12 Proofreading Tips from the Professionals

Before a newspaper article, magazine, book or blog post get published or printed, proofreading and editing are involved.

Editing is done first then proofreading stage before publishing or printing is done. The exercise reduces the mistakes found in any writing. Rarely do people find a piece of writing without errors. But proof reading should be done if you won’t want to your readers to struggle to understand your post.

The quickest way to do proofreading is to find someone with enough grasp of the language to do it for you. Someone who hasn’t read the post can quickly notice mistakes.

Here are the tips to improve your proofreading skills.

1. Read and Write Daily

Reading and writing everyday sounds simple and doesn’t relate to the work. However, it does. The more you read, the easier proofreading become. Also, as you write more, the more you manage common writing errors.

2. Write about something you hate and read about something you love

People love writing about their favorite topic, but for exercise purpose, they should write about a subject that frustrates them.

It is different with reading. People find reading to be easy when they read about their favorite subject. When you love a topic, it gives you more concentration.

3. Practice proof-love

Bloggers usually practice link-love among each other. You can also proof each other’s post as this is an excellent proofing training as one who proof other people’s work will desire not to miss a thing.

4. Write, leave the work for some time and then read

When you have finished writing, run, jog or walk away from the screen before starting to proof read. When you try to fix everything at once, errors will fool your eyes, and you won’t notice the mistakes. When you take a break, you will have rested, and your mind will have developed a proofreader mindset.

5. Slow down

Read at a slow pace unlike when you usually do. If it takes five minutes to finish reading a blog post, try seven minutes.

6. Read out loud and read silently

When reading in a quiet environment, read the post aloud and then silently if possible. When you can’t find time for both, then read aloud since your mouth will read every word and your ears will hear every word, and it picks up errors than your mind can.

7. Let someone else read the post

Get someone who can read to proofread your post. They can spot silly mistakes that you might have missed. A person who hasn’t read the post won’t subconsciously gloss over the errors. They will tell you if the blog carries sense, which might indicate how your audience might perceive the post. That is why there are a lot of proofreading jobs online. Bloggers want other people to read their blog post and correct errors that audience will likely notice.

8. Avoid passive voice

Words that make sentences be in passive voice include are, is, was, am, has been, were, would be, should be, can be, will be, had been, have been, etc.

When verbs follow these words, then it makes a passive voice, and you have to rewrite the sentence.

9. Take note of all the words you misspell

Some words tend to be often misspelled. Keep a list of these words. Search for these words to be sure that you didn’t misspell.

10. Keep all the References resources nearby

During writing, you will master all rules of writing, and you need to reference them. You can use online and offline resources such as The Little, Merriam-Webster and Brown Handbook.

When you have mastered the rules, you will find yourself reading these references several times, and this will improve your proofing skills.

11. Avoid copy errors

When you post content, people will see you as an expert on the subject. It creates a perceived authority on the subject. Errors will take that away from you.

Proofreading takes away the underlying qualities of the topic. If a sale walks away as a result of proofreading errors, it will cause you a lot.

12. Devote some time to proofreading

Those who sell products that yield small profit will be less concerned with proofreading unlike those that sells yachts. However, dedicate some time to proofreading.

As time goes by, these tips will improve your proofreading efforts. Maybe it won’t perfect your skills, but it will make you better at proofreading.