BY DEBORAH TAYLOR
When crafting your novel, proofreading is the last editing stage before you hit publish.
As a professional copy editor and proofreader, I always advocate for hiring a vetted proofreader to review your work because they will catch more errors and inconsistencies, but if you decide to proof your own work, I have some tips that will help you answer some of those pesky questions like “Should I use a comma between two adjectives?”, “When should I spell out numbers?” and “When is it appropriate to use a semicolon in a list?”
From style guides like CMOS and New Hart’s Rules to the trusty Merriam-Webster online and Grammarly, these tools and others can help refine your manuscript. In this blog post, I will show you how to proofread like a pro.
1. Use a style guide
Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)
The Chicago Manual of Style, known as CMOS, is the US standard of editorial style guides. Its wisdom guides proofreaders through the labyrinth of grammar, punctuation, and formatting. Whether it’s the nuances of the Oxford comma, citation formats, or dealing with hyphens, CMOS keeps us on track. There is a newly released version, v18, available online via subscription.
New Hart’s Rules
A British variant of CMOS, New Hart’s Rules offers an insightful perspective into the British style of writing. It navigates through the intricacies of grammar and punctuation with a uniquely British flair. From the use of single or double quotation marks to the preferred placement of punctuation outside of quotations, this guide ensures the texts retain a British identity.
2. Make your own style guides
Some clients (mostly corporate ones) already have their own style guide – their own sets of rules and preferences that reflect their brand voice and communication style. These style guides are unique, specific to their industries, and personal to their ethos. When proofreading, we must maintain the author’s voice, and having a style guide helps us to do that. Making your own guide is a great start to the editing process. On it, make a record of your personal preferences, such as word choice (T-shirt or tee shirt), Oxford commas, spaces around em dashes, and whether you like a comma before the word too, to name a few.
If you are writing fiction, make another guide with each of your character’s traits, including elements such as the character’s eye and hair color, their height, etc. Use another style guide sheet to write down the timeline and keep track of inconsistencies that creep in during re-drafts. Can Sarah have been born in 1997 if she is age 25?
3. Use AI technology: Grammarly, PerfectIt, etc.
In the era of rapid technological evolution, AI helps authors to proofread their own work quickly. PerfectIt andGrammarly are universal tools that analyze text, offering grammar, punctuation, and style suggestions. It’s like having an AI colleague—diligent and thorough, though not without its limitations. It offers swift suggestions, but remember, the context behind the text is still a task reserved for us humans. Make sure to double-check any facts you gain from AI before publishing.
4. Consult an online dictionary: Merriam-Webster and more
No proofreader is complete without their trusty dictionary—often these days, an online one. Merriam-Webster, with its vast database, allows us to check word meanings, pronunciations, and etymology.
Beyond Merriam-Webster, there are various online dictionaries, including Cambridge, Oxford, and Collins. They offer insights into language, expanding our understanding and ensuring we choose the right words.
5. Other resources, including macros
Macros are sequences of events (such as keystrokes and mouse clicks) that can be played back to help with repetitive tasks. They can also be used to replay sequences that are long or difficult to run. You can assign a macro to a key or a mouse button. This is helpful for elements that are difficult to spot with the human eye, such as double spaces after a period or a full stop. If you are new to macros, check out tutorials from the master, Paul Beverley https://www.archivepub.co.uk/Macros.html.
Other useful tools are:
A) A thesaurus is great if you feel like you’re overusing a particular word or searching for the perfect one; try thesaurus.com.
B) A usage guide: this helps us understand the differences between good usage and common usage. Words like accept and except. To accept something is to receive it (accept this gift) or regard it as proper (accept the idea). To except something is to exclude it or leave it out (club members will be excepted from the admission charge), and to except to something is to object to it.
CMOS17 5.250 (or 5.254 for CMOS18): Good usage versus common usage.
C) A guide to conjunction such as The Conjugation.com .
D) A guide to swearing! A Very Sweary Dictionary.
6. Read it out loud
This can be more useful than you imagine. The brain loves to “help” and adds in words that aren’t there. By reading your copy aloud, it forces you to slow down and spot missing words or sentences that don’t make sense. You can utilize the text-to-speech function in MS Word. It is quite robotic but has the advantage that you can slow the speed down and really hear what you have written from a new perspective.
7. Print a copy
Using a printed version (if it isn’t too long) can provide a different viewpoint on a piece of work that you are already familiar with. Couple it with number six—reading it aloud—and you are onto a winning combination.
8. Change the font
If the copy you want to proofread is too long to print out (see number seven), you can try changing the font. Using a monospace font can help slow you down and spot errors more easily on a screen. Don’t forget to change it back afterward!
9. Share with a friend or colleague
That second pair of eyes I mentioned it could just be a colleague or friend that can help. This can help you to gain free feedback on the readability and clarity of your copy.
10. Take a break
Just like in the writing process, you need to take regular breaks. Use the ‘focus’ function on your computer to turn off notifications while you work and set an alarm for an hour. Then, get away from your desk, make a coffee, or go for a walk. Just five to ten minutes every hour will increase your productivity.
There you have it! By incorporating just a few of the tips mentioned above, you’ll be well on your way to sharpening your proofreading skills. Whether it’s catching those sneaky typos or refining the flow of your writing, these strategies will help you bring a more polished, professional touch to your work.
