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Proofreading and editing
Whether this needs a licence in Ireland
No licence required
Taken from the statute below; not yet reviewed by a lawyer
Proofreading and editing: what the job involves
Checking a finished text for spelling, grammar, punctuation, consistency and typos — or, at a deeper level, editing it for clarity, structure and style. It covers business documents, websites, theses, books and reports, in Irish or UK English or another variety as agreed.
Also asked for as: proofreader · proofreading service · editor · thesis proofreading · copy editing
How the job is usually done
- Agree the level of work — proofreading, copy-editing or a structural edit — the word count, style guide and deadline
- Send the document in an editable format, or the final PDF for a proof
- A first pass for spelling, grammar, punctuation and consistency
- A second pass for meaning, flow and anything the first pass missed
- Return the document with tracked changes and comments on queries
- A final check after the author accepts the changes, if agreed
Proofreading and editing: what is included
Usually included
- Correction of spelling, grammar, punctuation and typos
- Consistency of spelling, capitals, numbers and terms
- Tracked changes and comments, so the author decides
- A short list of queries the proofreader could not resolve
Usually not included — agree it separately
- Rewriting or restructuring, unless editing was agreed
- Fact-checking or checking references against sources, unless agreed
- Formatting and layout, unless agreed
- Translation
- Writing any part of an academic assignment for a student
Materials and who supplies them
- The document in Word, Google Docs or PDF — supplied by the customer
- A style guide or referencing system, if any — supplied by the customer or institution
How long it takes
A few thousand words usually take a day or two; a thesis or book takes one to three weeks, depending on the level of editing and the length.
When to book
Book a proofreader for a thesis or book well before the deadline — the end of the academic year is the busiest time.
Proofreading and editing: the rules in Ireland
What the official sources say, checked against them on the date shown. A summary, not legal advice — follow the link to read the rule itself.
A writer or translator who receives documents containing personal data — CVs, certificates, medical or legal papers — must process them lawfully, keep them secure, use them only for the job and not keep them longer than needed. Where they act on behalf of a business, a written processing agreement is required.
Applies to: the writer or translator, and the business that hires them
General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Articles 5, 28 and 32 · eur-lex.europa.eu · Checked 10 October 2026
The author of a written work — the copywriter, CV writer or translator — is the first owner of its copyright, unless they write it as an employee in the course of employment. Paying a freelancer does not by itself transfer the copyright to the customer.
Applies to: the writer, and the customer who commissions the text
Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000, section 23 · irishstatutebook.ie · Checked 10 October 2026
What proofreading and editing costs, and why
What jobs on Talqero came to
Not enough comparable jobs yet to publish a range here. Talqero shows a price range only once at least five comparable jobs, agreed prices or offers exist — a range from fewer would describe a handful of jobs, not the market. Post your job and compare the offers you get.
What affects the price
- Word count
- Level of work: proofread, copy-edit or structural edit
- Condition of the text and the writer’s fluency in the language
- Technical, academic or legal subject matter
- The deadline
What you should get at the end
- The document with tracked changes, and a clean version if agreed
- A list of queries for the author
- A note of the style or spelling conventions applied
- Confirmation that confidential copies have been deleted, if requested
What the provider should hand over
- Return the tracked and clean versions with the list of queries
- Explain the conventions applied
- Offer a final check after the author’s changes, if agreed
Safety
- Students: check your college’s rules on proofreading before hiring anyone — many allow only limited corrections and require you to declare outside help
- Agree confidentiality before sending unpublished manuscripts, business plans or documents with personal data
- Keep your own copy of the original before the changes
Proofreading and editing: before you hire
Questions to ask before you hire
- Is this a proofread or an edit, and what is the difference in your work?
- Will you use tracked changes?
- Do you know my field’s style or referencing system?
- How will you keep my document confidential?
What you can do yourself
Reading your text aloud, a day after writing it, catches more errors than any spell-checker; a professional is worth it for anything printed or published.
What to put in your task
- What level of help do you need?
- How many words is the document?
- What kind of document is it?
- Which English should it follow?
- When do you need it back?
Photos that help
- A sample page or two of the document
- The style guide or referencing system, if any
- Your college’s rules on proofreading, for academic work
Writing and translation
Need proofreading and editing? Describe the job.
Post it once, free. Professionals anywhere in Ireland reply with their own price and when they could start. You choose, and pay them directly.
Questions about proofreading and editing
Does proofreading and editing need a licence in Ireland?
No licence is required for this work in Ireland (source: www.irishstatutebook.ie). Ask instead for references and photographs of similar jobs.
What is the difference between proofreading and editing?
Proofreading catches errors — spelling, grammar, punctuation and typos — in a finished text. Editing goes further, improving clarity, flow and sometimes structure. Editing takes longer and is priced higher.
Can I get my thesis proofread?
Usually, but within your college’s rules. Colleges set their own rules: some allow proofreading for errors only, not rewriting, and ask you to declare it. Check your institution’s policy and share it with the proofreader.
Will a proofreader check my facts and references?
Not unless agreed. A proofreader checks the language and consistency, and may flag something that looks wrong, but checking facts and references against sources is extra work.