Proofreading services offer great value for money, and with the rise of the Internet, they are increasingly easy to find, use, and learn from.
However, if your budget doesn’t cover the cost of a proofreading service, you may be wondering if a DIY check, will provide your work with a professional-grade service.
Ultimately, the complexity of the proofreading process means that it is unlikely you will be able to match the same level of quality as an expertly-trained proofreader, but there are several surefire tips you can follow to help you proofread like the pros.
1. Start from the end
People often laugh out loud when professional proofreaders suggest that they should read their document backward when checking over their own work.
However, if you only look for mistakes by reading your work forwards, your brain – in knowing already what you were aiming to write – tends to correct mistakes automatically, preventing you from seeing them clearly.
This is the reason why starting from the end of your document and reading it back to front is one of the most effective ways to proofread like the pros.
2. Read aloud
This is another practice that professional proofreaders routinely follow when checking over other people’s work, but that writers themselves rarely adopt.
The logic underlying the practice is similar to the logic that causes many professionals to read through documents backward: namely, to break away from the familiarity you already have with a text you have written, and which is incredibly hard to break from if you stick to practices you always use (in this case, reading through the text silently).
Even if you are working in a public space such as a library, there is no excuse to avoid this advice when proofreading as even silently mouthing the words can do the trick!
3. Concentrate
Many writers believe that once they’ve finished the final draft of their work, their main task is pretty much done. As a result, they may begin proofreading with music on, distractions around them, or even while sitting in front of the television.
This is a serious misconception, though. To notice subtle mistakes in a document and, at the same time, to optimise the clarity, consistency, and concision of a document, you need your full attention and all your wits about you.
Therefore, if you want to proofread like the pros and get the same results without having to pay for a proofreading service, start the proofreading process by removing any distractions in your environment. Find a comfortable chair and turn off your emails, and you’re all set.
4. Print your work
This is one of the oldest tricks of the trade. Professional proofreaders almost always work on documents on paper because this allows them the opportunity to catch many of the errors that would have otherwise snuck by. Once you’ve mark-up your printed document and identified all the areas that need changing, you can go back to your computer and begin applying the corrections.
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