When should you start looking for a proofreader?

Proofreading TipsBusiness TipsWriting Tips

16 Feb

Timing matters because proofreading takes focused time, you'll need time to review the changes, and the best proofreaders often book up early. This article gives you a simple timeline you can use for common document types, plus rules of thumb to plan backwards from your deadline without stress.

Key takeaways

Start looking for a proofreader as soon as you can because diaries fill up.
Proofreading speed varies, but many documents can take around 1,500 to 2,500 words per hour.
Most proofreaders do their best work in 4 to 5 focused hours per day, not endless shifts.
Plan time for your own review after the proof comes back, not just the proof itself.
If you need a long document done in a few days, expect either a ‘no’ or a lower-quality result.

Why ‘as soon as possible’ is usually the right time to start looking

When people try to squeeze proofreading into a short timescale, the work gets rushed, and errors slip through. It's like trying to paint the last coat as the rain starts – you might finish, but it won't look its best.

Most people imagine proofreading to be just a quick tidy-up. In reality, it's a careful, line-by-line check. A good proofreader doesn't just spot typos; they also watch for consistency, formatting slips, punctuation problems, and those easy-to-miss errors your brain skips because it knows what you meant.

There are three practical reasons to begin early:

Proofreading takes real time, even for experienced pros.
You'll need a buffer to review edits and answer queries.
Availability can be tight, especially near common deadlines (end of month, end of term, end of financial year, big campaign dates).

Starting early also helps small businesses and busy individuals, especially when you're juggling other work. You don't want proofreading to become the thing you do at midnight the day before launch.

Proofreading is careful work, so it needs time to do it properly

Proofreading looks simple from the outside. It's tempting to think, ‘It's just typos.’ However, good proofreading requires slow, line-by-line reading while checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, typos, consistency and style.

Proofreaders work at different speeds depending on the material. A clear business report usually moves faster than a dense technical document. Fiction can be faster again, but it still needs attention.

Most proofreaders can typically work within ranges like these:

Technical and medical material often takes around 1,000 to 1,500 words per hour.
Business and non-fiction documents usually take around 1,750 to 2,500 words per hour.
Fiction can be quicker, often around 2,500 to 3,500 words per hour.

These ranges might sound pretty fast – until you do the maths. A 25,000-word report can still take almost two days of editing time.

There's another limit people don’t tend to factor in: stamina. Proofreaders often cap deep editing work at roughly 4 to 5 hours a day to stay accurate. After that, concentration begins to drop, and therefore, quality does as well. So, even if someone has a free weekend, they can't safely proofread your 80,000 words in one sitting.

Reviewing: you'll also need time after your document is returned

Proofreading isn't a ‘drop it off, pick it up, publish’ service. Once you get the marked-up document back, you still have work to do. The review stage usually takes longer than people expect and will involve:

Reviewing the changes (often in Track Changes).
Accepting, rejecting, or querying edits.
Answering any queries raised. For example, ‘Is this product name spelt this way throughout?’
Doing a final read-through after your edits have been made.

It's also where you protect your voice because you decide what stays and what goes. For anything longer than a short blog post, plan a proper buffer. If you're submitting to a university, sending a proposal to a client, or uploading a book file, give yourself time to think, not just click ‘Accept All’ and hope.

A simple planning timeline you can adopt for your project

The easiest way to plan around your project deadline is to work backwards.

Start with the date your document must be ready, then work back to when proofreading needs to start, then work back again to when you should contact proofreaders. This removes the guesswork and stops proofreading from being an afterthought.

You can also ask for availability and quotes early, even if your draft isn't 100% finished: contact proofreaders to ask about availability and price. You’ll find that most proofreaders will be booked weeks ahead, and at busy times, it can be months.

A helpful mindset is to treat proofreading like you would booking a photographer for a wedding. You don't wait until the cake is iced to ask if someone's free. You secure the date, then finish the preparation.

Approximate lead times by document type

Use the table below as a starting point. These are approximate practical lead times for the proofreading stage, not the whole writing project. Also, remember to add your own review time after you get the edits back.

    PROJECT TYPE
    TYPICAL LEAD TIME
    NOTES THAT AFFECT TIMING
  


    Blog post (about 1,500 to 2,500 words)
    About 2 days 
    Quick to proof, but you still need to book a slot.
  

    Business or non-fiction document 
    About 1 to 2 weeks 
    Depends on length, layout, and how ‘finished’ the draft is.
  

    Manuscript (novel or book-length non-fiction) 
    About 2 to 4 weeks 
    Longer books take longer to proof (consider manuscript editing beforehand, whether for self-publishing or traditional publishing via a literary agent); fantasy often needs extra consistency checks for names and terms. 
  

    Thesis or dissertation 
    About 3 to 4 weeks 
    Longer documents (up to around 100,000 words) often need closer to 4 weeks.
  

The takeaway is simple: the longer and denser the text, the earlier you should book. Also, if your document includes unusual names, tables, references, or specialist language, allow extra time. And for big projects, don't forget to leave time for questions and follow-ups.

Backwards planning: how to count from your deadline without panic

Here's a simple way to plan that works for business documents, self-publishing, and academic work.

Set your final deadline. Use the date it must be submitted, printed, posted, or uploaded, not your ‘ideal’ date.
Block your author review time. For longer work, a week is common. For short pieces, a day might be enough.
Add the proofreader's time. Base it on word count and complexity, not hope. If it's a technical document, assume the slower end.
Add a safety buffer. Build in time for illness, last-minute edits, or a slow approval cycle at work.

When you have a timeline in place, contact proofreaders to book a slot first (you will probably need to pay a booking fee or deposit to secure your chosen slot in their schedule), then write towards the hand-in date you've agreed. That flips the pressure into something more useful – a clear target, not an open-ended ‘I’ll finish soon’.

