Top Ten Tips for Proofreading   by Charlie Wilson

So you've slaved for hours producing your best work, be it report, letter, essay or even book. You've re-read and re-written until you're cross-eyed and finally, finally you've reached the end and can print it, send it, submit it, publish it . . . You're done. Phew.

But are you? How about proofreading it? I know, I know - you've read it so many times it must be fine and besides, you're sick of the sight of it. But forgo or rush that last job of proofreading and your hard work may be sadly marred by inconsistencies and mistakes.

As a professional proofreader and copy-editor, I spend many hours proofreading each week. The tips below form the basis of my own formula for effective proofreading.

1. If possible, allow some time between completing your work and proofreading it - ideally overnight. That way you'll be fresher when you proofread and more likely to spot mistakes.

2. If it is feasible, print your work to proofread it. It is often easier to see mistakes on paper, away from the glare of the computer screen.

3. Use an easy-to-read font for your work, such as Times New Roman or Arial, and a large font size (14 point minimum) to make it easier for your eye to spot mistakes.

4. Make a list of things to check as you proofread and tick them off as you go. For example: headings, page numbers, paragraph indents, sentence spacing and the style of certain words.

5. Break the proofreading down. I usually run through a text quickly several times before a close read. The first time I may look purely at heading styles, the next time at layout, and so on.

6. Read slowly. Laborious as you may find proofreading, fast skim reading is fairly useless for spotting errors.

7. Use a ruler or a piece of paper under the line you are reading to isolate it. This stops the eye becoming daunted by the text and skim reading.

8. If in doubt, use a dictionary to check your spelling. If you don't have a good dictionary, try www.dictionary.com (but please beware Americanised spellings).

9. Above all, be consistent - inconsistency bothers readers and is distracting. So, if you've decided to go with 'proofreading' on page one, don't write 'proof-reading' or 'proof reading' on page two.

10. Once you've proofread your work, ask a friend or colleague (or professional) to look it over as well. You may be surprised to find what you've missed - the human eye is prone to blind spots.

About the Author

Charlie Wilson is a professional writer and editor. She runs Perfectly Write, a company that specialises in providing expert copywriting, copy-editing and proofreading services to businesses, publishers, organisations and authors. Passionate about words, her aim is to make them 'perfectly write'. Visit her website at www.perfectlywrite.co.uk.