Why Writers Need Professional Proofreaders

written by Julie DeSilva

4/13/2011 ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

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English writer Sydney Smith wrote: What you dont know would make a great book. What people dont know about proofreading would make a great e-book, so here goes! In this electronic age anyone can become a publisher just by clicking SEND. Thats why it is more important than ever that writers distinguish themselves by deferring to professional proofreaders to hone their prose and make it perfect. The word hone is a perfect example of something even a great writer may need help with. Example: His editor honed the speech through rewrites, homing in on the many clichs that would have left the audience members rolling their eyes.

In the example sentence the difference between hone and home is clear, but if you were confused a quick GOOGLE search finds this:

Phrasal Verb: Hone in on

Meaning: Target, focus Example: The company HONED IN ON its rival and tried to take it over. (Some consider this verb to be wrong and that is confused with 'home in on.) [sic]
Retrieved February 10, 2011 from www.usingenglish.com

Oh, where to begin!

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First, do not trust as expert any Web site that has this many mistakes in so few characters! I have copied the entry exactly as it appearsmixed tenses, missing quotation mark, and all. And who does Some refer to? Some experts or some people on the street?! The GOOGLE entry on page 2 was followed by multiple entrieseven blogson the subject. When in doubt turn to tried-and-true Merriam-Websters.

Main Entry: hone in Function: intransitive verb Etymology: alteration of home in Date: 1965 : to move toward or focus attention on an objective *looking back for the ball honing in George Plimpton* *a missile honing in on its target Bob Greene* *hones in on the plights and victories of the common man Lisa Russell* usage The few commentators who have noticed hone in consider it to be a mistake for home in. It may have arisen from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or may perhaps simply be due to the influence of hone. Though it seems to have established itself in American English (and mention in a British usage book suggests it is used in British English too), your use of it especially in writing is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative use zero in does nicely. Merriam Websters Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition

Just two days after writing the section on hone in, I was proofreading a book for a major publisher, written by a prominent philanthropist, reviewed by a seasoned editor, and copy edited by a professional copy editor and I found (and corrected) this sentence: I relied on my rather abstract conceptual framework for guidance and I honed in on the concept . . . . ~Julie

Want to avoid mistakes like this one? Hire a professional proofreader!

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What Exactly Is a Proofreader?

Over the years the term proofreading has come to mean the same thing as copy editing. In traditional book publishing the proofreader and copy editor roles are still two distinctly different roles, with the acts of proofreading and copy editing being two distinct steps in the publishing process. Heres a quick overview of the proofreader and copy editor roles and the hybrid role that has become the norm in many publishing processes: editorial proofreader.

Copyediting

Reviewing manuscript (on paper or electronically) to ensure correct punctuation, spelling, grammar, usage, sentence structure, and consistency Correcting typeset, designed copy by comparing it with a previous version (usually the original copyedited manuscript). Involves using standard markings and symbols (on paper or electronically, usually via PDF) to correct typographical errors and deviations from typesetting and design instructions. May involve checking specifications. Egregious typos and grammatical errors are also corrected. Proofreading material that may or may not have been edited and may need extensive querying for mistakes in spelling, grammar, punctuation, consistency, and style

Proofreading

Editorial Proofreading

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Grammar and Spell Checkers

Weve all received one of those emails with a sentence that looks like this: Aoccdrnig to rscheearch, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteers are in the rghit pclae. Even though the words are jumbled and words are missing, most folks have no problem interpreting the meaning. And running something like this through a quick grammar and spell check should fix the problem, right? Wrong. Heres what the grammar and spell check turned out: Occurring to scholarch, it doesnt matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only iprmoatnt (no suggestions given) thing is that the (it did not catch that this word was missing) first and last letters are in the right place. If typed correctly, the sentence should have read: According to research, it doesnt matter in what order the letters in a word are, the only important thing is that the first and last letters are in the right place. A good proofreader would have fixed everything and edited it for clarity. According to research, the order in which letters appear in a word doesnt matter. The only important thing is that the first and last letters are in the right place. Mcuh bttr, rght?!

