Freelance English-language editing and proofreading services

I am a qualified and experienced freelance proofreader and copy-editor with a passion for language and an eye for detail. English is my mother tongue and I was born and raised in the UK, though I am currently living in northern Sweden.

Since setting up Kateproof in 2010, I have worked for a variety of clients, including international organisations, publishers, academics and self-publishing authors. I offer a truly bespoke proofreading and copy-editing service with a focus on your needs to provide you with an accurate, high-quality and professional end product that will help you and your written material stand out from the competition.

I am an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP, formerly the SfEP) and follow their code of practice.

I am fully proficient in the use of the British Standard Proofreading Symbols; however, I primarily work on-screen, using annotations/sticky notes on a PDF or track changes in a Word document. Working on-screen saves paper and energy, and also means I am able to make full use of macros and software to help with accuracy and efficiency. I do not use any AI software or share your text with any third-party websites.

If you're unsure of what proofreading is compared with copy-editing or more general editing, or want a mix, often now termed 'proof-editing', you might want to take a look at this blog post I wrote about the different editing and proofreading services. There are also some useful FAQs on the CIEP's website or feel free to get in touch and I can discuss this in relation to your specific needs.

I have experience of proofreading and copy-editing the following projects:

• books (both fiction and non-fiction)
• magazines
• journals and individual articles
• websites
• research papers, theses and dissertations
• business documents.

Some recent clients and projects include:

• proofreading annual reports for charities and businesses
• proofreading magazines and university prospectuses
• editing texts for EU agencies in the education and social sciences fields
• proofreading science fiction, fantasy, YA, romance and other genres direct for authors looking to self-publish
• editing, copy-editing and proofreading research papers for academics and professionals
• proofreading theses for PhD students in various fields.

Here's what some recent clients have said about me and my proofreading and copy-editing work:

"I found your comments really helpful and feel like I've learned a lot just by the process of going through and making the changes. I can't believe how many errors there were! Shows that it is worth hiring a professional copy-editor."
Mike H, author of How to Get Hired

"I couldn't be happier with Kate's work on my manuscript. She has an exceptional eye for detail and picked up mistakes I had allowed to slip through. She also went beyond her remit and addressed parts of the story that needed improvement. As a journalist, I've worked with countless editors and proofreaders over the years and Kate ranks at the top. I'll definitely work with her again and recommend her to anyone seeking a top-class editor or proofreader."
Daniel Donnelly, author of Bye Baby

"Kate offers a reliable and meticulous proofreading service. It's always a pleasure to work with her, and to see how manuscripts benefit from her professional accuracy. She offers thoughtful suggestions where needed, and is always a friendly, cheerful person to work with. I would highly recommend Kate to other publishers and authors – in fact anybody who works with text. Conscientious, methodical and an extremely capable pair of hands!"
Helen Hart, Publishing Director, SilverWood Books

"I have worked with Kate as our proofreader on a number of projects over the last few years. Plain and simple, Kate is absolutely excellent. Her attention to detail is second to none. She easily adapts to even the most complex types of texts and time after time succeeds in bringing out the essence of our reports. I can recommend Kate without a doubt."
René C.G. Arnold, (now ex) Head of Department "Markets and Perspectives" at WIK

"It was a great day when we found Kate through her listing on the website of The Society for Editors and Proofreaders. Our Annual General Meetings documentation is a complex and lengthy document. It has to be produced in a relatively short time and to a high standard. Kate is personable, friendly and very professional. Kate is meticulous, her work is very high quality and her attention to detail is second-to-none. I highly recommend her to anyone who is seeking a professional proofreader."
Miss Helena Basarab-Horwath, Assistant Company Secretary, The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists

"Kate was a delight to work with; I cannot rate her highly enough. I tasked her with proofing a 140,000 word science fiction novel, one riddled with made up acronyms, words and names, and filled with odd formatting. None of this fazed her, and I was delighted with the rigour and thoroughness with which she approached the work. It was immediately apparent to me on receipt of the final document that she really knew her stuff, right down to the really technical English grammar and formatting. Kate went above and beyond, and she will certainly be my go-to proofreader in the future."
Richard Swan, author of Reclamation

"Kate has proven to me that it's impossible to proofread one's own work. One of my main concerns was punctuation, specifically: commas, semi-colons and colons. Her attention to detail was astounding and massively improved the flow and readability of what is a difficult philosophical investigation. She picked up ambiguities in phrase I had read countless times over, and her comments were clear, precise and insightful. Her proofreading was exactly what the manuscript needed, and I now feel confident that the final version is of a professional standard and quality."
Marlon C Romnic, author of The Self Delusion

"I invited Kate to proofread a short book of anagrams for me. Not only did Kate thoroughly check the publication for spelling, grammar, punctuation, typography and format, but she spent time verifying the accuracy of the anagrams as well, and offered many welcome suggestions for improving the general presentation and style of the book that went way beyond expectations. I was massively impressed with Kate's diligence and meticulousness: she approached the commission with gusto and enthusiasm, and gave me her total and committed professional attention at all times. Kate will be my default proofreader from now on for all future projects."
David Green, indexer, ex-publisher and editor

"There are certain qualities that are essential when considering a proofreader and attention to detail is one of them. Kate has that in bucket loads as well as offering an efficient, friendly and fabulous service. With Kate's help, advice and excellent attention to detail I'm now confident that my book is as good as it possibly can be."
Kate Frost, author of The Butterfly Storm

"Kateproof provides a swift and excellent service. Errors are corrected. Suggestions for improved clarity are made. Useful clarifying questions are asked. The work remains recognisably the author's own work and style - only better!"
David Baume, BA MA PhD FSEDA

"I engaged Kate's services to work on the latest book of a Young Adult series that I am working on. Not only did Kate keep precisely to the agreed upon time-frame for completion of the project, she also did an amazing job on the work itself. Her excellent attention to detail, suggestions and insightful comments were absolutely invaluable. I would unhesitatingly recommend her to anyone (and plan to do so in future)."
Iain Reading, author