Copy-Editing and Proofreading Services

Chasing Driftwood Writing Group are very excited to announce the launch of new services for authors! If you are an author in need of copy-editing and/or proofreading services then feel free to get in touch.

Before we introduce ourselves and what we can offer, what is the difference between copy-editing and proofreading?

Copy-editing – Ideally copy-editing should be done before proofreading as it focuses on the details of the language on a sentence by sentence basis. Copy-editing is designed to check for accuracy, spelling, grammar, punctuation, syntax and consistency as well as style and voice. Copy-editing is also sometimes referred to as ‘line-editing’ as the manuscript will be meticulously examined line by line. Copy-editing also includes fact-checking.

Proof-reading – when a manuscript is almost a finished product, a proofreader checks it for typographical errors. They do not suggest any major changes to the script, rather they look for minor text and formatting errors and then confirm the script is ready to be published.

So, why choose us?

Three professionals to choose from!

Chantelle Atkins is the founder and director of Chasing Driftwood Writing Group. She is also the author of eleven novels and short story collections and writes articles for Author’s Publish, as well as running multiple creative writing groups for adults and children online and in person. Chantelle has been providing proofreading services to authors for a few years and has recently completed a course in Copy-Editing and Proofreading to further enhance her skills.
Sim Sansford joined Chantelle as a creative director and business partner in 2020. Sim has a degree in Creative Writing and helped set up and run the Blandford Literary Festival in 2019. He is also the author of several young adult books and stories. Sim has experience in copy-editing and proofreading and initially set up his own editing services in 2019.
Toby Martin is an emerging writer with a degree in Scriptwriting for Film and TV and a Masters in Creative Writing and Publishing. Toby is currently only available to provide proofreading services.

Reviews!


‘The proof reading service not only gave me technical aspects to consider, but also helped gain perspective, and confidence in my work. Thanks Chantelle!’

Author Lynne Baulch

I was so pleased with Chantelle Atkins thorough beta reading of my latest novel. She has a great eye for detail, picking up any grammatical and punctuation issues, as well as typos. She also made suggestions for improvements and generally helped make for a cleaner, better read all round.  I can whole-heartedly recommend her services.

Author Kate Rigby

The proof-reading and copy-editing service I received from Chasing Driftwood has been invaluable. Chantelle’s aptitude and good eye for detail was apparent from the start, especially highlighting my many repetitions, grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. The feedback was constructive and the suggestions for further thought and improvement greatly appreciated. I would highly recommend these services.

MR Baker – debut author

“As a first time Author, sending my work to a beta reader was a terrifying prospect to say the least. However, Sim’s review was more helpful than I would have ever guessed. Not only did he give writing advice where necessary but he also shone some light onto the specific genre and age range of my novel, information which I have found very useful. I would definitely recommend Sim’s services to anyone in the writing world.”

Author Jamie Nicholson

What happens next?

If you are interested in using our copy-editing and/or proofreading services, first get in touch using the contact option. Let us know what you are working on and what you need help with. We will ask for a sample of your manuscript to determine what support we can offer. We may suggest you opt to work with a particular professional, but you may also have a preference for who you would like to work with, subject to availability.

After you have decided who you are working with, they will have an email or a Zoom conversation with you to discuss what you are looking for and how they can help. A price will be agreed and a contract drawn up and signed by both parties, which will include a timetable so that you know when to expect the work to be done.

Pricing depends on your individual manuscript needs but as a guide, the average cost for proofreading is £25 per hour and £30 per hour for copy-editing. However, we are committed to treating each author and manuscript as an individual and bespoke pricing packages will be discussed and arranged with you. We are also offering discounts to writers on low incomes.