This is a guest post by Kurt who writes at Icytips. If you like to write for Shoutmeloud, do read Shoutmeloud revenue sharing program.
Picture the scene! An author (it may even be me!) has been burning the midnight oil to finish his article before the dreaded deadline tomorrow morning. He has been working on this piece for several days, has written and re-written it several times and know the content by heart. He submits it in the knowledge that he has given all he can and done his best. But has he? The proof is in the proof reading – here is how to do it properly.
Proofreading
Take your time and look at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes
If at all possible step away from your article and leave it overnight or at least for a couple of hours. Only then print a copy of it and go through your work line by line, marking any mistakes on the paper copy as you go. It is easier to find mistakes with rested eyes and mind but most particularly when away from the monitor.
Check for grammar and punctuation mistakes
Pay particular attention to spelling mistakes and misused words. Your computer spell check will have picked up the most glaring typos, but it may not be able to tell the correct use of “their” and “there” or whether it should be ”affection” or “affliction”. If in doubt about a word get out your trusted dictionary and look it up by hand. The latest wordpress version also has a proofreading tool which can correct more than just the common mistakes. So use it.
Don’t repeat yourself
Keep a particular eye on repeated sentence structures and words. Your reader will soon get bored if you consistently repeat part of the same sentence. Regardless of the topic of your writing your reader will be grateful for a flowing style and won’t thank you for endless repetition.
Credit where credit is due
Make sure you identify where your facts come from. Not only is plagiarism illegal, it is also unethical. How would you feel if someone claimed your words as their own? Specially when you quote facts and figures, be sure to give credit.
Does this make sense to you
If at all possible get someone else to read your work for you. A person unfamiliar with the topic you are writing about will easily pinpoint inconsistencies or let you know where more explanation is needed. Another tip is to read your article out loud. It is easier to see if it “flows”.
The benefits of proper proofreading are obvious. A properly written, edited and presented text projects a professional image, gets you taken seriously in the world of blogging and ensures you are listened to. Taking the time to proofread properly is a worthwhile investment on any blogger’s time.
Meanwhile will love to know your answer on:Do you proofread your articles ?
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
“Take your time and look at your writing with a fresh pair of eyes”…this is the best tip. Most of the times when we are in flow we may miss the obvious mistakes. Take a break to catch those errors. It’s just like rebooting your system after a long session when it is — “Not Responding”
Exactly. And most of the time when we are writing something, our mind is actually reading something else. That’s why when we check an article again later, we can see errors that we didn’t see while writing.
My favorite tip is to “read it aloud” and if it makes enough sense that is the best way to proofread it.
I sell content to various blogs and I personally proofread it to maintain quality and make my clients happy.
It is good to do so because you don’t want some crazy errors to happen when you publish it.
Install After the Deadline Plugin.
It also checks for mistakes you pointed out in #2.
Good point After the deadline helps a lot.. Also one can use F7 key in Windows live writer for spell check.
Yes one advantage of having wordpress plugins.
I proof-read all my articles though some mistakes do go through the filters. Luckily, my wife re-reads my postings to spot other errors. To add to all these tips, there’s one that really helps: write short but to the point sentences. It has many advantages: less space for mistakes, better reader attention and great for SEO.
Great article Kurt.
Thanks buddy. That’s a good point too. Writing shorter and simple sentences reduces the amount of mistakes but also make readers, who do not have English as their primary language, more at ease to read an article.
This is going to help me a lot.
Glad it was useful.
Once you’ve read the article as a whole and are happy that it has flow and bounce (the two essential qualities of a really readable article), you should read it again, but this time out of sequence. Read the last paragraph, then the second paragraph, then the second to last and so on.
This out of sequence reading prevents you from ‘skimming’ and forces you to focus on each word and sentence in their own right.
Mike