After a book has been through critiques and beta readers, it’s usually ready for the public. At this point, once all your edits are completed, you want to have some proofreaders. These readers are people who go through the book and look for typos, grammar issues, and formatting problems. I’d recommend having at least two or three proofreaders to try to catch everything. Inevitably though, you will still have mistakes but hopefully not many.
Proofreading
If someone asks you to proofread, you need to understand that the job is not about the story. You can’t get lost in the plot or cheer for the characters. Your job is to painstakingly go through every word and punctuation to make sure there are no typos. It’s a tedious task since you have to stay focused and alert to every detail. Because of the difficulty, I wanted to give you a few tips to make proofreading easier.
Grammar Check Software
Everyone has a built-in grammar and spelling check software on whatever writing platform they use. Ideally, they will do a check before giving the manuscript to you. I’ve found that not all software programs catch the same things though. I’d ask them what software they use, and then run the document through another one. Google Docs, Word, Scrivener, and ProWritingAid all catch different things. If you use something different than the writer, try running a check on your preferred software.
Another tip is to turn on your markers for spaces, paragraphs, and tabs. Usually these are hidden, but you can turn them on and see a symbol for each one. A dot may mean a space, and, if you find two together, there is a double space that needs to be corrected. Same thing with tabs and paragraph indents. You’ll see where each is and be able to notice if one is not aligned with the rest. It’s an easy tool and saves time looking for those invisible mistakes.
Reading Aloud
Our brains are really smart and can fill in holes to make sense out of partial information. Because of that, we can often miss a mistake if we are reading in our heads. If you say the words aloud, you can hear the mistake easier. It’s also helpful to use a read aloud software to read the text to you. There is usually a free one with whatever writing program you use, but there are also websites like Natural Reader that will read anything to you. While the software is reading the text, follow along on the document. Your mind may read one word and the software read another. Usually that is your mind filling in the correct word instead of reading what is printed. When that happens, you can pause the reader, fix it, and continue.
Pacing
Above all else, you have to take your time when proofreading. You can’t rush. That’s why using a software to read to you is so helpful. They read slower than our brains and force you to take your time and focus. You also can’t sit at your computer for hours working on it. You need to take breaks so your mind can relax. Go move around and get your blood pumping. Once you’re refreshed and ready to focus again, go back and do some more.
Final Thoughts
Proofreading is a hard task but very important. You can have an amazing story that moves readers, but no one will read it if there are too many typos. Every time a mistake appears in a book, it throws a reader out of the story. The words convey the tale, but they need to be invisible at the same time. You don’t want to draw attention to grammar. Take the time to proofread your manuscripts and help fellow writers by proofreading for them.
Thanks for reading!
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