The best proofreaders for hire in the United Kingdom

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Josephine 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Experienced editor within various genres, including Mind Body Spirit, travel, cookbooks, and fiction (YA, women's fiction and thrillers).

Genres: Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, Health & Wellbeing, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sex & Relationships, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Women's Fiction, and Action & Adventure.

Work experience:

  • Duncan Baird Publishers and Watkins Publishing
  • SPG Media
  • Rogers, Coleridge & White Literary Agency
  • Freelance

Jenny 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Experienced editor of writing for children and adults (fiction, non-fiction, picture books, novelties) through all stages of editing.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Picture Books, Children's, Middle Grade, Children’s Non-Fiction, and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Hot Key Books
  • Walker Books

Tamsin 5 star rating

England, United Kingdom

An expert in pairing words and pictures for internationally renowned institutions, galleries and publishers

Genres: Art, Humanities & Social Sciences, Non-Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs, History, Antiques & Collectibles, Home & Garden, Philosophy, Design, Photography, and Architecture.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • National Portrait Gallery
  • Phaidon Press

Jackie 5 star rating

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Jackie has been editing and proofreading for more than thirty-five years; food, travel, fiction.

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Travel, Women's Fiction, Mystery & Crime, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • AA Publishing
  • Self-employed

Deborah 5 star rating

Bexley, Kent, United Kingdom

Crime/thriller, romance & literary fiction editing for indie authors and publishers

Genres: Literary Fiction, Fiction, Romance, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Tim 5 star rating

York, United Kingdom

Experienced editor specialising in science fiction, horror, mystery and YA – offering assessments, structural editing and copyediting.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Short Story, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery & Crime, Horror, Thriller & Suspense, Action & Adventure, and Psychological Thriller.

Work experience:

  • CGP
  • Pearson
  • Scholastic
  • British Fantasy Society
  • Self-employed

Katie 5 star rating

Cornwall, United Kingdom

Over 25 years' experience in the publishing industry as a writer, editor and project manager – predominantly in children's non-fiction.

Genres: Children’s Non-Fiction, Non-Fiction, History, Humanities & Social Sciences, Political Science & Current Affairs, Geography, Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences, and Math & Science.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • National Asthma Campaign (now Asthma + Lung UK)
  • Aladdin Books Ltd

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Kerry 5 star rating

Hove, United Kingdom

An experienced editor, writer and publishing professional with 20+ years' experience of copy editing, development editing and proofreading.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Travel, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Architecture, Humanities & Social Sciences, Young Adult, and Mystery & Crime.

Work experience:

  • Yes Educational Centre
  • Marvel Comics
  • Egmont Fleetway
  • Panorama Holiday Group
  • Pavilion Publishing
  • Pavilion Publishing and Media
  • Self-employed

Karen 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

Award-winning editor & publishing consultant. Launched bestselling series like Beast Quest. Specializes in adult, YA & children's fiction.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Women's Fiction, Middle Grade, Children's, Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Mystery & Crime, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
  • Working Partners
  • Walker Books
  • Scholastic

Chris 5 star rating

Exeter, United Kingdom

I am an experienced copy- and developmental editor specialising in Business, IT and Physical Sciences for authors, academics and publishers.

Genres: Business & Management, Non-Fiction, Computers & Internet, Engineering, Math & Science, Music, Humanities & Social Sciences, Physics & Chemistry, Technology, Photography, and Economics.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Sophron Partners
  • McKinsey & Co.
  • Cambridge Consultants

Tess 5 star rating

Shoreham-by-Sea, United Kingdom

Friendly and sensitive editor specialising in self-development, wellbeing and mental health, women's narratives, and memoir.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Health & Wellbeing, Inspirational, and Business & Management.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed

Anna 5 star rating

London, United Kingdom

I have 20 years' experience working on children's and YA writing at UK publishers including Hachette and HarperCollins.

Genres: Middle Grade, Children's, Fiction, Fantasy, Middle Grade Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, Coming of Age, Young Adult Fantasy, Young Adult, Picture Books, and Social & Family Issues.

Work experience:

  • Octopus (Hachette)
  • Carlton Books
  • Orchard (Hachette)
  • Egmont
  • Self-employed

Luke 5 star rating

North Shields, United Kingdom

Freelance copy-editing, proofreading and plain language support; working with publishers, businesses, charities, students and other writers.

Genres: Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Business & Management, Political Science & Current Affairs, Humanities & Social Sciences, Music, Psychology, Entertainment, and Economics.

Work experience:

  • Various voluntary organisations; Newcastle City Council
  • Book publishers; County Durham, UK
  • Self-employed

Sarah 5 star rating

Lincoln, United Kingdom

Senior Editor with 14+ years' experience. Specialist in Romance, Thrillers, YA, LGBTQ+ and Historical for both new and established authors.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, LGBTQ Fiction, Contemporary Romance, Romance, Chick Lit, Women's Fiction, Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Psychological Thriller, Thriller & Suspense, and Contemporary Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Totally Entwined Group (Bonnier Publishing)

Niamh 5 star rating

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom

Professional editor, proofreader and project manager, specialising in educational publishing.

Genres: Education & Reference and Non-Fiction.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Scholastic Ltd

Experienced editor and 2x shortlisted author who understands the entire writing process. Honest, helpful, kind, and goes above and beyond.

Genres: Action & Adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Thriller & Suspense, Biographies & Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, and Romance.

Work experience:

  • Self-employed
  • Write On! Magazine

Sandy 5 star rating

Hampshire, United Kingdom

Sandy is a seasoned editor of non-fiction and fiction titles, and has been helping authors 'give birth' to their books for 20 years.

Genres: Health & Wellbeing, Non-Fiction, Religion & Spirituality, Psychology, Humanities & Social Sciences, Sex & Relationships, Mystery & Crime, Fiction, Self-Help & Self-Improvement, Parenting & Families, and Thriller & Suspense.

Work experience:

  • Godsfield Press
  • Tigerprint Limited
  • Self-employed
  • AA Publishing

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Hire the best proofreaders in the UK

If you’ve got the manuscript, we’ve got the proofreaders who can whip it into shape for you. In order to stand up (and stand out) next to traditionally published books, your story will need to be free of mistakes. And that includes the minuscule language details that may have evaded your detection, such as typos or spelling mistakes, punctuation errors, and grammar slip-ups — all of which can determine whether your book receives positive or negative attention from readers.

Proofreaders tackle the final stage of the editing process, guaranteeing that your work reaches readers in its best possible form. No matter your genre, your project will benefit from a thorough quality check on the language level, ensuring that the way you use words results in clarity and a smooth flow, while your style is of a standard that would be right at home among bestsellers. This part of the editing process doesn’t deal with content or structure, so you should only proceed with proofreading once your manuscript has reached its final form, and no further editing or research is pending.

Professional proofreaders are employed by traditional publishing houses and self-publishing authors alike. Quality proofreaders should ideally bring a host of abilities to the table of a collaboration, including patience, decades of experience, and a meticulous eye for detail. So if your intention is to publish a book that is the best that it can be, you’ll want to find the best proofreader for hire in the UK.

Here’s the good news: you’re one step ahead of the game, because you’re already in the right spot. Reedsy is home to the best professional proofreaders in the United Kingdom and the book business more broadly. Our publishing professionals have experience editing at Big 5 publishers under their belt and have frequently worked on bestselling books, and now’s your chance to work with them. Sign up for a free Reedsy account today to browse our professionals’ online portfolios and reviews from past clients who’ve used their services. Simply get in touch to request a quote from them today.

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