Proofreading Services; Human vs AI
As humans, it’s only natural that we make mistakes from time to time. That’s why, when it comes to writing, proofreading services are an essential part of the process. Regardless of what you are writing, whether it’s a cover letter, an article, or a novel, it’s important to proofread your work before sharing it with an audience. From sentence structure and flow to grammar and punctuation, there are a plethora of mistakes that you can remedy before you submit your finalised copy.
While it is important for you to proofread your work yourself, it is equally important to have another set of eyes, so to speak, on everything you write. That second set of eyes can catch some important edits that you may have never caught yourself. But who can you trust to proofread your work? Well, there are several different options available to you in both human and artificial intelligence forms. In this article, we are going to break down the different ways you can acquire online proofreading services and how they can proofread your work for you.
AI Proofreading Services
The first type of proofreading services that we are going to discuss is AI or artificial intelligence proofreading. AI proofreading services are online services that proofread using natural language processing (NLP). This allows the programme to identify mistakes and make vocabulary, spelling, grammatical, and punctuation suggestions.
For those who have never used an AI online proofreading programme before, you should know that they are quite simple. It is as easy as copying and pasting your copy into the programme and hitting a button. Within seconds, any errors in the text will be highlighted and ready for you to proofread. Some of them even act as add-ons to your favourite word processing software allowing you to make edits in real-time. No need to copy and paste. Every error gets highlighted as you write.
One of the criticisms of AI online proofreading services sites is that they fail to take in things like tone and context, which can be limiting to a writer’s expression. When it comes to expressing things like humour, colloquialisms, common phrases, and more, sometimes we need to communicate outside the rules of the written word. Where AI proofreading services software will pick up on all the grammatical and structural inaccuracies, it won’t understand the complexities of context, tone, and creative expression. This is a small but important dividing line between AI proofreading and human proofreading.
When it comes to AI online proofreading services, there are quite a few who offer free and paid services. Some of the most popular programmes are Grammarly, Google Translate, and ProWritingAid. While they offer similar interfaces, the fundamentals of each of these proofreading programmes are the same. To offer grammatically, structurally, and tonally accurate text.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a cloud-based writing assistant that reviews spelling, punctuation, grammar, and delivery mistakes. It uses AI to identify errors and search for suitable replacements for the identified error. You can download the app which connects easily to many different platforms and word processing software. This enables you to edit in real-time. You can also copy and paste your text directly into the website allowing you to make edits there.
Additionally, Grammarly offers a free service that provides basic spelling and grammar editing. For more thorough edits that speak to sentence structure and flow, a paid subscription is available. While the paid subscription can prove to be a bit costly, its versatility and ease of use make it worthwhile. Grammarly also allows you to choose what language to proofread in, but what if you need to transplace something to a completely different language?
Google Translate
Google translate isn’t your typical online proofreading application. It uses an online database of linguistical information gathered from documents and transcripts of the European Parliament and United Nations. While Google Translate may not be the best online proofreading services available, it has become popularised amongst many to help translate text from one language to another. It is versatile as it supports over 109 languages, and can be used for spoken word, website, document, handwritten, mobile app, and image translations.
It has, however, come under scrutiny for its inaccuracy. This is because of indirect translation of the text from one language to another. All text is first translated to English before being translated into its final linguistic form. This can often result in continuity and translation errors. Additionally, the text is translated one sentence at a time which can greatly affect context and tone.
ProWritingAid
Like Grammarly, ProWritingAid is a user-friendly, versatile proofreading services that allow you to proofread in real-time. By connecting directly to your preferred word processing software, ProWritingAid, not only provides you with suggestions to replace errors in your copy but also acts as a writing coach.
By providing a combination of suggestions, quizzes, videos, and articles, ProWritingAid can also be used to improve your writing skills. Additionally, ProWritingAid offers both free and paid subscription options, much like Grammarly. On the downside, it had been blamed for lag time with larger documents. It is recommended that anything over 500 words, be edited in increments. This helps to speed up the processing time.
Now, you have an idea of what to expect from AI proofreading services. They will identify and suggest corrections on things like grammar, style, and plagiarism. AI does not, however, take into consideration things like tone or creative expression. While things like tone and context might not be as important in an academic or professional document, they could drastically change how a fictional story could be impacted by a lack of creative expression. These are things that might be better suited to a human counterpart like a freelance professional.
Freelancer Proofreading
A professional freelance proofreader is an independent who can proofread your work for spelling, grammar, and structure. He/she can also ensure style and tone are preserved. Freelancers often take on a variety of clients and work independently.
Freelance proofreaders have the human element to identify freedom of expression, tone, and context, while still editing for grammar and spelling. Additionally, you can establish expectations directly with the individual rather than the company they work for. This gives you the freedom to bargain towards more mutually agreeable terms.
