Posts Tagged ‘Proofreading’
Tuesday, March 30th, 2010
Editing, whether it is for an academic journal, a short story submission, or a non-fiction manuscript for publishing, always follows basic rules of grammar and punctuation. This blog will help you learn the basic rules of em dashes and ellipses, and how to use them accurately in your work. While this blog will assist fiction writers most often, this is a useful skill to have in your writing arsenal.
The em dash
 Em Dash The em dash is a longer dash that is similar to a hyphen. It is used to show a pause in a quote that is all one sentence, and it is also used to show when one sentence trails off and another begins.
For example,
“I hope that you have told me the truth – you don’t always.” This quote is all one sentence, but there was a pause in between the words truth and you that are represented by the em dash.
OR
“He just walked right in through the – He didn’t even think to announce his presence!” This shows that one sentence trailed off and another began – NOTE the capital letter to begin the second sentence.
When typing in Microsoft Word, you can prompt one of these dashes by placing a space after the last letter of the word, hitting the hyphen key (next to the zero) and then pressing your spacebar again before typing the next word. Most Microsoft Word applications use an auto format that will insert the em dash for you.
Ellipses
 Ellipsis
In contrast, the ellipsis is used to show when a thought trails off and the sentence is incomplete. It is a series of three dots.
For example,
“I just couldn’t believe what he was…” she muttered, as if to herself.
These quotation marks most often trip up fiction writers, as they’re used often in dialogue. However, whether you are writing a fiction piece, or working on an academic submission, please remember that the professional editors at Firstediting.com are always here to assist you with your work. Happy Writing!
Tags: editing, editors, ellipses, firstediting, Professional Editing, Proofreading, The em dash, writing tips
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Business Editing, Christian Writing, Copy Editing, Editing Skills & Services, Fiction Editing, Manuscript Editing, Newsletters, Novel Editing, Proofreading, Technical Editing, Thesis/Research Writing, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Monday, March 22nd, 2010
Editing your own work can oftentimes be a daunting task; however, there are some basic guidelines you can follow while writing and editing your work or that of others, which can make the process much less challenging. The following guidelines, as well as some accompanying examples, have been cited directly from William Strunk JR. and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style: 50th Anniversary Edition“, a definite must-read for every writer and editor!
1. Form the possessive of singular nouns by adding ’s, unless it is the possessive of an ancient proper name.
For example: James’s house Moses’ law
2. In a series of three or more terms with a single conjunction, use a comma after each term except the last. This is often referred to as the “serial comma.”
For example: apples, bananas, and oranges purple, yellow, and red
3. Enclose parenthetic expressions between commas.
For example: My brother, John Smith, is a well-renowned police officer. While we were on our way to New York, a tiring drive, to say the least, we stopped many times to enjoy the scenery.
4. Place a comma before a conjunction introducing an independent clause.
For example: The road was slippery, but we continued to drive to the movie theatre. The house was a beautiful sight, and the gardens were absolutely magnificent.
5. Do not break sentences in two. Basically, do not use periods for commas.
For example: Incorrect: She was an interesting talker. A woman who had traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries. Correct: She was an interesting talker, a woman who traveled all over the world and lived in half a dozen countries.
6. Use a colon after an independent clause to introduce a list of particulars, an appositive, an amplification, or an illustrative quotation.
For example: Lisa’s grocery list contained a mere three important items: bread, milk, and eggs.
7. Use a dash to set off an abrupt break of interruption and to announce a long appositive or summary.
For example: His first thought on getting out of bed—if he had any thought at all—was to get back in again.
By no means are these seven items an exhaustive list of things to look out for while writing and editing; however, they’re definitely a good place to start. I will be sure to revisit this topic again in a future blog to highlight more items to take note of during the editing process. Hiring a professional editor, such as the editors at FirstEditing.com can ensure that your document is perfect and ready for publication.
