Do we even need proofreading or editing these days? We have spell checkers. They can do that, can’t they?
No, unfortunately they can not. The spell checkers in Word and Co. are still not reliable. After all, the AI learns from the Internet and consequently collects all the errors and nonsense that clever authors leave there. This results in things like this:
„A dream of softness and warmth awaits you with our affordable children’s pajamas.“
Interim question: Why does the dream await me when my child is supposed to wear the pajamas? The next heading also raises questions:
„Boys‘ long-sleeved shirt: A versatile wardrobe hero“
Does that mean there’s a hero living in my child’s wardrobe? What is he doing there and who invited him? Here’s another gem from the word salad category:
„A bright smile on your child’s face is priceless, especially when it comes to dressing them up fashionably.“
I’ve read this sentence over and over again and I still can’t find any sense in it. If you can, please enlighten me.
Sometimes the AI also gives strange advice:
„Remember that baby boys like to put everything in their mouths. Therefore, it is important that the scarf you buy is safe for your baby. Make sure it doesn’t have any loose parts or sharp edges that could harm your baby.“
Of course, we all know those scarves with the loose parts and razor sharp edges. Extreme caution is advised here! Want another one?
„Skirts with pockets are not only handy for little treasures that children like to collect, but can also help the skirt last longer as it is less likely to wear out from constant reaching into the pockets.“
No, don’t worry. Your brain is working perfectly. This sentence – created by the AI - actually doesn’t make the slightest sense.
We see: humans are superior to machines because they can do something that machines can’t. They can work out the linguistic subtleties and convey the subliminal messages in a text. A good text is like good music. It picks us up where we are and draws us in. It speaks not only to our minds, but above all to our feelings. The AI has no idea about this and I very much hope it will stay that way.
So would you like to have German texts that you have written yourself or that have been created by the AI proofread and/or edited?
My services
Basically, I offer two services: proofreading and editing. When proofreading, I limit myself to spelling and grammar. Editing includes a style check, e.g.: Does the sentence make sense as a whole? Can it be read smoothly or is it too convoluted? Are there any phrases that are more likely to be associated with colloquial language? etc.
Prices:
| Proofreading per standard page | €4.00 | $4.30 |
| Editing per standard page | €5.00 | $5.40 |
According to the German DIN standard, a page consists of 1,800 characters. I therefore use the number of characters in the source document as the basis for calculation. An example calculation for editing could therefore look like this:
- 27,000 characters including spaces
- divided by 1,800 characters (equal to one standard page according to DIN)
- results in = 15 standard pages
- 15 standard pages * €5.00 = €75.00 ($5.40 = $81.00)
Texts must always be available as a Word document or in a compatible format. PDF documents must be copyable and transferable to Word.
All prices include VAT, as I apply the small business rule according to Section 19 of the German VAT Act.
If you would like to use my services, just send an email to petra@kunti-edition.com. I am looking forward to your message.