Comments on: How To Self-Edit And Proofread Your Book

By: Emily Hill

Emily Hill — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:40:26 +0000

Such a timely post. Who among us did NOT catch Susan Andersen’s misfortune this week? Although it was NOT her fault, it could happen to the best of us. Particularly if our work isn’t third-party edited by a human bean.

By: Wesley Dylan Gray

Wesley Dylan Gray — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:10:27 +0000

I’ve been trying the Kindle method you mentioned with my WIP novella. I’m so glad I read this because I seem to have forgotten all about my device’s highlight function! Ha! HIGHLIGHT! Of course, it’s so obvious! :)

By: Loco

Loco — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:07:01 +0000

Nice tips! In the process of doing just this and these were very timely and helpful! Sets of eyes are difficult to find, unfortunately, and professionals are unaffordable. But I have one besides my own and I’m gonna have to work with that limitation. Hopefully I can catch most of them!

By: Scott Fitzgerald Gray

Scott Fitzgerald Gray — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 22:28:42 +0000

Similar advice to lots of other folks. I always recommend using a spelling and grammar checker, even though it’s absolutely true that those checkers will miss or misinterpret many things. The trick is, you’re not using the check to change your text; you’re using it as a means for YOU to check your text, evaluating each suggested maybe-mispelling and usage pseudo-error individually. Definitely don’t EVER use a spelling or grammar checker and tell it to “change all”. Evaluate each instance on its own. Arduous? Yes, but that’s what line editing is.

Two things that i also always recommend are proofing on paper and reading the work out loud. I don’t know why, but reading a paper proof will always let you catch things that you’ll gloss over on screen. Always. Reading out loud (ideally from the paper proof) forces your brain to slow down and look at each word, and is especially useful for catching transposition or awkwardness that a mental reading glosses over.