Editing and proofreading mini guide: success is in the details

So your document is finally ready to go out the door. Or is it?

Everyone makes mistakes. But when it comes to marketing collateral, you really can’t afford to allow even a single error to slip through the net. No matter how much time and effort you put into producing a finely crafted piece of text, the fact remains that just one silly mistake can undo all your hard work.

Marketing is about showcasing your business, about convincing people that you do a good job and that they should bring their custom (and money) in your direction. This means you have to get it absolutely right. Even a stray full-stop will be noticed by somebody. And it’s precisely the kind of error that looks unprofessional, giving the impression that you don’t pay sufficient attention to detail. What’s more, there really is no excuse for it.

That’s why proofreading and editing are so critical.

Are proofreading and editing the same thing?

No. Although many people use the terms interchangeably, proofreading and editing are two different stages of the revision process. Both demand close and careful reading, but they focus on different aspects of the writing and employ different techniques.

Try to keep the editing and proofreading processes separate. When you’re editing an early draft of something, you don’t want to be bothered with thinking about punctuation, grammar and spelling. If you’re worrying about the spelling of a word or the placement of a comma, you’re not focusing on the more important development and connection of ideas that make your argument clear and convincing.

Tips for editing

Editing is what you begin doing as soon as you finish your first draft. You want to re-read to see, for example, if the document is well-organised, the transitions between paragraphs are smooth, and your content is really relevant to the point you want to make.

You can edit on several levels:

1.  Content

Are the claims you make accurate and consistent throughout? Are you persuasive? Is all of the information in your document relevant?

2.  Overall structure

Are the paragraphs arranged in a logical sequence? Have you made clear transitions between paragraphs? If you’ve used Outline View to structure your document, this shouldn’t be a problem. But it’s a good idea to flip back to Outline View to check the structure hasn’t been corrupted along the way.

3.  Structure within paragraphs

Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each paragraph stick to one main idea? Are there any extraneous or missing sentences in any of your paragraphs?

4.  Clarity

Is the meaning of each sentence clear? One way to check is to read your document one sentence at a time, starting at the end and working backwards so that you don’t unconsciously fill in content from previous sentences.

Is it clear what each pronoun (he, she, it, they, which, who, this, etc.) refers to? Have you chosen the proper words to express your ideas? (Avoid using words you find in the thesaurus that aren’t part of your normal vocabulary; you may misuse them.) Have you defined any important terms that might be unclear to your reader?

5.  Style

Have you used an appropriate tone (formal, informal, persuasive, etc.)? Have you varied the length and structure of your sentences?

Tips for proofreading

Proofreading is the final stage of the editing process, focusing on surface errors such as misspellings, and mistakes in grammar and punctuation. You should proofread only after you have finished all of your other editing revisions.

Proofreading is vital. Like it or not, the way your document looks will affect the way others judge it. You don’t want careless errors distracting your reader from what you have to say.

Most people devote only a few minutes to proofreading, hoping to catch any glaring errors that jump out from the page. But a quick and cursory re-read, especially after you’ve been working long and hard on your text, usually misses a lot. It’s better to work with a definite plan that helps you to search systematically for specific kinds of errors.

Granted, this takes a little extra time, but it pays off in the end.

6.  Don’t rely entirely on spell checkers

These can be useful tools, but they are far from fool-proof. Spell checkers have a limited dictionary, so some words that show up as misspelled may just not be in their memory. In addition, spell checkers will not catch misspellings that form another valid word – for example, if you type “your” instead of “you’re,” “to” instead of “too,” or “there” instead of “their.”

7.   Be wary of grammar checkers! 

These programs work with a limited number of rules, so they can’t identify every error and often make mistakes. They also fail to give thorough explanations to help you understand why a sentence should be revised. You may want to use a grammar checker to help you identify potential run-on sentences, or too frequent use of the passive voice, but you need to be able to evaluate the feedback it provides.

8.  Proofread for only one kind of error at a time

If you try to identify and revise too many things at once, you risk losing focus, and your proofreading will be less effective. It’s easier to catch grammatical errors if you’re not checking punctuation and spelling at the same time. In addition, some of the techniques that work well for spotting one kind of mistake won’t catch others.

9.  Read slowly, and read every word

Try reading out loud. You may feel silly but it forces you to say each word and also lets you hear how the words sound together. When you read silently or too quickly, you’re likely to skip over errors or make unconscious corrections.

10. Try separating the text into individual sentences

This is another technique to help you to read every sentence carefully. Simply press the return key after each full stop so that every line begins a new sentence. Then read each sentence separately, looking for grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors. You probably won’t want to go through a whole document like this, but at least try it with a key section. If you’re working with a printed document, try using an opaque object like a ruler or a piece of paper to isolate the line you’re working on.

11. Read the paper backwards

This technique is helpful for checking spelling. Start with the last word on the last page and work your way back to the beginning, reading each word separately. Because content, punctuation, and grammar won’t make any sense, your focus will be entirely on the spelling of each word.