Gina
Editor Specializing in Business Editing Services for FirstEditing.com
Tags: editing, editors, professional editor, Proofreading, punctuation, writing tips
Posted in Book Editing, Book Editors, Business Editing, Copy Editing, Editing Skills & Services, Fiction Editing, Manuscript Editing, Novel Editing, Proofreading, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
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
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Friday, March 27th, 2009
Revising gives you the chance to preview your work on behalf of the eventual reader. Revision is much more than proofreading, though in the final editing stage it involves some checking of details. Good revision and editing can transform a mediocre first draft into an excellent final paper. It’s more work, but leads to real satisfaction when you find you’ve said what you wanted. It is truly rewarding.
Start Large, End Small
First check whether you have fulfilled the intention of the assignment. Look again at the instruction sheet, and revise your work to be sure you can say yes to these questions:
- Have you performed the kind of thinking the assignment sheet asked for (e.g., analyze, argue, compare, explore.)
- Have you written the genre of document called for (e.g., book review, critique, personal response, field notes, research report, lab report, essay)?
- Have you used concepts and methods of reasoning discussed in the course? Don’t be shy of using theoretical terms from the course. Also beware of just retelling stories or listing information. Looking at your topic sentences in sequence will show what kinds of ideas you have emphasized.
- Have you given adequate evidence for your argument or interpretation? Be sure that the reader knows why and how your ideas are important. A quick way of checking is to note where your paragraphs go after their topic sentences. Watch out for repetitions of general ideas — look for progression into detailed reasoning, usually including source referencing.
Now polish and edit your style by moving to smaller matters such as word choice, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You may already have passages that you know need further work. Here are some tips:
- Read passages aloud to see if you have achieved the emphasis you want. Look for places to use short sentences to draw attention to key ideas, questions, or argumentative statements. If you can’t read a sentence all the way through with expression, try cutting it into two or more.
- Be sure to use spell check. I have learned how crucial this is before and after each document! It will help you catch most typos and many wrongly spelled words. But don’t let it replace anything automatically, or you’ll end up with nonsense words. You will still have to read through your piece and use a print dictionary or writer’s handbook to look up words that you suspect are not right.
- Don’t depend on a thesaurus. It will supply you with lists of words in the same general category as the one you have tried-but most of them won’t make sense. Use plain clear words instead. Use a print dictionary and look up synonyms given as part of definitions. Always look at the samples of usage too.
- Don’t depend on a grammar checker. The best ones still miss many errors, and they give a lot of bad advice. If you know that you overuse slang or the passive voice, you may find some of the “hits” useful, but be sure to make your own choice of replacement phrases. A few of the explanations may be useful.
Nothing can substitute for your own judgment. You will become quite comfortable with your own style and creativity.
Tags: Professional Editing, Proofreading
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Monday, January 5th, 2009
One thing every professional editor must be very clear about is the variant spellings and meanings of words known as homophones. According to The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, homophones can be defined as “one of two or more words (as to, too, two) pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling.” Therefore, a professional editor misspelling even one letter in a word can potentially lead to a change in meaning, sometimes one that is radically different from that originally intended by the writer.
Below is a list of some common homophones, which, for the most part, keep us professional editors on our toes (please note that all definitions have been taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/):
1. allowed, aloud
allowed – “to assign as a share or suitable amount (as of time or money) <allow an hour for lunch>”
aloud – “in a loud manner”
2. bare, bear
bare – “lacking a natural, usual, or appropriate covering”
bear – “any of a family (Ursidae of the order Carnivora) of large heavy mammals of America and Eurasia that have long shaggy hair, rudimentary tails, and plantigrade feet and feed largely on fruit, plant matter, and insects as well as on flesh”
3. cite, sight, site
cite – “to call upon officially or authoritatively to appear (as before a court)”
sight – “something that is seen”
site – “the spatial location of an actual or planned structure or set of structures (as a building, town, or monuments)”
4. desert, dessert
desert – “arid land with usually sparse vegetation”
dessert – “a usually sweet course or dish (as of pastry or ice cream) usually served at the end of a meal”
5. foreword, forward
