MB Proofreading
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What do I do?

I am a qualified professional freelance proofreader and copy editor with an eye for detail, specialising in fiction, newsletters, leaflets, brochures, websites and blogs, but will turn my hand to anything that needs it.
I offer proofreading and copy editing services to printers, publishers, independent authors, museums, companies, schools, students and anyone else who can't face the thought of proofreading their own work.

For further details please see the Services page, or contact me for a quote.


Contact email
​Who am I? 
Mary Bate Proofreading:
I have held several senior secretarial/PA positions throughout my career, been a teaching assistant in a junior school for seven years, worked in retail, and am currently working for a financial news service in London, along with my proofreading - which I have been doing since 2014.

Why proofreading?
That is an easy question to answer. In 2008 I joined a voluntary organisation called The Chantry Community Association. We published a newsletter three or four times a year on significant local issues, and it was my task to proofread and edit the letter before it went to the printers. That piqued my interest.

In 2012 I read an author's first book, which he self-published to Amazon Kindle. The book was fantastic: gripping and compulsive reading. But, it had a fair few errors in it - mainly spelling errors, and one or two other inconsistencies. I messaged the author and told him I thought his book was brilliant, but that he should fire his proofreader! When he admitted that he didn't have one because he couldn't afford one, I offered to proofread his next book for him for free.

I was unqualified, but picked up at least 30 or so mistakes, so how many others might there have been? I also proofread his third novel. I enjoyed doing this so much that it spurred me on to train professionally.

This YouTube clip does a brilliant job of explaining why we proofreaders are so important!

So ... here I am ... Check out my testimonials page.
I look forward to being able to help you.
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