Proofreading: catch more errors
The secret to being a brilliant proofreader? Being methodical about how you approach the proofreading process.
Let’s take a look at some strategies you can adopt to be a more successful and efficient proofreader.
Below is a transcript of the video, which is an extract from my online course, Proofread Like a Pro. You can enrol in the course now at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.
SLOW IS THE SECRET TO FAST
First, slow is the secret to fast. Now, if you’re working in a busy, fast-paced environment, it can be tempting to believe there must be some hack for proofreading quickly.
In the next lecture, I will talk about some tips for speedy proofreading when you’re really up against the clock. But, honestly, that should not be the norm.
Because, here’s the thing: when it comes to proofreading, there really are no shortcuts. And the secret to proofreading efficiently is to take your time and to be methodical. If you rush your proofreading, it will be a false economy because you will miss errors.
And if you’ve only got time to proofread a document once, then make that one read really count. Now, some of the proofreading strategies I’m about to show you may sound like they’ll slow you down, but they will save you time - and embarrassment - in the long-term, I promise.
LET IT SIT FOR A WHILE
If you’re proofreading your own work, let it sit for a while. The brain naturally fills in the gaps and reads what it thinks is there - not what actually is there. So you need to trick your brain into seeing the document as if someone else has written it. So if you can, if you’ve got time, leave it overnight and come back to it with fresh eyes.
TAKE BREAKS
Proofreading requires concentration and can be very fatiguing for the eyes - which can cause you to miss errors. So if you’re proofing a long document, take regular breaks.
GET A SECOND (OR THIRD!) PAIR OF EYES ON IT
The brain’s tendency to read what it thinks is there is one reason to get a second, or third, or fourth pair of eyes on your document, especially if it’s something you’ve written yourself. Even if the document didn’t originate with you, chances are you won’t catch everything. Remember: most professional proofreaders are probably going to miss 10% of typos. So if it’s a really important document, bring that final percentage down by getting more eyes on the thing.
CHANGE YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Switching up your environment can help you focus on catching errors. Proofreading well takes huge amounts of concentration. So go somewhere quiet, where you can proofread uninterrupted. And this is true if you’re reading your own work or someone else’s.
READ ALOUD
One good reason to find a quiet spot is to be able to read the document aloud. Reading work aloud is a really effective way of catching errors because it helps you spot when a sentence isn’t quite right, and it interrupts the brain’s natural tendency to skip over words and miss mistakes by reading what it thinks is there rather than what’s actually there.
PROOF ON PAPER - WITH A RULER
Ultimately, though, if you’ve got time, you should also proofread your own work on paper if you can.
And if you’re being paid to proofread someone else’s work, you should definitely read a printed copy. In fact, any serious client would expect that of you.
Remember what I said in an earlier lecture that, technically, it’s not possible to proofread on screen because the word ‘proof’ means a printed out copy? That’s not all. As I’ve said, proofreading is very tiring for the eyes - but that’s particularly so if you’re reading on screen. So if you only proof on screen, you’re massively increasing your chances of missing errors.
Reading with a ruler - placing it under each line of text as you read will help you focus on your document line by line. Which, yes, will slow you down. But it will concentrate your mind and prevent you from scanning, which will up your chances of catching errors.
CHECK INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS SEPaRATELY
Something we’ll be talking about later in the course is the benefit of checking individual elements separately. For example, reading all the headings together, all the graphs together and so on. In fact, if you are looking to save time and only have a matter of minutes to proof a document, focus your energies on the elements that stick out, like headings and subheadings. The bigger the font, the more likely your readers are to spot a typo.
KNOW YOUR WEAKNESSES
If you’re proofing your own work and you know you have a weakness or uncertainty - misspelling certain words or missing apostrophes let’s say - then be particularly on the look out for it. You could even do a separate read just for apostrophes. Do the same, if you’re proofing someone else’s work and you know they have a particular weakness.
USE A CHECKLIST
In the course workbook, you’ll find a checklist of things to read for - to remind you what you should be looking for. For example, to read all the headings separately, or to check for particular weaknesses. Be methodical.
INPUT CHANGES METHODICALLY, USING A HIGHLIGHTER
As well as being methodical about checking and marking up your changes, if you’re the person responsible for inputting them, be just as methodical about that. Use a highlighter pen to highlight each change as you’ve made it to make sure that every change you’ve caught actually ends up changed in the final document.
This sounds time-consuming, but it will actually save you time in the end, especially if you’re working on a long, complex document, because it will help you keep track of what you’ve changed and what’s still left to do.
CHECK YOUR NEW PROOF AGAINST THE MARKED-UP PROOF
Then, when you’ve input all your changes, print out a fresh copy and check this new proof against the marked-up proof. Not only to double check that you’ve made the change, but, importantly, that you’ve made the change accurately - and not actually introduced any errors.
This, actually, is a time-saving strategy, because it allows you to just check the changes you’ve made, rather than having to read the whole document again.
SUBJECT IT TO THE ‘FINAL GLANCE’ TEST
Finally, a technique I picked up when I was working in the super busy economics team of an investment bank: the ‘final glance’ test. Just before we were about to hit send on our biggest report of the quarter, we would print the document out and turn each page over slowly, glancing at each one in turn, letting the eye hover briefly over headings, graphics and the bottoms of pages.
Why did we do this? Well, you know how you always spot an error at the precise moment you click send? At the precise moment your brain has stopped seeking out errors?
This technique was a way to replicate that rested brain before hitting send. The point was not to think too much. By doing this it allowed us to pick up on any glaring typos in headlines or problems with the layout that you can easily miss when you’re focusing intently on the detail of a document.
So remember, being methodical and taking your time is the key to successful proofreading.
This video and transcript are from my online course Proofread Like a Pro, which you can enrol in at the Doris and Bertie Writing School.
