you’re dealing with, and you should know the language rules they use too. At the very least, you should ensure the person proofreading your content knows those rules. 

Inconsistent Style

This one is important. Look out for inconsistent styles and spelling. Are you for, or against the Oxford comma? How are you writing the word “email”? Is it hyphenated or not? What about “white papers”? One word, or two? Neither one is wrong, but you need to choose one style and stick to it. 

It would be a good idea to create a style guide that writers, editors, and proofreaders have access to. This way, everyone will be on the same page when it comes to style. 

Formatting Issues 

Proofreading also takes a look at formatting elements. Is the content centralised on the page? How is the overall spacing of the paragraphs? If your piece of content is a report with a contents page, they will also check the page numbers to ensure it all matches up. All of these aspects are things that a professional proofreading service will be checking for. 

These are just some of the numerous benefits of using the best proofreading and editing services. You want to always demonstrate your best qualities in your business and in your content. And this includes creating and crafting the best pieces. Our advice is to ensure that your content is of the highest calibre by hiring both proofreading and editing services. It gives you that added peace of mind before you submit your article, paper, or story for publication.

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