About me

wooden letters on a cardboard

About Stephen York, professional proofreader

Who am I?

Hello, I am Stephen York, freelance proofreader and a native English speaker. I was born in Leicester but now live in Leicestershire. For over 30 years I have been offering on-screen / digital editorial proofreading services (comprising proofreading, collation, and rewriting) from an office near Leicester, in the UK to the book and journal publishing industry, commercial companies, design and advertising agencies, educational institutions, students, and authors. In that time I have proofread over 2,500 academic and professional books and journal issues in a wide range of subject areas, as well as business documents, marketing literature, and presentations. That’s millions of words!

I am an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP), which means I have achieved the requisite amount of experience and expertise to satisfy their rigorous admissions panel, so you can be assured that your work is in safe hands. See my CIEP Directory entry.

You can view or download my CV.

See what some past and present clients have said about my work on the Testimonials page.

Stephen York, freelance proofreader, has handled over 2,500 books and documents over 30 years, in fact millions of words in a wide variety of subjects. That is experience.

“over 2,500 books, journal issues, and

documents . . . That’s millions of words”

What services do I offer?

Rather than reading paper copy, I offer on-screen and online proofreading and editorial services that include

  • proofreading –
    • regular, or
    • at a budget price (checks limited to spelling, punctuation, and grammar)
  • proofreading with light editing
  • proof collation
  • rewriting and condensing text
  • house style advice and compilation.

I offer proofreading to the academic, business. and education sectors.

Why choose Stephen York as your proofreader?

  • I have a good work ethic, going the extra mile to achieve the required results on time and to budget
  • I am meticulous with detail in correcting text and reporting queries
  • I offer complete confidentiality and security of information handled
  • I have over 30 years’ experience in academic, business, education, and trade publishing in a variety of subjects
  • I offer competitive prices commensurate with what I offer above.

Where am I?

I can work from my office in Wigston, near Leicester, Leicestershire, UK for anyone, anywhere, on electronic files sent by email or FTP sites.

File formats accepted

I will proofread files in the following formats:

  • MS Word files
  • PowerPoint slides
  • PDFs.

(Google Docs not accepted.)

Working on screen is more environmentally friendly as it saves on ink, paper, postage, and other resources. I offer proofreading in a wide variety of media in numerous subject areas, some of which are specialty subjects. 

Software used

  • Windows 10
  • Microsoft Office 365
  • Adobe Acrobat Pro
  • PerfectIt / Intelligent Editing (for checking consistency of spelling, punctuation and style in Word documents)
  • Business-grade antivirus, firewall, and malware, regularly updated.

Tax status

Registered as self-employed freelance with HM Inland Revenue.

Affiliations

I am an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editors and Proofreaders (CIEP).

I am an amateur astronomer and a member of

You can also link here to Astronomy Now Magazine for news articles.

I am a member of the Richard III Society. In their own words on their website: “We have been working since 1924 to secure a more balanced assessment of the king and to support research into his life and times.”

Previous employment experience

  • Estate and property management for a national brewery company:
    • rents
    • rates
    • leases
    • wayleaves
    • safe custody of deeds
    • property appraisals, repairs, and improvements
    • mortgages and debt recovery
    • free trade and tied trade investments.

Interests

  • Astronomy – satellites, space exploration, the Solar System, and cosmology
  • Gardening – growing my own annuals and salad crops to save air miles, providing the slugs do not get them first
  • History – Ancient Greece, Medieval English history, the Wars of the Roses, King Richard III
  • Music – classical, vintage progressive rock, even cheesy pop.
astronaut standing beside american flag on the moon