It isn’t easy or straightforward. It is not something that should be accomplished in a hurry. The process of proofreading should continue throughout the entire process of writing. “I’ll fix that later” is not the best approach in regards to mistakes since you could miss the errors until later. Beginning with editing the first draft and approving page proofs, you must understand why they’re called proofs-proofreading is a crucial process to produce a high-quality book or short article of.
Authors must assume responsibility for their tasks, choosing a dependable proofreader is vital because as authors, we have a sense of the words we wrote or planned to write. since the words are stored in our heads but we do not be aware of what’s actually on the page. We believe we know what we write on the paper. Therefore, a thorough proofread is required as well. Even after hiring a proofreader, the author must do their own proofread of the book.
Here are some easy suggestions to make the process of proofreading more efficient. Note that I didn’t say it was that it is easier or faster, because simple and fast only leads to mistakes that are not caught.
Paper vs. Screen
In the past, before computers all documents were proofread on paper. Then you took the piece paper from the typewriter, took out your red pen and got to work. Editing is now much simpler on a computer screen. No more annoying white-outs and trying to align the page using the keys of a typewriter to type the word without having it appear to be a half line over other words in the sentence. If you don’t understand the terms I’m using I’ll tell you, it’s a good thing you’re far too young to be able to remember.
Since the advent of word processing technology has helped make editing more simple editing can be done using a computer than on paper, however the process of proofreading with paper has its share of loyal users. I personally don’t think it is important whether you edit on paper, or the computer, except for final printing, when you need to ensure that the book (provided that it’s printed on paper, not an electronic book) is properly laid out on the page , and that it is a computer-based and mechanical method of printing or placing the pages didn’t mess anything up during the process.
There are advantages to proofreading on paper when your eyes aren’t capable of handling the pressure of a computer display for a long period of time. On paper, individual letters look sharper as do punctuation marks. However, any corrections you make later on must be transferred to the computer, which means proofreading on paper can be longer and takes more time.
The screen-based method of proofreading is my personal preference so here are some simple steps to help make that process more efficient:
Font. Please let the fancy fonts for the book layout experts. There’s no reason to have a book written with different fonts or sizes. Select only one simple to read font, and Size-Times New Roman 12 should be your the most common. The more expensive fonts can blur letters or scripts that are nearly impossible to recognize. Fonts with fancy designs are likely to create typo problems because they’re difficult to read.
Make use of the magnifying glasses. Maybe not literally but if you’re proofreading on paper and instead of reading your manuscript at 100 and then increasing it so that it covers the screen 150 (or 200%) is ideal. Of obviously, you wouldn’t want it to be so huge that you need to go around however the larger the font appears on your screen, it’s more comfortable to read and the easier it is to be able to spot mistakes.
The Invisibles are on. Invisibles are the spaces that you cannot see in the webpage. When you press”space bar,” which appears located between each word, your program will create a tiny dot between each word. It will create a tiny symbol of a paragraph when you press “return” to start a new paragraph. It can be invisible and make all kinds of difference. I’ve seen books printed where one paragraph is a duplicate of two, because nobody noticed the invisible paragraph break that was introduced. Many people are known in hitting space bars following periods several times, even though it’s only supposed to be hit only once. The invisibles off will help you get rid of the habit and will make layout much easier as well as less likely experience problems. According to the software you are using they could be referred to as “hidden text” or “non-print characters.” Check the Word processing software’s “Help” and do a search using these terms to learn how to turn off invisible characters. The screen will appear invisible. isn’t easy to adjust to however, without them, the things you cannot see could be harmful to you.
Read slowly and multiple Times
The process of proofreading is no more crucial than slowing down. It’s true that it can be slightly boring, but having an error-free manuscript is well worth the effort. Here are some helpful suggestions to help you make adjustments.
Read the manuscript out loud. I would recommend reading the manuscript in the editing phase too. You’ll be amazed by how much you can improve style and tone by reading your writing out loud. You’ll notice subtleties of rhythm that you may not have noticed earlier through listening. Also, I believe that your brain is forced to focus more intently on the paper when you read it out loud, so you’re more likely to spot mistakes.
Read reversed. No mirrors are required. You shouldn’t be switching from reading from left to right. Instead, begin at the lower left corner of the page, and go through each sentence or line in the direction of forward. This way, you don’t get lost in the flow of the sentences, but instead you will have to look at the contents of each line. The process can be time-consuming, so it’s likely that you won’t be able to be able to keep it up for very long, but it’s beneficial because it helps new proofreaders to take their time and pay close attention.
Take a look at each word and letter. Being attentive to every letter and word is extremely essential. Many authors depend too heavily on spell-check. Spell-check cannot find words that are correctly written, but in the wrong spot. I’d like to have one dollar for each occasion I’ve seen words in the left column above substituted for words in the left column:
Brain Brian (I haven’t met many who are named Brain)
Lightening Lightning (there there is an important distinction)
Dairy Diary
Mediate Meditate
When you proofread, words that have at least one vowel two letters together like “occurrence” and “titillate,” or five or more letters must be scrutinized. As we get better at reading and masters of memory, our brain quickly detects words by looking at a few of the letters, with the consequence is that we might not recognize a letter that is incorrect in the word. As an example, you could be sure to find the middle of the sntce even regardless of whether it’s misread.
Proofread multiple times. In the event of not getting the wrong word in I was able to catch the wrong word on the fourth attempt of reading this piece I realized that my spelling was “read pen” instead of “red pen.” It’s enough said.
Always seek another opinion. Proofread your work. It is then given to someone else who will proofread it. Don’t expect anyone else to be able to perfect it and then judge the task completed. Examine the mistakes that you see and take lessons from these mistakes. If you discover that you’re making the same mistakes over and over for example, like using “dairy” for “diary,” you’ll be able to rid your habit and observe it more carefully the every time you perform you own proofreading.
Like everything else is a skill that requires practicing. If you spend more time and effort devote towards it, the better at it will get. It’s possible that you won’t be in the Proofreading Hall of Fame, but at the very least, person will ever think that you cannot be able to write or spell.
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