foreword – “prefatory comments (as for a book) especially when written by someone other than the author”
forward – “near, being at, or belonging to the forepart”
6. groan, grown
groan – “to utter a deep moan indicative of pain, grief, or annoyance”
grown – “cultivated or produced in a specified way or locality”
7. hear, here
hear – “to perceive or apprehend by the ear”
here – “in or at this place”
8. idle, idol
idle – “lacking worth or basis”
idol – “a representation or symbol of an object of worship”
9. jewel, joule
jewel – “an ornament of precious metal often set with stones or decorated with enamel and worn as an accessory of dress”
joule – “a unit of work or energy equal to the work done by a force of one newton acting through a distance of one meter”
10. know, no
know – “to perceive directly; have direct cognition of”
no – “used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility”
11. lie, lye
lie – “to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position; to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive”
lye – “a strong alkaline liquor rich in potassium carbonate leached from wood ashes and used especially in making soap and for washing”
12. morning, mourning
morning – “the time from sunrise to noon”
mourning – “an outward sign (as black clothes or an armband) of grief for a person’s death”
13. nay, neigh
nay – “a negative reply or vote”
neigh – “to make the prolonged cry of a horse”
14. ode, owed
ode – “a lyric poem usually marked by exaltation of feeling and style, varying length of line, and complexity of stanza forms”
owed – “to have or bear (an emotion or attitude) to someone or something <owes the boss a grudge>”
15. principal, principle
principal – “most important, consequential, or influential”
principle – “a comprehensive and fundamental law, doctrine, or assumption”
16. quarts, quartz
quarts – “a vessel or measure having a capacity of one quart”
quartz – “a mineral consisting of silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals or in crystalline masses”
17. rain, reign, rein
rain – “water falling in drops condensed from vapor in the atmosphere”
reign – “the dominion, sway, or influence of one resembling a monarch <the reign of the Puritan ministers>”
rein – “a strap fastened to a bit by which a rider or driver controls an animal”
18. scene, seen
scene – “one of the subdivisions of a play”
seen – past participle of see – “to perceive by the eye”
19. there, their, they’re
there – “in or at that place”
their – “of or relating to them or themselves especially as possessors, agents, or objects of an action”
they’re – “they are”
20. vial, vile
vial – “a small closed or closable vessel especially for liquids”
vile – “morally despicable or abhorrent”
21. weak, week
weak – “lacking strength”
week – “any of a series of 7-day cycles used in various calendars”
22. yoke, yolk
yoke – “a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals (as oxen) are joined at the heads or necks for working together”
yolk – “the yellow spheroidal mass of stored food that forms the inner portion of the egg of a bird or reptile and is surrounded by the white”
Every so often, I will revisit this topic and provide more examples of common homonyms that professional editors encounter on a regular basis. Until then, acquaint yourselves with those listed above!
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading, Writing for Publication, Writing Process
Posted in Christian Writing, Proofreading, Writer's Tips, Writing for Publication | No Comments »
Monday, January 5th, 2009
 “I’m a good writer; I don’t need anyone else to read my stuff.” Ever said or thought that? Well, maybe it’s true that you’ve committed Strunk & White to memory; your work is polished, professional and print-ready; and publishers are scrambling to be the first to sign you.
On the other hand, maybe, just maybe, you’re like the vast majority of the human race and have issues with the use of “who” and “whom” and are never quite sure where to properly place that comma—or should it be a semi-colon?
This is where a professional editor can be a lifesaver. Professional editors know the proper use of “who” and “whom.” Further, they’re familiar all the mystifying little rules of grammar and punctuation that befuddle the average writer. It’s not only their job to know these things; it’s also their passion. You see, professional editors are those annoying people who just can’t help themselves: grammatical and punctuation errors seem to leap out at them, even in published books or magazines. They’re the ones who will read a passage in a great work of literature and, instead of sighing over its perfection, mull ways it could have been differently worded. They think nothing of telling store owners—politely, of course!—that their outside sign reads “hear” when it should read “here.”
So what exactly does this mean for the aspiring novelist or the student with a paper due yesterday?
A professional editor can check your work for mistakes that your word processing program’s grammar/spell check missed. S/he can suggest ways to better word sentences and even move entire paragraphs around to make your work read more clearly and logically. Professional editors can help ensure your work conforms to the style guide your instructor or publisher requires. In short, a professional editor can take your unpolished manuscript and turn it into a polished gem, ready for submission to those who will decide its ultimate fate.
