Best Proofreading Tips
This article was originally posted on September 10, 2019
Hello writers, what are your proofreading tips? Let me tell you now, I’m writing this article to remind myself of the steps to take for more of my articles. You see, these steps take more time than a quick read through. Something I have a tendency to do a lot on my journal category articles. You may be shaking your head, “I know.”
Why Proofreading is Necessary
Proofreading is normally done after you are satisfied with your draft article or story. You are looking to edit misspellings, grammar, and punctuation errors. Does this sound like a simple process? Maybe. But is it that simple to carry out? It does not always feel like it, and this is one reason why we have professional editors so as some say after one or two proofreading edits on their own, “I no longer want to deal with the headache.” Or, “ I’m glad my part is over and done.”
Here is the good word though. The headache that sometimes come when you are proofreading a novel; does not when you are writing a short (200 – 900 words) to long form blog post between 1,000 to 4,000 words. Then you most likely will be able to complete the proofing process without a headache. Proofreading is important because it matches your thoughts with the words on paper (screen), so there will be no confusion. You don’t like the way something reads or sounds, then tweak it once, or tweak it twice, and there you will have your authentic thought exactly the way you wish it to be.
Best Proofreading Tips
A) Take a break from the article. Have a meal. Maybe you only need fifteen minutes to an hour away. It helps having a day away from the article project; therefore it gives your brain time to rejuvenate overnight. I realize most may not need or desire to wait that long. It is good to know all the same.
B) After your break, make sure to place your pencil (computer cursor) on each word methodically read at a slower pace than what you have typed. You will see most mistakes right away by doing this. Spellings and punctuation will become evident.
C) Speaking of punctuation, I’ve found proofreading your sentences backwards helps to find typos and missing punctuations as well. Be aware this can bring a strain for some, but I want you to know it is one of your options just the same.
D) Check your headings and subheadings. Did you place them in bold types and special fonts? Make sure the headings are all uniformed in the style you picked. H2 through H5 and so on.
E) Read your masterpiece out loud.
F) Take a break ( coffee or tea, smile) and repeat the steps on your return.
How the above steps have helped me.
The above tips I started using around 2014, but to this day, not on a consistent basis. I wish to use the above techniques more to keep all my articles in pristine reading shape for the Perceptive Readers. Chuckle, but you know there will continue to be times when I still post those from my mind to your mind journal articles and will not have used all the best proofreading tips displayed in the last heading.
In fact, it seems to be saved mostly for indepth tip articles like this one.
This is one of the reasons I decided to write this article — to help myself use these techniques more times throughout the month. Hence, when you see this article featured on My Minds Page quite a bit, it is to remind me to implement these tips more even on my shorter articles and side bar statements and news. Something I can always work on each week, if not everyday.
With the above stated, please feel free to tell me in the contact form on the homepage when I made a mistake in an article.
Seriously, this is so helpful to me. Let me express again how grateful I’ll be to you.
A quick, Hi, My name is Mr. or Ms. Wonderful, and I just copied and paste this quote to show you there is a misspelling or punctuation, etc.
Concluding Thought Tips
Allow me to thank you readers for sharing and spending time each day to enhance, some people say enrich, your life by finding and taking value to others. Yes, sharing is caring. Always do your best to have a light shinning in your heart and mind. Hey, you need that as part of the the best proofreading tips as well.
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