Proofreading, editing & Humanising AI

Every word, read by a real person.

I'm Michael. For thirteen years I've helped students and businesses sharpen their writing — these days, that often means taking a draft written with AI and making it sound like a real person again.

Native English Students & businesses One-to-one
Michael, proofreader
Written with AI?

I'll review it and make it sound human again.

A lot of the work that I receive started life in an AI tool. That's honestly fine, but it tends to be bland, a bit generic, and never quite like you.

So I go through it the way a person does: I put back the warmth, the rhythm and the little human touches, and hand you something that genuinely sounds like you wrote it. Your tutor, your client, your reader shouldn't be left wondering where it came from — and they won't be.

 AI draft, then humanised
AI draft

It is important to note that this solution leverages a robust framework to deliver optimal outcomes across a range of contexts.

Humanised

In short, it works — and it works in more than one place. Here's what that means for you.

What I do

A second pair of eyes you can actually talk to.

It's never just a typo hunt. I read your work the way a real reader would — so it flows, sounds natural, and says exactly what you meant to say. Students or businesses, I treat every document as if my own name were on it too.

  • Assignments
  • Dissertations
  • Theses
  • Reports
  • Journal articles
  • Business documents
  • Website content
Michael reading through a document
“I read every line myself — and I tell you exactly what changed, and why.”
Michael · Proofreader
How it works

Simple, personal, no black box.

1

Send it over

Tell me about the document and your deadline. I'll get back to you — usually the same day — with a fair, no-pressure quote.

2

I read it properly

I go through every line, fix what needs fixing, and — just as importantly — talk you through the changes: what I altered, what I left, and why.

3

Back to you, on time

You get a cleaner, clearer piece you're proud of — and a sharper feel for your own writing the next time round.

Why a person, not a program

A reader hears what software can't.

A spellchecker catches the obvious and shrugs at the rest — the wrong "their", the line that's grammatically fine but says the wrong thing, the word your eye quietly fills in. It can't hear tone, and it can't tell when a sentence just isn't you.

That's the part I'm here for. Whether your draft is all your own or started in an AI tool, it gets the same thing: a real person, reading properly.

  • Natural, native English — the way a fluent person would actually say it.
  • Your voice, kept intact — I suggest, I never impose.
  • Peace of mind when it counts — a thesis, or your reputation on the line.

Ready to have your work read properly?

A fair, no-pressure quote — usually the same day.

About me

Hello — I'm Michael.

I've spent the best part of 13 years reading other people's writing for a living, and I still genuinely love it. Give me a draft you're worried about and I'll hand it back saying exactly what you hoped — only better.

I'm a native English speaker, and this is what I do — not a sideline. Nervous final-year students, PhD researchers racing a deadline, businesses who can't afford a clumsy line in front of a client — and, increasingly, people who've leaned on AI and want it to sound human again. Different people, same quiet worry: have I got this right? My job is to take that worry off your plate.

Michael
“Clear writing gives people confidence. That's really the bit I'm in it for.”
Michael · Proofreader
What a day looks like

The unglamorous, careful bit.

Mostly it's reading closely, one line at a time. Spelling and punctuation are the easy part — the real work is whether each sentence makes sense, whether the argument holds, and whether it sounds like a person rather than a template. Where something's off, I fix it and tell you why; and if a whole section's got itself in a tangle, we talk it through rather than me guessing.

~13
Years proofreading
7
Kinds of work
1:1
Always with me

Fancy a chat about your document?

No obligation, no jargon — just tell me what you're working on.

Get a quote

Let's sort out a price.

Fill in what you can and I'll come back to you myself — usually the same day, always with a straight answer. No obligation, and if I'm not the right fit I'll happily tell you.

Thanks — that's come through to me. I'll get back to you personally, usually the same day. You can also email me any time at mhbarney66@yahoo.co.uk.

I'll reply personally, and promptly.