Enhancing words and ensuring accessibility
H Noss Proofreads is a proofreading service for anyone who relies on the written word to show the quality of their work – whether it’s a website or an entire book. I work primarily with publishers, independent authors, and inclusive businesses.
I’m a team of one (with two office dogs), and I enhance your words by eliminating distractions for your readers.
My story
I’ve always been a book dragon, and I always spotted typos and mistakes in books I read. I often found myself struggling to read blog posts and articles that were laden with errors, no matter how informative or relevant they were to me.
Alongside hoarding books, I’ve also been a writer ever since I can remember. When I started taking my writing seriously, I joined a local writing critique group and found I worked best with spotting errors. Many were easy to miss – double spaces, missing punctuation, and typos that spell check just couldn’t spot (like “that” versus “than”).
However, I also found how easy it is to gloss over my own mistakes. That made me keen to help others, and led to me pursuing proofreading as a freelance career.
While software is getting better, errors are still prevalent and new errors can be added in all the time. The rise of AI has also shown me how important it is to have a human check for mistakes; LLMs and automated software add even more errors in, like “dead” instead of “dear”.
I worked with the Prince’s Trust Enterprise programme to set up my proofreading business. With their coaching, support from the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and mentorship from the Society of Young Publishers, I began my professional journal as a proofreader.
Another part of my business is my work as an authenticity reader. I support authors to include non-binary and neurodivergent characters in their stories, with one key goal: to help authors feel confident about representing characters with identities that don’t match their own.
An important part of my work is making my clients feel confident about their work and comfortable in knowing that I will never pressure you to change something you want to keep in. Every suggestion I make is just that: a suggestion.
I know how hard it is to deal with criticism, no matter how well-intentioned, especially when it’s your own work and your words. This is especially important for neurodivergent writers. Because of this, I will never push you to accept all of the changes I make. You always retain control of your writing when you work with me.
Psst… I hid a mistake in this section. Did you spot it? Let me know!
Accessibility
Ensuring the accessibility of your text so your readers find it easy to read. It’s essential to be accessible on the web.
Sustainability
My work is completely paperless – everything is done digitally, from email to Microsoft Word.
Quality
I ensure quality across platforms, whether you’re attracting customers with your website or publishing your own book.
Inclusivity
Everyone should be given the same opportunities and the same welcome, regardless of what makes us different.
Consistency
I remove confusion by being consistent in my work, your work, and our communication.
Flexibility
Not everything has to be done by forcing industry standards. If you want to write a certain way, I’ll keep it that way, no matter what the rules say.
The Team
Han Noss
Proofreader & Authenticity Reader
Puddle
Admin Assistant, often says hello during meetings
Bear
Security Consultant, often barks during meetings
