Hey All,
We are at about the halfway point for Q1 V38, and I know everyone will start wrapping things up on their entries here soon. So for all the new people and the well-traveled word warriors on here ...
I have an open standing offer for PROOFREADING contest entry stories. This is absolutely FREE, I never charge for WotF stories. This is a helping hand only as I know lots of folks on here help with critiques and such, but sometimes right before we hit 'submit' it's nice to get some fresh eyes on the story to find those extra words or missing quotation marks, etc. 😉
To help clarify what proofreading is:
Proofreaders give the the story or typeset text a final line-by-line scan to catch major editorial errors, typos and misspellings, and formatting issues.
This is not copyediting or developmental editing. This is NOT a critique. I'm only offering to help you submit as clean a story as possible. Dave may not mark you down over the little things, but what if it comes down to your story and one other one, and a few typos or bugs are what swings it? That would blow monkey chunks, right?
So, who am I?
My name is Alicia, I've entered the contest (a lot!), and I recently took the proofreader test for, passed, and have been brought onto the proofreading team of a mid-sized Indie publisher; I was recently offered an opportunity to work on a book project with another Indie publisher; I volunteer on the editorial team of one of the speculative magazines that I slush for (I read slush for two online magazines, one spec and the other spec/literary); and I proofread technical/training manuals as part of my job duties in said "day job".
(FYI: I use the Chicago Manual of Style 16/17th editions as my reference source.)
Is a single proofreader going to catch every typo or error in a manuscript? Nope. But I'll catch a whole bunch of them and help you submit a shinier short story! ♥
~Alicia
V32: HM (Q4)
V33: HM, HM, SHM, HM
V34: R, R, HM, HM
V35: HM, HM, R, HM
V36: R, R, SHM, R
V37: SHM, FINALIST, HM, SHM
V38: SF, X, SHM, SHM
V39: SHM, tbd, tbd
https://aliciacay.com
I can vouch for Alicia (not that her credentials don't speak for themselves)! She's an excellent proofreader. My grammar is better for her existence. 
R, 3rd place Q4 v36!!!
Stories in Apocalyptic, Cossmass Infinites x2! PodCastle, Spirit Machine; forthcoming in Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Apex Magazine, Human Monsters
I can vouch for Alicia (not that her credentials don't speak for themselves)! She's an excellent proofreader. My grammar is better for her existence.
I second the motion! Alicia's awesome. She's helped me out with this kind of thing more than once. 
If you are in difficulties with a book, try the element of surprise: attack it at an hour when it isn't expecting it. ~ H.G. Wells
If a person offend you, and you are in doubt as to whether it was intentional or not, do not resort to extreme measures; simply watch your chance and hit him with a brick. ~ Mark Twain
R, SF, SHM, SHM, SHM, F, R, HM, SHM, R, HM, R, F, SHM, SHM, SHM, SF, SHM, 1st Place (Q2 V38)
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