What is expected of a proofer

[Carol T.]

What do you expect from a proofer?

I am a recently retired official and have taken on some scoping and proofing as a supplement to my retirement.  Usually I get the final draft to read before it goes out the door, just as another pair of eyes to pick up any errors that might exist.  However, I have had occasion where there were corrections on every page and I felt like it wasn't truly a final draft.  

I'm just looking for some input as far as what reporters expect from a proofer.

[Kelli Combs (admin)]

Here is a link for Scopists and Proofreaders recommended by Reporters.....I think Randall is on this list too.

http://csrnation.ning.com/forum/topics/scopists-proofers-recommended

[Kerry F]

I don't expect a proofread to catch everything.  But missing ten or more obvious errors in 75 to 100 pages is too much.

[Randall Young]

Absolutely it is, Kerry.  Agreed.

[Quyen]

ATTENTION, ATTENTION, ATTENTION to every . . . single . . . detail. If I can quickly pick up something at a glance upon getting work back from a proofer, that job was not done to my expectations. The reasoning is, if I could pick up something at a quick glance that the proofer missed, what else did s/he miss, and why didn't s/he see that? I don't have the time (and I shouldn't have to) to proof my proofer's work--that's what I pay him/her for. And, when I find something the proofer missed, that makes me doubt that the proofer did a thorough job on the entire transcript. Ugh!

Oh, and never -- EVER -- accept a job and then, at the 11th hour, "decide" that you have other obligations, so you can't finish the job and then bail on it. That is utterly unacceptable and completely irresponsible and unprofessional.