And isn’t the ultimate fate of your work what it’s all about? A research paper turned in with numerous grammatical errors or using the wrong style guide will receive a failing grade. A novel submitted to a publisher with run-on sentences and improper use of quotation marks will be tossed into the reject pile.
Don’t let your hard work be for naught: before turning in that term paper or submitting that novel to a publisher, take the time to hire a professional editor through a firm such as FirstEditing (www.firstediting.com). It’s worth the money spent to make sure your work is as perfect as humanly possible.
Tags: Christian Publication, Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading, Technical Editing, Thesis Editing, Writing for Publication
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Thursday, December 25th, 2008
Proofreading or editing—how do you know which one to do? What is the difference? Most people use the two terms interchangeably, but there is technically a slight difference between the two.
Think of editing as something you do all during the writing process, while proofreading is something you do right before you turn in your project.
Everyone has their own way to work through the writing process. Let’s look at writing a novel. A typical pattern for someone might be to brainstorm for ideas. Then make an outline of the story. The next step would be to go ahead and write a first draft of the story. The best way to go about that would be to just write it without trying to make too many corrections along the way—that’s what editing is for. Sometimes if too much time is spent editing “while” you’re actually writing, you can lose focus and drive and risk your story falling flat. Once your “rough draft” is complete, now is the time to go back through and “edit.”
During the editing process, you’ll want to look for:
- Context—is your story complete?
- Is the point of view consistent?
- Who is your audience?
- Does your story flow smoothly?
- Is the plot line resolved?
- How is the imagery?
- How is the character development?
Obviously, this is not an exhaustive list, just a few things to consider while editing. There is no set number of drafts for writing a novel; you just keep polishing it until the writing is smooth, well written, and all loose ends are taken care of. However, before you send it off to the publisher, it must be proofread.
Proofreading is the final run-through before your writing is submitted. This is where you concentrate on spelling, grammar, punctuation, and syntax. You are dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s. This is also where you polish your formatting and make sure you are consistent throughout.
- Do you have the same font throughout the text?
- Are all of your chapter headings in the correct numerical order?
- If you are writing to submit to a publisher, be sure to get the specs they require for submission; not all of them are the same.
Some people find it helpful to have another person look at it at the end stage in order to get a fresh perspective.
All-in-all the editing process is more intensive, while proofreading catches those overlooked errors that you definitely don’t want to make it all the way to the publisher. Both processes are important and needed in order to produce a final, polished piece of writing.
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading, Writing Process
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Wednesday, December 24th, 2008
Right off, let’s define the terms, because what is called “proofreading” by people outside the publishing industry is usually editing instead. The editor works on the book at the manuscript stage, marking grammatical and spelling mistakes, querying inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, and among other things, verifying facts. The proofreader works on comparing every word of the manuscript with every word of the proof, verifying correct word breaks, making sure that all editorial changes were input, and making sure that elements of the work were placed according to design specifications.
Most know that proofreaders are not supposed to make substantive changes to a manuscript or go against the style sheet provided by the editor, but they do serve as an additional reader. The proofreader is expected to pick up any mistakes the others missed, as no one is perfect.
Proofreading is a tough job. Even for someone with a good memory like me, it’s difficult to hold more than a few words in your head at a time without leaving out a comma or mixing any of the words or details up. For instance, if Mike is a balding man of 40 in chapter 6, he must still be a balding man of 40 in chapter 18. I have even come across name changes suddenly that were not supposed to change; it was just the authors oversight/error. With that said, it’s intensely time-consuming and tedious.
People often wonder how proofreaders manage to do so much in such a short time. It is hard to get a handle on exactly how each operates within his or her own time frame. It seems each proofreader has his or her own style and that is what makes it so effective across the board. Learning to proofread and edit is a skill that surely has great latitude. It can make one quite a hot commodity as writers will never stop writing and our expertise will always be sought after. I dare say this is a profession that is somewhat recession-proof!
The bottom line is to be appreciative of your proofreaders and editors! We are truly your last line of defense against mistakes in your novel.
