While proofreading is the final editing stage, the final frontier, does it guarantee an error-free manuscript, article, blog post, or other form of writing? Well, no. Years ago, I reviewed picture books for Sylvan Dell (renamed in 2014 to Arbordale Publishing), which was, at the time, a pretty big publishing company. When I finished a math-focused picture book, I glanced at the back pages. The last spread was filled with simple math problems like 2 + 4 = 6. Well, one of the answers was wrong. I checked it over and over. It was wrong. I quickly emailed the woman I worked with at the publishing house and let her know. She thanked me, and I never heard from her again. Guaranteed someone got in a lot of trouble over that mistake. As far as I remember, I didn’t get Review Copies of books. The books were already published. My point is that there are NO guarantees in producing a 100% error-free book. As a ghostwriter and editor, I take all kinds of precautions to ensure my clients’ work is error-free. I use Grammarly and ProWritingAid. I also, at times, use a proofreader. I also suggest my clients read through their manuscripts, keeping an eye out for errors. You can’t be too careful. I even use Grammarly for my blog posts and other content I create. But even so, if a publishing company with editors and proofreaders can make a mistake on a published book, no one should feel they are infallible. I’m sure you’ve found errors in books, blog posts, ads, websites, and so on. It may not be often, but it happens. Some common errors include grammatical mistakes, typographical errors, punctuation issues, and formatting discrepancies. Achieving absolute perfection is incredibly challenging. Humans, including us writers and editors, are prone to errors, and the complexity of language and the writing process introduces various opportunities for mistakes. An article at Wired.com, “Why It's So Hard to Catch Your Own Typos,” explains, “When we're proofreading our own work, we know the meaning we want to convey. Because we expect that meaning to be there, it's easier for us to miss when parts (or all) of it are absent. The reason we don't see our own typos is because what we see on the screen is competing with the version that exists in our heads.” And, “Why You Can’t Spot Your Own Typos,” an article at Business Insider, offers what you can do to help you see what’s on the page. “The trick with editing, then, is to de-familiarize yourself with your words as much as possible.” So, what else can you do to get as close to an error-free manuscript as possible? Here are 14 tips to use during the proofreading stage to help minimize errors in your final manuscript: 1. Take a Break: Before you go from editing to proofreading, take a break. It can be an hour, a day, a week, or whatever you’re comfortable with or have time for. This will help you spot errors more easily. 2. Print it Out: Reading from a printed manuscript gives you a different perspective. Most of my manuscripts are picture books or chapter books, so printing them out isn’t too wasteful. I do have a problem with middle-grade or YA manuscripts, though. Aside from wasting paper, there’s the ink cost. Instead of printing, you can change the font and text size. You can even change the background color of the document. These tweaks will help you spot errors you would not with the original. 3. Grammar and Spelling Check: Use the grammar and spell-check functions of your word processing software. However, be aware that these tools may not catch every error, so a manual review is essential. 4. Consistency Check: Ensure that there is consistency in spelling, formatting, and style throughout the manuscript. Check for consistent use of tense, formatting of headings, and citation style, among other elements. In one manuscript, I had the protagonist’s name spelled wrong in two places. I went through the first proofread without catching it. Thankfully, I caught it on the second run. 5. Punctuation Review: Carefully examine punctuation marks such as commas, periods, semicolons, and quotation marks. Pay attention to proper placement and usage. One common mistake when writing dialogue is to forget to add quotation marks at the beginning or end of the dialogue. This can easily happen during the editing stage if you edit the dialogue. Here’s an example: John jetted through the house, bumping into chairs, tables, and even his big sister, Sarah. “Sorry, I’m running late.” Now, suppose you edited it to: “Sorry, he yelled. “I’m running late.” Notice the missing dialogue quotation after sorry. It’s an easy miss. 6. Editing Tools: If your budget allows, take advantage of an editing program like Grammarly or ProWritingAid. These tools can be very helpful. They also have AI capabilities and offer suggestions on rephrasing of sentences in your manuscript for better understanding and tight writing, among other things. It’s important to realize, though, that they are not infallible either. 7. Formatting Check: Verify that your manuscript adheres to the specified formatting guidelines. This includes margins, font styles, line spacing, and other formatting requirements. I make notes I can quickly access so I don’t have to retrace my steps to find out things like line spacing from the top of the page to the chapter heading to the chapter content. 8. Cross-Check References: If your manuscript includes references, citations, or footnotes, double-check them for accuracy and consistency. Make sure all citations are correctly formatted and match the bibliography or reference list. 9. Check Headings and Subheadings: Confirm that your headings and subheadings are appropriately formatted and consistent throughout the document. It’s helpful to have notes to keep everything uniform. 10. Read Aloud: This is a very helpful step. Reading your manuscript aloud can help you identify awkward phrasing, repetition, and errors that might be overlooked during silent reading. If you pause while reading, the reader definitely will. 11. Review Tables and Figures: If your manuscript includes tables, figures, or other graphical elements, make sure they are labeled and formatted correctly. 12. Check Page Numbers: Ensure that page numbers are in the correct order and that they match any table of contents or index. 13. Final Review of Changes: If you made revisions or edits during the proofreading process, do a final review to ensure all changes have been implemented correctly. 14. Seek Help: Having a fresh set of eyes on the manuscript during the proofreading stage is beneficial. Consider asking a colleague, friend (only if they know what they’re looking for), or a professional proofreader to review your work. If your budget allows, I strongly advise hiring a professional proofreader. Summing It Up While achieving a completely error-free manuscript may be challenging, a thorough and diligent review process can significantly reduce the number of errors and improve the overall quality of your work.
Editing – On Your Mark, Get Ready, Wait! Should You Edit a Professional Edit? Talking Yourself Into Success … or Out of It
I’m a working children’s ghostwriter, editor, and coach. I can help turn your story into a book you’ll be proud to be the author of, one that’s publishable and marketable.
OTHER HELP I OFFER:
FICTION WRITING FOR CHILDREN COURSE
A guided self-study course and mentoring program.
HOW TO WRITE A CHILDREN’S FICTION BOOK
A DIY book to help you write your own children’s book.
WRITERS ON THE MOVE PRESS.
Self-publishing help for children’s authors.
You can contact me at: kcioffiventrice@gmail.com. Or give me a call at 347—834—6700. (Please leave a message- I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.)
