1. Concentration is Key
If you’re going to spot mistakes, then you need to concentrate. That means getting rid of distractions and potential interruptions. Switch off the cell phone, turn off the television or radio and stay away from the email.
2. Put It On Paper
People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing. If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your eye may have missed.
3. Watch Out for Homonyms
Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation, but have different meanings. Switching accept with except or complement with compliment could be disastrous, so pay attention to them.
4. Watch Out for Contractions and Apostrophes
People often mix their and they’re, its and it’s, your and you’re and so on. If there is something that can hurt the credibility of your text, it is a similar mistake. Also, remember that the apostrophe is never used to form plurals.
5. Check the Punctuation
Focusing on the words is good, but do not neglect the punctuation. Pay attention to capitalized words, missing or extra commas, periods used incorrectly and so on.
6. Read it Backwards
When writing we usually become blind to our own mistakes since the brain automatically “corrects” wrong words inside sentences. In order to break this pattern you can read the text backwards, word by word.
7. Check the Numbers
Stating that the value of an acquisition was $10,000 instead of $100,000 is definitely not the same thing. What about the population of China, is it 1,2 million or 1,2 billion? Make sure your numbers are correct.
8. Get Someone Else to Proofread It
After checking all the previous points, do not forget to get a friend to proofread it for you. You will be amazed at the mistakes you’ve missed. A second person will also be in a better position to evaluate whether the sentences make sense or not.
If you’re going to spot mistakes, then you need to concentrate. That means getting rid of distractions and potential interruptions. Switch off the cell phone, turn off the television or radio and stay away from the email.
2. Put It On Paper
People read differently on screen and on paper, so print out a copy of your writing. If you read aloud, your ear might catch errors that your eye may have missed.
3. Watch Out for Homonyms
Homonyms are words that share the same spelling or pronunciation, but have different meanings. Switching accept with except or complement with compliment could be disastrous, so pay attention to them.
4. Watch Out for Contractions and Apostrophes
People often mix their and they’re, its and it’s, your and you’re and so on. If there is something that can hurt the credibility of your text, it is a similar mistake. Also, remember that the apostrophe is never used to form plurals.
5. Check the Punctuation
Focusing on the words is good, but do not neglect the punctuation. Pay attention to capitalized words, missing or extra commas, periods used incorrectly and so on.
6. Read it Backwards
When writing we usually become blind to our own mistakes since the brain automatically “corrects” wrong words inside sentences. In order to break this pattern you can read the text backwards, word by word.
7. Check the Numbers
Stating that the value of an acquisition was $10,000 instead of $100,000 is definitely not the same thing. What about the population of China, is it 1,2 million or 1,2 billion? Make sure your numbers are correct.
8. Get Someone Else to Proofread It
After checking all the previous points, do not forget to get a friend to proofread it for you. You will be amazed at the mistakes you’ve missed. A second person will also be in a better position to evaluate whether the sentences make sense or not.
HERE ARE 8 PROOFREADING TIPS TO HELP YOU
PROOFREADING
What is Proofreading?
Proofreading is the process of examining the final draft of a document or text after it has been edited to ensure there are no errors.
What will the Proofreader look for?
Our Proofreadng team has the ability to find even the smallest grammatical errors that others might normally dismiss. We will review your manuscript for punctuation or spelling errors. We will also check for typos or incorrect use of the English language.
What if I purposely misspell words or use slang in my manuscript?
We will check for “proper word and sentence usage while keeping in mind that some writers deliberately use improper language for the intent of bringing a certain feel to their storyline. We will present suggestions to you, but it is up to you to accept or reject our suggestions. We won’t be mad at you if you reject what we have suggested or recommended. Remember, this is YOUR baby. We are just the midwives/husbands ready to assist you in delivering your baby to the world.
What Types of formats to you accept for proofreading?
We proofread different formats-a printed version (a book that is already published), handwritten manuscripts, PDF’s, word document or typed manuscripts.
Okay, now that I got a better understanding of what you do, how much does it cost?
Well, we offer 2 types of proofreading packages. The first is our basic tier and is priced at $1.50 per page. This package is for pages under 100-count, whether it is hard copy (published book) or word document. This is our most popular package and is more cost efficient. For manuscripts with more than 100 pages, the charge is $.09 per word.
