Tips for proofreading your own writing, Part 1

Even if you are using the services of a professional editor, it is a good idea to check your work thoroughly before sending it to the professional. You will probably catch plenty of mistakes yourself, so that the professional proofreader can do their job faster and will charge you for fewer hours, saving you money! Here are some tips on how to go about proofreading:

- Enlarge the type on your screen

Zooming in so that the text appears larger can make it easier for you to spot errors.

- Follow the style guide

You may be using a style guide stipulated by a publisher, journal, company, etc. If you have not been instructed to use a particular style guide, create one for yourself by deciding on some key style points: for example, whether you are going to use single or double quotation marks, -ize or -ise endings (for words such as organise/organize) and en ( – ) or em ( — ) dashes. Have this list on hand as you proofread.

- Use the search and replace function

This can help with consistency. For example, if you have decided to capitalise a particular term, such as “Early Modern Period”, you can check that you have been consistent with this style throughout the document. Of course, the “replace all” function should be used with extreme caution, as you could easily end up introducing new errors into your text!

- Read each word

Usually, when we read, we skim over the text to a certain extent; we can ascertain the meaning without reading every single word. But when proofreading, we do need to look at each word individually in order to make sure nothing is missing.

- Take breaks

We’re all familiar with that feeling when writing or proofreading that we “can’t see the wood for the trees”. If we spend too long staring at a piece of writing, we can lose our sense of what sounds right, and generally go a bit bleary-eyed! So it’s important to step away from the screen regularly, take a short break and come back to your work with fresh eyes.

- Pay special attention to titles and headings

These are the bits of your text that stand out most, so make sure they are mistake-free! Also check that they are formatted and styled consistently – e.g. the main title might be in title case (all main words capitalised), whilst headings within the article only have an initial capital.

That's all for now. I will be returning with some more tips in a future post. Happy proofreading! And remember, if you have any questions, I'm here to help.