Tags: Professional Editing, Professional Editor, Proofreading
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Tuesday, December 16th, 2008
After you’ve spent a lot of time writing your book or article, you may not feel like going back and revising. Of course, you don’t have to revise if you simply hire professional editors to do the job for you, but there are a few things you can do quickly and easily yourself. In editing terms, “proofreading” is a simple grammar and spelling check. A “full edit” or a “content edit” may include more than just grammatical improvements; it might also include sentence rewrites, changes to words and phrases, and the addition or removal of information. Proofreading is a lot simpler because it involves following set rules and formulas about the English language and how it’s presented.
For some of us, writing comes naturally and so does writing correctly—properly using punctuation, spelling everything right, and using appropriate sentence structure. For others, especially those who use English as a second language, it can be confusing and frustrating to write correctly.
The first step you can take to eliminate a large number of grammatical errors from your work is to use the spelling and grammar check in your word processing program. Microsoft Word has been steadily improving the spelling and grammar check over the years, although it still has some issues when it comes to being 100% accurate (that’s when professional editing can help). For spelling mistakes, it is great because the misspelled words are underlined in red, and you can right-click on the misspelled word for a list of spelling suggestions. Simply click on the correct one and you’re set! If the spell check offers no suggestions, you can Google the word and see what comes up. As a professional editor, I admit to using Google when I come across an obscure or unfamiliar word.
Another useful proofreading “secret” is to learn how to properly use commas. The misuse of commas is one of the most common writing mistakes professional editors see. If you had to pick one area in which to improve your grammar, choose to finally learn how to correctly use commas. Here are some basic rules:
- Use a comma to separate 3 or more items in a list. For example: “I enjoy reading science fiction, romance, and mystery novels.” Do not use a comma to separate only 2 items. For example, it is incorrect to use a comma like this: “I enjoy reading science fiction, and romance novels.” However, if there are 2 or more adjectives describing a noun, the adjectives must be separated by a comma: “The woman’s shiny, white dress stood out against the dark background.”
- Use a comma to indicate an introductory phrase. For example, the phrase “for example” is an introductory phrase, so it should be followed by a comma to prevent confusion. Another example: “After lunch, we need to stop at the Post Office.” Also: “Later, I went online and hired a professional editor.”
- Use the “fanboys” rule. You may remember this one from grade school. Use a comma between two independent clauses (an independent clause is a phrase that could stand alone as a complete sentence) when the clauses are separated by one of the following words: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Examples: “The store was closed today, but tomorrow we’re going to try again.” “I wouldn’t trade my past experiences for anything else, for all of my experiences have made me who I am today.” “My friends are coming over for dinner tonight, so let’s order two pizzas.” “I finished my book, and now I’d like to have a professional editor look over it.” Simply check and see if each half of the sentence could function on its own, and insert a comma before the connecting word (one of the “fanboys”). Learn this rule and you will be ahead of the game, as it is one of the most common grammatical errors editors see on a daily basis.
- Use commas to offset nonrestrictive clauses. A nonrestrictive clause is an optional phrase in a sentence. For example: “John, our neighbor, is on vacation.” This sentence could simply read, “John is on vacation,” but the nonrestrictive clause, “our neighbor,” adds additional information.
- Use a comma to separate an independent clause from a dependent clause. An independent clause could be a complete sentence, while a dependent clause needs a complete sentence in order to make sense. For example: “After many years as a successful pilot, he finally bought his own airplane.” The first phrase is dependent on the second phrase, and the second phrase could stand alone.
These simple rules can take practice, but once you get the hang of it, you will automatically be writing better. Proofread a few pages of your own work to see if commas have been used correctly, and use this information to make adjustments if necessary. Practice by noticing the commas as you read, and soon you will easily notice when to use commas.
There are many other ways to increase your proofreading skills, but as a professional editor I have concluded that it is best to learn one or two tricks at a time. And, as many teachers and professors will advise—learn the rules and follow them before you break them. Of course there are writers who “break all the rules,” even famous ones, but they do so intentionally and with talent and precision.
It is also useful for writers to use their edited manuscripts to learn. After you receive your edited work, look through the changes and see what your editor has done. In part 2 of “Proofreading: Secrets to Success,” I will address several more useful tips on correcting your own writing. Feel free to offer your comments and ask questions, and if you need help with your writing, don’t hesitate to hire a First Editing expert to assist you!
Tags: Comma Usage, Professional Editing, Proofreading
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