Proofreading Tips to Polish Your Prose
Written By: Gaye Swan
After carefully crafting every sentence, you’ve finally gotten your blog, article, or press release written. Now what? As tempting as it may be, the next step is not to send it directly to your editor or client. Resist the urge to cross your writing project off your list and PROOFREAD.
Before we delve into tips for proofreading, a quick note on the difference between proofreading and editing. Editing involves making changes to the structure, content, and style of your written work. When editing, you may revise sentences, paragraphs, and entire sections to improve clarity and flow. While editing also includes checking for accuracy and consistency, the goal is to improve the overall quality of the writing and ensure that it meets the intended purpose and targets your specific audience.
Proofreading checks for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting. The goal of proofreading is to catch mistakes that were missed during editing and result in a final document that is free of errors. Proofreading also looks for consistency in style, tone, and structure to ensure the document is polished and professional.
Here are a few tips that I’ve found very helpful for proofreading:
Before proofreading begins, take a break from the document. A rest will help you approach the copy with fresh eyes. Take a walk, work on a different project, answer a few emails – just get away from the project for as long as possible. I try to take at least a day before I proofread my own work. This leads me to my next tip…
If at all possible, have someone else proofread your work. A new set of unbiased eyes will catch errors easily and quickly.
Read the work aloud slowly and carefully. Pause at every punctuation mark. When you read out loud, you'll be able to hear if the copy sounds awkward or if there are any mistakes.
Read backward. I don’t do this often, but I have colleagues who swear by it, especially if they are working on complicated professional pieces such as a white paper or an article with legal or medical information.
Verify, verify, verify. The internet is your best friend as you verify the spelling of names, company names, titles, places, products, and dates/times. Double-check each one! Nothing will make you seem more unreliable and unprofessional than getting your client’s name and new promotion wrong.
Check for consistency. Confirm that punctuation and formatting are consistent throughout the copy.
Check your spelling. Grammarly or your computer spell-check are invaluable tools – use them!
Check for repetition. Is the product great? Probably, but calling it great in every paragraph makes for very boring reading. Use the “Search” function to find words you may have overused and the internet to find “great synonyms.”
Proofreading is critical to the writing process because it corrects errors, improves readability, maintains credibility, enhances clarity, and avoids misinterpretation. Following these simple tips will help you create a beautifully crafted article, blog, newsletter, press release, or promotional material.
Did I miss any ideas? What do you do to make proofreading easier? Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter to let us know!
