[rhadin]

Originally Posted by RolandD

I was trying to present a plausible and feasible alternative to PROFESSIONAL copy editors.

You get what you pay for. A professional copyeditor brings to the table many things that few hobbyists do, not least of which is having the appropriate tools available to do the job competently. You might want to read the following articles (and the linked articles in them) to get an idea of what is involved:

• Editor, Editor, Everywhere an Editor
• The Missing Ingredient: Grammar Skills
• Finding a Professional Editor: The Needle in the Haystack Problem
• I Published My Book But Readers Keep Finding Errors
• On Words & eBooks: Give Me a Brake!
• The Professional Editor’s Bookshelf

Professional editors and proofreaders are significantly more skilled than the average hobbyist.