The second package is our ultimate package. In this proofreading package, not only do we locate the errors, we make suggestions on the flow of your manuscript. We carefully examine each paragraph to check for sentence clarity, the flow of the paragraphs, as well as reformat the manuscript after you have approved the suggestions. This package is $.012 per word.
Are editorial services included in your publishing packages?
We offer basic editing in all of our packages. As we work on your manuscript, we will point out and or correct simple errors such as spacing between two words, double typed letter (ex. You meant to type “and” but you typed “andd”. We will let you know if your manuscript requires more attention than just basic editing.
Am I required to use your editing or proofreading service or can I obtain my own?
You are in control of your own manuscript/book, and if you desire to obtain another service to polish your manuscript, then by all means do so. Just be advised that we will not be responsible for the editing or proofreading from another firm that is not to your satisfactory. Fair enough?
What if I find errors after I print my book?
Although we make every effort to give you an error free manuscript, we are aware that things happen. You, the Author may want to change a word or two, or you may want to reword a sentence. For that reason, we will work with you one on one to go over the manuscript and correct it together. At the end of the day, only you know how you want your book to speak to others. We invite you to check out some other important pages such as “before print errors”, after print errors”, and “signing off”.
How long does it take to proofread my manuscript?
Many factors determine the length of time it takes to finish your manuscript such as, how fast you respond to our suggestions, and how many pages your manuscript consist of. On the average, a 100 page manuscript takes approximately 7-10 business days to complete.
We are all about helping you to save money, for we know that publishing can be quite costly.
Proofreading is the process of examining the final draft of a document or text after it has been edited to ensure there are no errors.
What will the Proofreader look for?
Our Proofreadng team has the ability to find even the smallest grammatical errors that others might normally dismiss. We will review your manuscript for punctuation or spelling errors. We will also check for typos or incorrect use of the English language.
What if I purposely misspell words or use slang in my manuscript?
We will check for “proper word and sentence usage while keeping in mind that some writers deliberately use improper language for the intent of bringing a certain feel to their storyline. We will present suggestions to you, but it is up to you to accept or reject our suggestions. We won’t be mad at you if you reject what we have suggested or recommended. Remember, this is YOUR baby. We are just the midwives/husbands ready to assist you in delivering your baby to the world.
What Types of formats to you accept for proofreading?
We proofread different formats-a printed version (a book that is already published), handwritten manuscripts, PDF’s, word document or typed manuscripts.
Okay, now that I got a better understanding of what you do, how much does it cost?
Well, we offer 2 types of proofreading packages. The first is our basic tier and is priced at $1.50 per page. This package is for pages under 100-count, whether it is hard copy (published book) or word document. This is our most popular package and is more cost efficient. For manuscripts with more than 100 pages, the charge is $.09 per word.
The second package is our ultimate package. In this proofreading package, not only do we locate the errors, we make suggestions on the flow of your manuscript. We carefully examine each paragraph to check for sentence clarity, the flow of the paragraphs, as well as reformat the manuscript after you have approved the suggestions. This package is $.012 per word.
Are editorial services included in your publishing packages?
We offer basic editing in all of our packages. As we work on your manuscript, we will point out and or correct simple errors such as spacing between two words, double typed letter (ex. You meant to type “and” but you typed “andd”. We will let you know if your manuscript requires more attention than just basic editing.
Am I required to use your editing or proofreading service or can I obtain my own?
You are in control of your own manuscript/book, and if you desire to obtain another service to polish your manuscript, then by all means do so. Just be advised that we will not be responsible for the editing or proofreading from another firm that is not to your satisfactory. Fair enough?
What if I find errors after I print my book?
Although we make every effort to give you an error free manuscript, we are aware that things happen. You, the Author may want to change a word or two, or you may want to reword a sentence. For that reason, we will work with you one on one to go over the manuscript and correct it together. At the end of the day, only you know how you want your book to speak to others. We invite you to check out some other important pages such as “before print errors”, after print errors”, and “signing off”.
How long does it take to proofread my manuscript?
Many factors determine the length of time it takes to finish your manuscript such as, how fast you respond to our suggestions, and how many pages your manuscript consist of. On the average, a 100 page manuscript takes approximately 7-10 business days to complete.
We are all about helping you to save money, for we know that publishing can be quite costly.
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