Now that your paper is done or your novel written, you want to make sure it’s as perfect as possible before turning it in or submitting it to a publisher. Obviously, the first step toward that goal is to proofread your work.
“Huh? My word processing program includes a spell checker and it even checks grammar, too—why should I proofread my document?”
Elementary, my dear Watson: spell/grammar checkers don’t always catch all the typos your work may contain. To prevent (or maybe just lessen) panic at the notion of proofreading, below are some easy steps to guide you through the process:
- Use your word processing program’s spell/grammar check for basic proofreading; it’s a good place to start and usually catches the most egregious errors.
- Don’t blindly accept all the suggestions that spell/grammar check recommends: for instance, in the paragraph above (you know, the one beginning with the Sherlock Holmes cliché), my spell-grammar check recommends a semi-colon rather than a comma between “proofreading” and “below.” Ummm…nope, sorry. That’s not an appropriate place for a semi-colon, but the comma works just fine, thanks.
- Read through your work slowly and carefully—you’ll be surprised at the number of errors a human proofreader will catch that were totally missed by a spell/grammar check program.
- If you have the time, now read your document from end to beginning as part of the proofreading process. Why? Because reading your work backwards focuses your attention on the spelling and grammar; when you read from beginning to end, it’s just human nature to unconsciously fill in missing words and see the correct spelling, even when words are missing or spelling is incorrect.
- Have a friend or family member proof your document. Is it a subject they know little or nothing about? Even better: then their focus will be on grammar and spelling, since they can’t really help you with content!
If all this still sounds too daunting, why not just save yourself the frustration (and possibly your friendships and family relationships, as well), and hire a professional editor from a firm like FirstEditing to not only proofread but also edit your work?
Tags: Professional Editing, professional editor, Proofreading
