If you missed any of the previous parts in our series on editing, you can find them here:
The final stage of editing is proofreading. This is when you've finished making all the little changes you wanted to make, and your text is (you hope!) complete.
All authors make typos, though, and it's easy for errors to creep in when you edit. Proofreading is where you catch anything that isn't correct – and fix it.
It can be surprisingly
difficult to read what you ACTUALLY wrote rather than what you THINK you wrote, which is why it really helps if you can get someone else to proofread your manuscript. Obviously, a professional proofreader is best – but your partner, friend, or a fellow writer can all be good options too. (Just make sure you pick someone who's good at spelling and grammar.)
If you do need to proofread your manuscript yourself, either as the sole
proofreader or as a second pair of eyes, here's what I'd recommend:
#1: Print Your Manuscript or Put it Onto Your Kindle
Get your manuscript off your computer and turn it into a book (using a print-on-demand service like Lulu or CreateSpace) or an ebook (you can find out how to put your manuscript onto your Kindle in my post
www.aliventures.com/manuscript-onto-kindle).
Just turning your manuscript into a different format can make it easier to spot typos and mistakes, so don't skip this
step!
#2: Read Slowly and Carefully
If you read a lot (and most writers do!) then you might find it surprisingly hard to slow down. I know I do! But by reading more slowly than usual, you'll be more likely to spot typos instead of ignoring them.
You might even want to read out loud: it takes a lot longer, but if you're the only proofreader for your novel, it's a good way to ensure you do a decent
job.
#3: Don't Obsess Over Finding EVERY Typo
Obviously, you want your book to be perfect. But even traditionally published books sometimes contain typos: you probably just don't notice them much of the time because, like most readers, you're reading in phrases rather than individual words.
If you're proofreading for the fifth time, because you're paranoid about a single typo slipping through, then
it's definitely past time to stop! A book riddled with typos and careless mistakes will certainly put off readers ... a book with a single typo in chapter 10 really won't ruin your career.
One way to get round the fear of typos is to offer free advance review copies of your book. Ask readers to leave an honest review, if they feel able to, and encourage them to let you know about any typos they spotted or anything they think might need
fixing.
Very best wishes for your own editing and proofreading! For the rest of November, we'll be taking a look at the business of writing: how to be a professional, rather than a hobbyist, writer.
