Whatever it is that you’re writing – a blog, a poem, a paper intended for a journal, or the final draft of your PhD dissertation – proofreading your own work is hard. Even when you’ve finalised your document and you are ready to proofread it, it’s very difficult to get out of the writing mindset and into the grammar error-catching mindset.
Professional proofreading services go a long way today in helping to overcome these complexities, but they are not for everyone. For some, the budget to cover the cost of professional proofreading just isn’t available, and for others, they strongly feel that they themselves should do everything needed to bring the document into good shape.
If you want to proofread your own work, or if you are simply curious about how professional proofreading services work, the purpose of this article is to state and explain the core principles of proofreading. Knowing about these will help you improve as a proofreader and, at the same time, it will allow you to better evaluate the work of professional proofreaders.
Principle #1 – Don’t rush it
Distance is clarity when it comes to proofreading. That is to say, the less familiar you are with the document you are proofreading, the more effectively you are able to proofread it.
For this reason, the first principle of proofreading is not to rush the process. If you have a deadline coming up tomorrow, it may be worth using an online proofreading service, since in this case it is actually impossible to gain the distance you need to achieve a good outcome.
Image: It’s important to complete the proofreading process slowly and deliberately
Principle #2 – Leave no stone unturned
When we say that a proofreader checks everything, we literally mean everything. Proofreaders check the spelling of every name, every book title, every technical term, every calculation, every day, and so on.
Image: Good proofreaders leave no stone unturned
Principle #3 – Maintain consistency
Proofreaders typically maintain consistency in a written document by following a style guide. This guide tells the proofreader where to use italics, what case to apply in titles and headings (e.g., title case or sentence case), the type of quotation marks to use, and everything else. Style guides touch on every conceivable writing-related issue, and they must be followed to maintain consistency.
Image: Consistency is one of the keys to good proofreading
Principle #4 – Ask someone else for help
If you are not a professional proofreader, this is one of the most fundamental principles to follow when checking written work. This is because receiving a fresh perspective on your written work is truly essential as a way to ensure every error is spotted and corrected. Asking someone else for help who has a good grasp with the proofreading process, this is particularly essential if you do not have a strong grasp of spelling, punctuation, and grammar, always get it checked!
Image: Use a fresh pair of eyes to improve your writing
Professional Proofreading Services 