Who we are...
ProofProfessor was set up in late 2012 by Matt Rance. Matt (left) followed the relatively standard route of an English degree and a love of books to begin a career in publishing at Kogan Page. A few years later he set up his own imprint, Flicks Books, commissioning titles on film and the early moving image. He worked with a wide range of academic authors, including Fredric Jameson, Annette Kuhn and David Bordwell, and in collaboration with directors such as David Cronenberg, Ken Loach and Jan Švankmajer, and institutions such as De Montfort University and the Imperial War Museum.
After intervening spells as a photographer and internet bookseller, and beginning to write his own fiction, Matt returned to his first love: text. Teaming up with Alex, bringing skills in account acquisition and social media, the idea of ProofProfessor was born.
The central idea of our business is to develop the use of technology to improve, but not replace, ‘human eye’ proofreading: Computer-Assisted Proofreading (CAP). This software – unique to us – is designed to overcome the shortcomings of traditional proofreading practices, as well as to drastically reduce the donkey work. Our aim is not only to deliver projects to the highest possible standards, but also to streamline, accelerate and economise the whole process. Such advantages can only be achieved with technology. As a result, ProofProfessor is excited to be pioneering editorial and proofreading solutions in a service sector that is, in our view, both old-fashioned and acutely overpriced, and rapidly changing towards self-publishing.
We have worked on over 32 million words – some 600 titles – from modern horror fiction to primary hyperaldosteronism in cats to The X Factor, and are pleased to have clients as far afield as New York, Dubai, Zürich and London.
Matt is a member of English PEN, listens to The Necks, and collects comedy books. Alex enjoys 1960s films noirs, speaks German, and plays the bass guitar.