Definition
Galley proof
A galley proof is an early typeset version circulated for correction and review before final pages are set. The name survives from the metal trays that held type before it was made up into pages.
In modern practice galleys and advance reader copies overlap: an uncorrected proof goes to reviewers, bloggers and trade press months ahead of publication, marked clearly as uncorrected so quoted errors are not held against the finished book. For a self-published author the equivalent is a digital proof sent to an ARC team — and the same rule applies: label it, or an early typo becomes a public review.
Related tools & guides
See your manuscript as a typeset book
Ceeryo typesets your .docx manuscript into a print-ready interior PDF at your chosen trim size, plus a clean EPUB. It sets the typography; your words never change.