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Typos
The front office manger is responsible for

How about words that are words, but not the right ones? If the jumbled word theory above applies, when proofreading your own work you will read a mistyped word as the word you meant it to be. If you rely on your spell checker or grammar checker to clean up behind you, most typos will not be flagged as words used incorrectly. Here are some sample sentences where a proofreader could help the writer save face!
As the guest of honor, we severed the bride first.

distributing the mail. (mange, manger, manage, managed, manager)

We complied a list of all donors. (compile,

compiled, complied)
The community watch policies the neighborhood.

(polices, policies) Not only could you type the wrong word but you could type the wrong form of the word: compile instead of compiles or manage instead of managed. In my more than twenty years as a professional proofreader this is one of the mistakes I encounter most often.

(serve, server, served, sever, severed, severe)

Thanks to the parents who volunteered to mange

the science fair. (mange, manger, manage, managed, manager)

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Of course, if you ever use the word public in your writing, you must use a professional proofreader!

Wordos
Not only can you mistype a word creating a typo, you can use the wrong word, thinking that its the right word, as with hone and home in the opening section. I call these wordos. Once you have crafted that perfect piece of prose who will ensure (assure or insure would also be okay, but would you know that!?) that your words will speak to your principal (or is it principle?) audience or that your graphics are complementary (not complimentary)? Once again, why stress yourself out? Why not take the worry out of your writing and leave sorting through the words to a professional?

South Bend, INPublished by CNN/WSBT, September 22, 2010. Retrieved on February 22, 2011, from www.wthitv.com/dpps/news/strange/billboard-reads-pubic-instead-of-public-ob10jgr_3588314

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Grammar
You may have an excellent command of the English language and all its nuances but even the finest writers still dont know how to employ dashes correctlylike this em dashuse semicolons, or decide whether that or which is correct. A good proofreader will fix all your grammatical errors, your subjectverb agreement issues, and your inconsistent or incorrect use of punctuation.

Everything Else!
Weve only covered the words in your writing. If your document has figures, tables, graphics, or multiple heading levels, a proofreader will make sure that all of these elements are consistent within the document. If you use a lot of proper names or industry-specific terms a professional proofreader will make sure that they are spelled and hyphenated correctly and consistently. Moving from one year to the next with a document revision or within a document? A professional proofreader will check the calendar and make sure that February 22, 2011, is, in fact, a Tuesday if you write that it is.

The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter its the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning. ~ Mark Twain

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Make a Good Impression

A professional builder hires a professional plumber for plumbing or a professional electrician for wiring. A professional writer should hire a professional proofreader to make sure that the words he crafts are perfect. There are lots of proofreading options available today. Be sure you choose a professional proofreader who offers the quality you need and who has the experience to find your errors before your work is published. After all, wouldnt you rather spend your time writing and not worrying?

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Back in 1999, we recognized that many business writers had a need for fast, accurate, professional proofreading services. We realized that we needed to be available to these clients when they needed us, not just during regular business hours. So, we created an online model that allows writers to submit documents to us with no advance notice, no pre-payment, and no contracts. And we created a team of professional proofreaders who are available 365 days a year, around the clock, around the world. Our model is unique in that we perform two separate, complete readings on every document. And this double review is done as part of our standard service at no additional charge. Since then, weve helped marketers, advertisers, publishers, editors, and other professional writers maintain their professional and personal reputations by ensuring their documents are free of errors and clearly written.

Weve caught hundreds of thousands of errors before documents were published. This kept our customers from incurring additional printing costs, saved them time and protected them from professional and personal embarrassment. Our services come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee! Youll love our service or its free. To find out more about our services, please visit our Web site at www.ProofreadNOW.com. Why not send us a document and well proofread it at no charge? Take advantage of this offer by going to: http://www.proofreadnow.com/free-offer-march-2011ebook/

ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. | 447 Boston Road | Topsfield, MA 01983 | 978-887-6675

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