12 Proofreading Steps to Accurate Copy

Proof your copy

On Dragons’ Den, Duncan Bannatyne poured scorn on a healthy eating book pitch, after spotting grammar errors in the copy. And for that reason, the ‘entrepreneur‘ was ‘out.’

Evidence enough that if you don’t proofread what you write, it can cost you your credibility…

Think about it for a second. Do you write ‘compliment’ when you mean ‘complement’? Do you unwittingly miss out punctuation marks? Do you even know when you’ve made a grammar goof?

Truth is, it can happen to anyone. After all, it’s no secret that your eyes are immune to mistakes in your own writing. And that your brain cleverly reads misspelt words. This is why it’s imperative you proofread every document before publication.

Ideally, it’s best to let a professional (who’ll spot errors at 10 paces) loose on it. Otherwise, you need to follow a system…

How to make your copy ‘goof proof’

Check homophones

As I pointed out in an earlier blog post about copy blunders, homophones are words which sound the same, but are spelt differently and have different meanings. If you type ‘sails’ instead of ‘sales,’ it won’t be spotted by your spell-checker.

It’s useful to have a list of common homophone errors, which you use to check against your copy. I recommend an excellent book, ‘Spell it yourself.‘ Complete with a dictionary of root words and their derivatives, this book is a useful one to have if you struggle with spellings.

Use a ruler to read line by line

When you look at copy on a screen or in hard print, your eyes can start to glaze over, making it easy to miss pesky errors. Try using a ruler. Reading line by line helps you focus carefully on the words.

List words

It’s so easy to make typing typos. For example, have you ever typed mange when you meant to write manage? I know I have!

Rather than your business suffering from an irritating skin disease, keep a checklist of words you regularly misspell. Use the ‘find’ feature in your writing software to quickly locate and eliminate known errors.

Read aloud

Hearing copy read out loud is totally different to seeing it in print. Whether you read to someone else, record yourself on a dictaphone or set your computer’s text-speak function, do it. Since the best copy is conversational, this also helps you notice any awkward phrases or overlong sentences.

Ask a friend

If you don’t arrange for a professional proofreader or copywriter to bring a fresh perspective to your copy, at the very least ask a friend to read over it. It’s unlikely you’ll spot mistakes you always make. But someone else will!

There is nothing worse than sending brochure copy to print, or submitting a dissertation, if you haven’t proofread your writing. Mistakes can be costly…

Read backwards

An unusual approach to reading perhaps… Does work though! Because you are more focused on the actual words rather than the meaning, you are more likely to spot errors. Try it with numbers too.

Sleep on it

I’m a huge fan of giving yourself space from something and returning with fresh eyes. With every copy I write, I always come back to my first draft either hours later or the next day.

Because you’ve detached yourself from it, you bring a new perspective to it when rereading. You’ll probably find you chop sentences out or change words after sleeping on it.

Since the best copy is written from your customer’s perspective, this technique can help you walk in their shoes for a while. Experience what it’s like to read your copy as if you were a customer!

Don’t trust a spell-checker

I do use my spell-checker, but only as part of my proofreading system. To totally rely on it would be foolish! The trouble is, spell-checkers don’t spot homophone errors. And they don’t like you to break grammar rules such as starting a sentences with ‘and’ or finishing with a preposition. Humph!

Try it for yourself. Professor Jerrold H. Zar wrote a famous spell-checker poem full of homophone errors, to show how a spell-check doesn’t interpret meaning.

You also need to bear in mind whether the target audience speaks UK or American English – and adapt copy accordingly. Organisation (organization) is just one example…

Cut it down

When you go through the proofreading process, you’ll find you want to edit. The best copy is ‘tight’ copy. This is where superfluous words such as that or then are removed to make copy punchy. Don’t use three words when one will do! It’s always best to shorten long words to short ones. Help is better than facilitate.

Junk the clunk

When copy is hard to read, it’s probably ‘clunky.’ Some writers refer to clunky writing as an awkward style. The trick is, aim to remove adjectives which don’t add anything to your copy. Don’t write long, rambling sentences which invariably switch readers off.

Avoid business jargon. Ban wordy phrases such as, ‘Our premises are situated in…’ Write, ‘You’ll find us…’ instead. Use more verbs rather than nouns. For example, ‘Our speciality is the provision of high-class PA services…’ sounds less wordy if you write,’ We provide you with…’

Learn to punctuate

How to use punctuation for effect is a copywriter’s sales tool. As I mentioned earlier, if Duncan Bannatyne is put off by a missing full stop, you need to check your punctuation use.

After all, missing apostrophes change meaning. And yet many organisations don’t use them correctly. As Birmingham City Council sensationally announced last year, it intended to omit apostrophes from all road signs. Despite such attitudes towards the humble apostrophe, I still believe it’s crucial you use it accurately.

Check again

By now, you should have almost perfect copy. Just in case an errant spelling error slipped through the net, always read through one last time.

Final word

Feel free to share your proofreading horrors or what works for you. And if proofreading seems like too much hard work, or you simply haven’t the time, ask a professional!