Red flags that mean you're leaving it too late

Late booking happens for normal reasons: work gets busy, writing takes longer than expected, and deadlines creep up. Still, a few warning signs almost always lead to a rushed proof, or no proof at all.

Some timelines don't just feel tight, they're totally unworkable. If any of the situations below sound familiar, treat them as a warning light!

The biggest red flag for a proofreader is when you're asking for a short turnaround time for a long document. Another one is when your draft is still far from finished, yet you're trying to book someone for next week. You can't proofread a document that's still being rewritten.

There's no judgement here. Deadlines sneak up on everyone. But it helps to be honest about what quality work needs: unbiased feedback from an impartial third party.

If you need a huge job turned around in days, quality will suffer

Here’s a realistic example: imagine you have a 90,000 to 100,000-word document and you want it proofread in three days.

Even at a brisk pace of 2,500 words an hour, 100,000 words is about 40 hours of focused proofreading. Now add the reality that many proofreaders limit deep editing to around 4 to 5 hours a day, and you're looking at a minimum of around eight working days, not three. And that’s always assuming the proofreader doesn’t have any other work scheduled during the time you’re looking at.

On top of that, big documents need consistency checks. Names, character consistency, headings, formatting inconsistencies, punctuation choices, and reference style all take time to verify. When you squeeze the schedule, the proofreader has fewer options. They either work too many hours in one sitting and miss things, or they rush through and miss things, or they say no. None of these options helps you.

If the schedule forces speed, accuracy pays the price. A rushed proof often means missed typos and weaker consistency checks.

Your draft isn’t finalised, but you're trying to book at the last minute

Another common trap looks like this: you finish writing, and only then do you start searching for a proofreader. This is when you discover everyone's booked, and now your deadline is a week away, with no margin to catch typos or apply that vital final polish.

The fix is simple: reach out when you're close to final, not perfect. Share your estimated word count and your likely handover date. Many proofreaders will pencil you in, then confirm the slot once your draft is locked.

This also helps you finish stronger. When you've booked a hand-in date, you stop tinkering and start completing. Your draft becomes a real project, not an endless ‘work in progress’.

How to book a proofreader (even if you don't have a strict deadline)

Booking doesn't need to be complicated. You're not signing your life away; you're starting a working relationship where clear details help both sides. A good freelance proofreader will ask the right questions, and you'll get a faster, clearer quote if you share a few details upfront.

Also, remember that proofreading is a service, not a magic wand. If the draft is messy, the proofreader may suggest editing first. That's a useful sign, not a sales trick. It means they care about the result.

If you're a small business, you might need a proofreader for web pages, brochures, reports, or a monthly blog. If you're an individual, it might be a manuscript, a thesis, or a set of application materials. The process is the same either way.

What to send when you request availability and a quote

Your initial email or message to a proofreader should include the basics. This keeps the conversation short and helps them give you an accurate quote and a realistic timeline.

Document type and purpose: blog post, website copy, report, manuscript, thesis, and what it's for.
Word count: exact if you can, estimated if that’s all you have at the moment.
Subject area: business, non-fiction, fiction, medical, STEM, or specialist topics following industry standards.
Your deadline: include the date you need it back, not just when you'll send it, plus any fixed dates, like printing or submission.
File format: Word, PDF, or other.
Style preferences: house style or a style guide, style sheet, spelling choice (e.g. British or US English), and any ‘don't change this’ notes.
Anything that needs consistency checks: unusual names, invented terms, product names, branded phrases. Consistency checking takes extra attention, and it's better to flag it early.

If you can share a short sample or a couple of pages, that can also help, especially for technical writing or heavily formatted documents within the publishing process.

No deadline? Pick a ‘ready for proof’ date and still book early

Even without a fixed deadline, you’ll still benefit from a plan of action. Self-publishing and marketing often involve other moving parts, a cover design, formatting, launch emails, ads and print dates. Everything tends to run more smoothly when you set dates and stick to them.

Choose a realistic ‘ready for proof’ date, then book a proofreader for that week. This stops the project from dragging on for months. It also gives you a clear finish line, which is often what you need to stop tweaking!

Also, remember that proofreaders are human. Leaving space for weekends and regular breaks helps them stay sharp. A sensible schedule makes for better work on both sides – a timeline that allows breathing room usually leads to cleaner, more confident copy.

Final thoughts

If you're asking yourself when you should look for a professional proofreader, the best answer is now, or at least as soon as you can see the finish line. Remember that proper proofreading takes time. You'll also need time to review the amendments and changes, and diaries fill up quickly.

The goal here isn't speed – it's accuracy and peace of mind.

Check your deadline, estimate your word count, and work backwards with a buffer. Then contact a few proofreaders early and book a slot. Your future self will thank you, and your readers will see the difference in the quality of your words.

If you’re looking for a proofreader for your document, get in touch for your free, no-obligation quote today!

Frequently Asked Questions

Contact one as soon as you have a clear deadline and a rough word count. Even if you're still polishing, you can ask about availability and likely turnaround times.
Proofreading is the final quality check, usually after the content and structure are settled.
Copyediting happens earlier and can include clearer wording, smoother flow, and heavier consistency work. If your draft still changes a lot, ask whether you need copyediting first.
Most can, but it's often slower and less flexible than a Word document.
If you want tracked changes and easy fixes, Word is usually the simplest option. However, you should always use a PDF when the layout must stay fixed, such as for final print proofs.
Because these are the main details that affect the timeline and price.
Dense technical writing usually takes longer than plain business copy. Word count also helps to plan the job around other client work.
Often, yes, but not always.
Short jobs are quicker to complete. However, they still need a space in someone's diary. Booking as early as you can is also useful if your work sits near busy periods.