Proofreading is typically the final editing phase, after developmental edits, copy, and line edits. Often readers will not recommend books if there are numerous mistakes, so investing in a round of proofreading pays off with better reviews.

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In this stage, we focus on typos, misspellings, missing punctuation, duplicated words, etc. In most instances, the Chicago Manual of Style is followed, although consistency is the most important factor.

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Proofreading is done in Microsoft Word, using Track Changes. It's then a simple matter of "accepting" or "rejecting" the changes, once returned to the author. The time required for proofreading varies based on the length of the manuscript.