Proofreading and copy-editing recommendations?

holy guacamole

About to go down the self-publishing route with my first novel but before I do I want to make sure it's been given a thorough going over by people who know what they're doing. Can anyone recommend a decent proofreading and copy-editing company in Ireland?

Willing to pay premium rates if it means getting the best possible service available but obviously want to ensure that whatever money I do spend is well spent. So would love to hear about any negative or positive experiences people have had with proofreaders/copy-editors.

Cheers in advance.

EileenG

I know someone. I'll send you a PM.

femur61

Wondering should you get it proofread and copyedited even if your first trying to go the traditional route?

holy guacamole

femur61 wrote: »

Wondering should you get it proofread and copyedited even if your first trying to go the traditional route?

Most publishers and agents only requested a sample - usually a few chapters, or first fifty pages - so I'd ensured that what I sent them had been proofread and edited to within an inch of its life.

The hope had been that by acquiring a publishing deal I wouldn't have to pay for my own full edit but alas, I'm now going solo.

femur61

Thanks. It doesn't seem too expensive to get the first few chapters edited. Prices range from €90 to €250. I hate editing, that really means I'm not very good at it.

echo beach

If you want somebody to read your work then it has to be proofread and edited.
The way I see it, a reader is paying you a big compliment by reading your work when there is so much other stuff they could read or other ways they could spend their time. It is only courtesy to present them with work that is free from typos, errors and repetition. Those easily avoided mistakes really distract from the pleasure of reading. The better the writing is the more obvious they are, like a single weed in a bed of flowers.
Maybe I'm fussy or pedantic but I'm not alone.

P.S. Always double-check your/you're.

RichBradburn

holy guacamole wrote: »

About to go down the self-publishing route with my first novel but before I do I want to make sure it's been given a thorough going over by people who know what they're doing. Can anyone recommend a decent proofreading and copy-editing company in Ireland?

Willing to pay premium rates if it means getting the best possible service available but obviously want to ensure that whatever money I do spend is well spent. So would love to hear about any negative or positive experiences people have had with proofreaders/copy-editors.

Cheers in advance.

I can suggest Averill Buchanan in Northern Ireland if you're based there, or my own company editorial.ie if you're down south. I can't post links, but they're easily found on the internet or Facebook. Both of us specialise in working with the self-pubbed market.

echo beach

echo beach wrote: »

If you want somebody to read your work then it has to be proofread and edited.
The way I see it, a reader is paying you a big compliment by reading your work when there is so much other stuff they could read or other ways they could spend their time. It is only courtesy to present them with work that is free from typos, errors and repetition. Those easily avoided mistakes really distract from the pleasure of reading. The better the writing is the more obvious they are, like a single weed in a bed of flowers.
Maybe I'm fussy or pedantic but I'm not alone.

P.S. Always double-check your/you're.

Every kindle book I've read lately bar one has had at least one typo in it. And you're right, it does stick out