Jaime Sperling
Copyediting and Proofreading
Jaime Sperling
Copyediting and Proofreading
Jaime Sperling
Copyediting and Proofreading
Everyone needs an editor—fresh eyes bring a fresh perspective. You do important work, and you need to be sure that the words you're putting out into the world reflect that.
​
That’s where I come in. I’m not here to judge your grammar or your spelling. We all make mistakes. (In fact, if no one made mistakes, I wouldn’t have a job.)
​
I’m here to help you say what you want to say—clearly, concisely, and correctly—so it will resonate with your readers.
​
If your work is in marketing and communications, general science, creative nonfiction, or academia, please get in touch.
​
Contact me at jaimesperling@gmail.com.
My Services
Copyediting
Whether you want me to dig deep or just give it an eagle-eyed once-over, a copyedited document enhances your credibility.
What copyeditors look for:
-
Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
-
Grammar
-
Style (Do you use the Oxford comma? Do you capitalize professional titles? Do you use “catalog” or “catalogue”?)
-
Word choice and usage
-
Logical flow
-
Appropriateness for the audience
What copyeditors do:
-
Suggest corrections
-
Query or suggest alternative wording
-
Rearrange sentences for clarity
-
Ensure consistency in spelling and capitalization
-
Maintain the author’s voice, whether the “author” is an individual or an organization
​
Proofreading
Proofreading is the last look. It gets down to the nitty-gritty at the word, sentence, and layout level. Having your document proofread ensures it’s as close to error-free as it can be.
What proofreaders look for:
-
Missing or repeated words
-
Glaring grammatical errors
-
Spelling mistakes
-
Incorrect punctuation
-
Inconsistent or incorrect capitalization
-
Formatting errors or inconsistencies (such as bold or italic or incorrect fonts)
-
Page numbers, running heads, section headings, image captions and credits
What proofreaders do:
-
Suggest corrections
-
Ensure consistency and adherence to style guide
-
Query sentences or word choices that are confusing
​
Contact me at jaimesperling@gmail.com.
How I Work
​
Software
​
For copyediting, I most often work in Microsoft Word, using its track changes and comments features. I can also work in Google Docs. For proofreading, I use Adobe Reader’s commenting tools on PDFs.
​
Style guides
​
I'm most familiar with:
-
Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition (CMOS or just Chicago)
-
Associated Press Stylebook (AP)
-
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (APA7)
I also have several other style guides at hand and can work with your house style.
​
Contact me at jaimesperling@gmail.com.
Pricing
Contact me to discuss rates. Depending on the project, I can charge by the hour or offer a project rate. Each project is unique and I take into consideration the complexity of the material, your deadline, and the level of work requested and required.
In order to assess this, I need to see at least part of your work, preferably the whole thing. Rest assured that your manuscript will be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
Contact me at jaimesperling@gmail.com.
About Me
​
I’ve always had a knack for the written word—for catching typos, for untangling the structure of a complex sentence, for arranging the components of an argument or a story.
​
I have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, both in linguistics. (No, I don’t speak any languages other than English.)
In college, my friends asked me to proofread their papers. In grad school, I was a go-to for some of the ESL students in my program. In my professional life (even before segueing into editing), I’d get the odd phone call: “Jaime, is this correct?” To this day, friends message me: “Is this a word?” “Is this correct?” “Can you think of a better way to say this?”
I’ve been editing professionally since 2001. My editorial skills were honed in the communications and marketing departments of several nonprofit organizations. In late 2017, I decided it was time to fly the nest and start my own business. And here I am, for all your editing and proofreading needs.
​
I’ve been a member in good standing of ACES: The Society for Editing since 2011.
​
Contact me at jaimesperling@gmail.com.