{"id":26920,"date":"2023-10-12T16:35:47","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T05:35:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/?p=26920"},"modified":"2023-10-12T16:35:47","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T05:35:47","slug":"7-steps-to-proofreading-like-a-pro","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/problogger.com\/7-steps-to-proofreading-like-a-pro\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Steps to Proofreading Like a Pro"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"7<\/p>\n

This is a guest contribution by Charles Cuninghame, website copywriter.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m sure we can all agree that proofreading is the least fun part of blogging. But while it may be tedious, it\u2019s well worth the effort.<\/p>\n

Typos are not only embarrassing, they can also cost you money.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In a widely reported study, British entrepreneur Charles Duncombe found a single spelling mistake can cut your online sales in half! If you don’t have a product, then you could be missing out a blog subscriber or repeat visitor!<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a tried and tested proofreading process that I\u2019ve taught to many novice writers with great success. Once you get the hang of it, you should be able to thoroughly proofread an average length blog post in 5-10 minutes.<\/p>\n

What you\u2019ll need:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. A printer<\/li>\n
  2. A red pen<\/li>\n
  3. A highlighter pen<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Step 1: Set it aside<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Time permitting, set your blog post aside for a while before you proofread it. An hour is good, a day is better.<\/strong> The more time you put between the writing and proofreading, the more refreshed you\u2019ll be and better able to spot any typos.<\/p>\n

    Step 2: Print it out<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Research has shown that proofreading on-screen is not as effective as proofreading a printout.<\/strong> So do yourself a favour and print your post out. But run it through the spell checker first, to fix any obvious spelling mistakes.<\/p>\n

    Step 3: Mark up your changes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Get ready by minimising distractions. Proofreading requires your undivided attention. So turn off your phone, close your email and switch off the music.<\/p>\n

    Read through your post marking up typos and rough spots with your red pen as you go. Force yourself to slow down and concentrate.<\/strong> Focus on each word and character as you read.<\/p>\n

    Make your mark-ups obvious so you don\u2019t overlook them at the corrections stage. Punctuation marks (commas, apostrophes, full-stops\/periods, etc.) are particularly easy to miss. So it\u2019s a good idea to circle the mark-up for extra emphasis.<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s also a good idea to put a cross in the margin next to a line that contains a correction.<\/p>\n

    Step 4: Read out loud<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Once you\u2019re been through your blog post once, read it aloud. Reading aloud helps in two ways.<\/strong> Firstly, your ears will often catch mistakes that your eyes miss. Reading aloud forces a higher level of concentration than silent reading.<\/p>\n

    And secondly, reading out loud helps you to write conversationally.<\/strong> If your post sounds clunky when you speak it, you need to revise it until it sounds confidently conversational.<\/p>\n

    Step 5: Double-check details<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    There are some details that are particularly embarrassing or troublesome to get wrong. So you should double-check<\/em> the following:<\/p>\n