In the past, it was difficult to work with freelancers. It was unsure who you could trust to deliver a product worth paying for. There wasn’t always a guaranteed sense of security for either party. The internet has made it a safer place to work and hire a freelancer. Websites like Upwork and Freelancer.com have made it safe and easy to hire freelancers. We will take a look at how each of these websites operates in a bit. But first, let’s talk about how to find a professional freelance proofreader.
Freelancer Websites
The advent of freelancer websites has made it far easier to find the right person for the job at the price you want to pay. First, you need to establish the terms of the job, your expectations, and what you are willing to pay. When searching through applicants on freelancer websites, you will have resources to help. Each candidate will have a profile featuring past jobs, reviews, portfolios, rates, and more. Something you can do to attract ideal candidates is to provide as many details about the job and your expectations as possible.
This helps weed out candidates who are not qualified or experienced. Some even choose to include instructions in the job Ad to eliminate candidates who are not serious about the job. These tips will help to not only attract the right candidates but also help you decide on the perfect proofreader for your manuscript.
We’ve established what are looking for, a budget, and expectations. Let’s take a look at some of the places we put our knowledge to good use and hire an excellent freelance proofreader.
Upwork.com
Upwork is a freelancer platform that people around the world use to hire for both long-term and short-term projects. You can use it to add permanent staff members to your team or hire someone to complete a single project for you. Their freelancers are made up of people from around the world who specialise in a multitude of different areas. From writing and web design to voice-overs and proofread services.
You begin by placing an ad illustrating the job requirements, expectations, and pay range. Freelancers will place a bid on the job. You review their bid, their profile, and their qualifications. When you are ready to hire someone, you submit payment to Upwork. Upwork holds the payment until you review the final product and agree to release the funds. It’s incredibly user-friendly, cost-effective, and fast.
Freelancer.com
Like Upwork, Freelancer is a platform that brings freelancer talent to potential jobs. When you submit an ad for a proofreading job that you want to be done, freelance proofreaders can bid on your job. That your time to review their profiled and previous work experience. Once you’ve hired someone to proofread your work, submit your payment with is held in escrow until you approve the work. This is also very user-friendly, budget-friendly, and effective.
When it comes to hiring a freelance proofreader, there can be some uncertainty in the beginning. However, hiring a freelancer can be a relatively inexpensive way to get a job completed to your standards. Also, you get proofreading services that can consider the artistic expression, tone, and context, unlike AI. If you want the best of both worlds, there is an option that provides the efficacy of AI proofreading with the human element of a freelance proofreader. Companies that employ professional proofreaders and provide proofreading services.
Companies Proofreading Services
When it comes to acquiring online proofreading services, there are many companies that you can hire to provide that service. They will take your copy and pass it along to one of their in-house professional proofreaders. These are professional linguists who represent that company. From this point, the company assumes all responsibility for the project until you as a client is satisfied with the results. Unlike working with freelance proofreaders or those who proofread AI, the results will be guaranteed.
The problem with using companies that provide online proofreading services is that they can be costly. Unlike freelance and AI options, there is more overhead involved with running a company. These extra operating costs are typically rolled into the price of their services. However, those extra operating costs are also what allow online proofreading services companies to guarantee job satisfaction.
Hiring a Professional Proofreader
When it comes to hiring someone to proofread your work, the options are almost endless. Through the magic of the internet, you can work with the best from around the world. There is no shortage of companies offering online proofreading services. All one needs to do is google “proofreading services” to get twenty pages of results. Or you can go straight to the professionals at Renaissance Translations. One of our professional proofreaders will ensure your manuscript is grammatically, structurally, and stylistically perfect before it leaves your hands.
Regardless of whether you choose an AI, freelancer, or online proofreading services company to proofread your work, there is one thing that all three choices have in common. That’s the fundamentals of being able to proofread your work well. Identify and offer replacements for spelling, grammar, structure, tone, and style errors. AI has the edge in offering perfection. Writing free of any human error that breaks absolutely no language rules.
The human element in freelance proofreaders and companies that offer proofreading services is what allows for tone and creative expression. Surpassing all that by combining the efficacy of AI proofreading, with the sense of artistic expression that a freelancer can ensure. Add the reliability that one gets from hiring an accredited business and you’ve got Renaissance Translations. We offer impeccable proofreading services at reasonable prices. Contact us today to let us know how we can help proofread your work.
Contact Renaissance Translations for professional proofreading services!
To guarantee an adept and professional proofreader is always available when needed, we have pooled the talents of native translators and thousands of professional linguists internationally. If you want to discuss your proofreading services project, please contact our project managers at info@renaissance-translations.com or call us on 0161 3940408.
