Secret Proofreading Tips
Writing is something that most people love to do, proofreading on the other hand is tiresome and something that only free lance editor love to do. Reading the same set of words over and over again is not something that anyone wants to spend their time doing. However there are some things that you can do that will make proofreading less of a hassle.
First of all, it’s a good idea to remember that millions of people could be reading your work and spotting your errors. This could eat into your profits if you make money from your writing. If one single person is turned away because of some basic spelling and grammar errors then you haven’t done your job properly. By remembering this it should give you a bit more of boost to proofread properly.
On a similar note, any piece of text on pretty much any subject will be trying to give an impression of authority. Freelance editors say errors in writing takes away from the readers belief in the writers expertise on the subject. Keep this in mind when proofreading and it may give you the determination to do it properly.
The previous tips focus on how to push yourself to proofread in the first place but there are also skills which will make the process easier. To begin with get yourself into a proofreading mindset. By this I mean stop reading your work with the expectation that there will be no errors. Instead, imagine that the text is full of problems that need to be found. This will automatically slow down your reading speed and encourage you to read each word carefully.
Finally make sure to give yourself a break between writing and proofreading. It’s really hard to read through your work straight away. This tends to result in rushing the job and your eyes will trick you into thinking that everything is fine. Go for a walk or have some lunch, just do something different and then come back to the work fresh and ready to read. And if all else fails, hire a free lance editor to help proofread and prefect your writing.
