You have written your story. Maybe you have already had it edited. The plot works, the characters feel real, and the words flow the way you want them to. But before it goes to print or goes live online, it needs one more careful pass.
This is where proofreading comes in. It is the final check. It catches the small things that get missed after months of writing and rewriting, things like a missing full stop, a repeated word, or a typo that slipped past everyone, including you.
We usually reply within one business day.
- built for kids’ books
At Purple Giraffe Press, we offer children’s book proofread services built specifically for kids’ books. We know how picture books, early readers and chapter books are put together, and we know what small errors look like on a printed page versus a screen. We read every page slowly and carefully, because your book deserves that kind of attention.
- what it includes
Proofreading is not the same as editing. By the time your manuscript reaches us, we assume the story itself is finished. Our job is to check the details. Here is what that includes.
We go through your manuscript line by line, looking for spelling mistakes, grammar slips, and small errors that spellcheck tools often miss. Software cannot tell the difference between “there” and “their” if both are spelled correctly. A human eye can.
Children’s books often use dialogue, short punchy sentences, and playful formatting. We check that punctuation is consistent, that quotation marks are used correctly, and that spacing and line breaks look right on the page.
Character names, place names, and small story details need to stay the same from the first page to the last. We track these details and flag anything that changes partway through, like a character’s eye colour switching or a name being spelled two different ways.
If your book is heading to print, we also check how the text sits alongside illustrations, page numbers, and chapter headings. We make sure nothing is cut off, squashed, or out of place once the book is laid out.
If your book is going out as an ebook, we also look at how the text will appear on a screen. Line breaks and spacing can shift when a file is converted to an ebook format, so we check for any awkward breaks or formatting issues that might pop up along the way.
- who we help
Our clients come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they all want the same thing: a clean, polished manuscript before it goes out into the world.
No matter which of these describes you, the goal is the same. You want your book to look and read the way you imagined it, without any small errors pulling the reader out of the story.
- what to look for
Not every proofreader understands children’s books. A good childrens book proofreader needs a slightly different skill set to someone who proofreads adult novels or business documents. Here is what to look for.
- specialist care
Proofreading children’s books takes more care than people expect. A children’s book usually has far fewer words than a novel, which means every single word carries more weight. One typo on a page with twenty words stands out a lot more than one typo on a page with three hundred.
There are other challenges too.
This is why proofreading children’s books is treated as its own specific skill at Purple Giraffe Press, not just a smaller version of proofreading for adult fiction. We take the same care with a thirty page picture book as we would with a much longer manuscript, because every page matters just as much either way.
- our catalog
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Children Book - how it works
We keep our process simple and easy to follow, from the first email to the final file.
Send through your manuscript in a Word document or similar file. Let us know the age group you are writing for and whether the book is heading to print or going digital first.
We look at your manuscript and give you a straightforward quote based on word count and the state the manuscript is in. There are no surprise costs added later.
Our team reads through your book carefully, checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency. We track changes so you can see exactly what has been adjusted.
We send back your manuscript with tracked changes and comments. You can accept, reject, or ask questions about anything we have flagged.
Once you are happy with everything, we deliver a clean final file, ready for print or publishing. If anything needs a second look after that, just let us know, and we will sort it out together.
- the payoff
Working with a proofreader who understands children’s books, rather than a general proofreading service, makes a real difference.
- why they choose us
There are plenty of general proofreading services out there. Here is why authors choose to work with us specifically for their children’s books.
The Purple Giraffe Press TeamAustralian Children’s Publisher This is not a side service for us. Children’s books are what we focus on, and we understand the age groups, formats, and styles involved.
You will know the cost before we start any work. No hidden fees, no last-minute changes to the quote.
As a book proofreader in Australia, we understand local spelling, local publishing standards, and we are easy to reach in your own time zone.
Your book has taken time and effort to write. We respect that, and we proofread with a light touch that protects your voice.
You will always know where your manuscript is in the process, and you can ask us questions at any point along the way.
- author love
- pricing
The cost of proofreading a children’s book depends on a few things, including word count, how polished the manuscript already is, and how quickly you need it back. A short picture book with a few hundred words will cost less than a longer chapter book with tens of thousands of words.
Rather than guess at a price, we look at your actual manuscript first and give you a clear, honest quote before any work begins. That way you know exactly what to expect, with no surprises later.
If you are still deciding whether proofreading is worth the investment, think about it this way. A printed run of books is expensive to redo. Catching an error before printing costs far less than fixing it after the books are already off the press.
- explore more
We sharpen your pacing and clarity while keeping your unique voice at the centre of the story
Learn more about EditingWe create front, back, and spine layouts that grab a reader’s attention. Unlike many publishing companies for children’s books, we show you enuinely different options rather than just colour swaps
Learn more about Book Cover DesignHonest, affordable promotion that gets your children’s book seen and loved on Amazon, Kindle, and beyond
Learn more about Book PromotionWe take care of the logistics, ISBNs, and platform registrations so you don’t have to learn the technicalities from scratch
Learn more about Book Publishing ManagementWe match you with an artist who understands your characters and work through sketches together before any final painting begins
Learn more about Custom IllustrationsWe build clean, functional sites that help readers and event organisers find you easily
Learn more about Author Websites- get in touch
Share your idea or manuscript and we will come back within one business day with a friendly, no-pressure plan and a free estimate.
We usually reply within one business day.
- the final check
Your book is close to ready. Let us take care of the final check, so you can send it out into the world knowing it has been read carefully, page by page. Get in touch with Purple Giraffe Press today and send through your manuscript for a straightforward quote.
- good to know
Honest answers to the questions authors ask us most. If yours is not here, a quick consultation will cover it.
Book a Free Consultation →Turnaround time depends on the length of your manuscript and how busy our schedule is at the time. We will give you an estimated timeframe once we have seen your book.
Yes. We work across picture books, early readers, and chapter books, adjusting our approach to suit the age group and format of each one.
Editing looks at the bigger picture, things like plot, structure, and character. Proofreading is the final check for spelling, grammar, punctuation, and consistency once the writing itself is finished.
It helps if your manuscript is already in a finished state. Proofreading works best as the last step, after any bigger structural changes have been made.
Yes. We can check text within a laid-out file, including how it sits alongside illustrations and page breaks.
No. Proofreading is meant to catch errors, not rewrite your voice. Any changes we suggest are aimed at fixing mistakes, not altering how you write.
Get in touch, and we can discuss the best way to give you a feel for our proofreading style before you go ahead with the full project.
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