To illustrate the importance of proofreading and editing, let's play a quick game I like to call Lost in Translation. I'm going to make up a sentence and translate it from English to Spanish (using Google Translate). Then, I'll take that Spanish sentence and translate it back to English to see if the meaning of the sentence was preserved, or if it was lost in translation. It's very simple, and you can try it out with any sentences or phrases you might think of. Alright, so here's my sentence:

Does this sentence make any sense?

Google Translating this from English to Spanish gives me:

¿Esta frase tiene sentido?

And when I translate that Spanish sentence back to English, I get:

Does this phrase make sense?

Awesome! The wording is a bit different from the original sentence, but the meaning is the same, and so no editing is needed. However, what would happen if I translated the same sentence if it was improperly punctuated? Let's find out...

Does this sentence make any sense

Google Translating this from English to Spanish (without the question mark) gives me:

Esta frase tiene sentido

And when I translate that Spanish sentence back to English, I get:

This phrase makes sense

Uh oh! That's very different from the original sentence! It would need to be edited for it to make any sense. And so, by means of this example, we've highlighted an often overlooked, but very important fact that authors translating their books to English must know: Google Translate will NOT give you a 100% accurate translation of your manuscript! The same can be said for a lot of other translation services and apps as well, especially if they are based in foreign countries or hire translators that don't speak English as their native language. They will only give you a literal, word-for-word translation. And as we've just seen, that can lead to serious mistakes, especially if there are any missed punctuation marks or other grammatical errors in the original document. Honestly, it takes the skills of a native English speaker who truly understands the language to edit sentences and paragraphs (not just words) for both accuracy AND clarity, while at the same time checking for proper grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, etc. And why is this important for you? Because a properly proofread and edited manuscript is easier to read, which will make it appeal to more readers, who in turn are more inclined to leave positive reviews on your book as well as read other books written by you, giving you an ever-growing fan base, which leads to more and more sales and exposure, and ultimately, more money for you!

That's why my editing and proofreading services will prove to be invaluable for you and your book. Want to learn more? Check out the rest of my website for all the information you need!

• Email me a copy of your document
• I will fully proofread and edit your document using Microsoft Word's Track Changes feature so you can easily review my work
• I can proofread and edit a small sample of your document for free to ensure that you will be satisfied with my services (if you aren't satisfied, you will not be charged for the sample)
• After completion and approval, I will send you a PayPal invoice so you can send in your payment for the work done 
• For an additional fee, I can also narrate your document and turn it into an audio book! (for more details, see my narration page)
• If you like my work, refer me to others who you think could use my services!