Proofreader Needed for Narrative Nonfiction Biography
I’m looking for a meticulous proofreader for a manuscript of approximately 193,600 words.
This is NOT a developmental edit, line edit, or copy edit. The tone, rhythm, voice, and sentence structure are intentional and must remain intact. The MS has already undergone editorial reviews and a preliminary round of proofreading and beta reading.
Scope of Work
This person will focus exclusively on:
+ Typos and misspellings
+ Punctuation (commas, periods, quotation marks, etc.)
+ Basic grammar (fixing clear errors only, e.g., forgetting to capitalize something I should have, etc.)
+ Spacing issues (extra spaces, missing spaces, etc.)
What this is not:
🚨 No tone-shifting
🚨 No rewriting for “style” or “flow”
Ideal Candidate
You are comfortable acting as a proofreading scout: catching typos, punctuation glitches, accidental repeats, and spacing errors in a long manuscript.
You understand and respect authorial voice and know when to leave a sentence alone.
You have experience with first-person or memoir-style prose.
You have strong emotional intelligence and can respect boundaries around tone and style.
You have experience proofreading long-form works and don’t get bored easily or sloppy toward the end.
You genuinely enjoy proofreading! I would strongly prefer to hire someone whose sole focus is proofreading rather than an editor who “moonlights” occasionally as a proofreader.
Deliverables
One marked-up file showing all edits (Track Changes or equivalent).
One clean file with all accepted changes.
Hiring Process
I’ll review proposals and select a shortlist of finalists.
Finalists will have a brief Zoom interview.
If the interview goes well, I’ll provide a paid test of approximately 1,500 words to gauge fit, accuracy, and respect for voice.
Compensation will be at a flat rate, not hourly.