The Best Guide To Proofreading Any Project

Last Updated on August 19, 2024

Proofreading, or the act of editing for errors in a written text, can be a chore and bore. Unfortunately, it’s a necessary evil for any form of writing that you plan to share.

Some aspects of editing are unavoidable, but some tips and tricks can help make it less tiresome. After graduating from college and years working from home as a virtual assistant, I have found some tools in my belt that help to speed up the process. 

Why is it Important to Proofread Your Writing?

Thoroughly proofreading your work adds a nice polish to your writing. Think about the number of times you’ve caught a typo or weird sentence structure in a blog post or book. It tripped you up, didn’t it?

Of course, things like social media captions and posts don’t require as much polish! Still, if you want to be taken seriously, it’s a good idea to do a thorough edit before publishing.

Proofreading also helps you to better communicate the message behind your writing. Without proofreading, your core message may be less clear to the reader. Do you really want to spend all that time writing, only for your reader to not understand your work? Clarity is key.

Basic Steps to Proofreading

Want a no-fuss list of things to look for when proofreading? Follow these basic steps to make sure that your project is ready for other eyes!

1. Check for Typos

This is the most basic step to editing, so let’s get it out of the way first. In anything that you attach your name to, you’ll want to make sure that it’s polished. One easy way to do this is to make sure that everything is spelled correctly.

Unless you are writing on a typewriter, most apps on your computer will tell you if you’ve misspelled a word. Look for the dotted red line beneath your text! Fixing misspelled words will help you to get your message across and keep the reader from getting distracted.

2. Check for Grammar Errors

Having correct grammar in your sentences is usually a good idea, though the stakes differ depending on the situation.

Regardless, if you aren’t writing in your personal journal, chances are high that your writing will be read by someone else. By having the correct grammar, you keep your reader from getting lost and confused.

You want people to stay focused on your message rather than a potentially awkward sentence.  

One easy way to get around this is to download the free version of Grammarly. This post is not sponsored by them, I just love the tool! Grammarly will underline words that are misspelled or sentences that seem confusing. 

If you don’t feel like downloading a separate tool, here are some basic red flags to look out for when proofreading:

Run-on Sentences

Spotting run-on sentences is a skill set that will seriously serve you through every writing project you do. You can spot a run-on sentence if two or more statements have nothing to do with each other, but are in the same sentence.

Don’t force them together in a sentence (and no, that comma does not fix it). Divorce them.

misuse of Commas

Comma rules can get complicated quickly. You can read more about comma rules on page 4 of this cheat sheet. My general rule: if the sentence needs more than two commas to make sense, split it into two sentences!

New Subject = New Paragraph

Most people don’t want to read a huge glob of hard-to-navigate text. Unless you are writing an essay, paragraphs should never be more than 3-4 sentences.

Do your reader (and yourself!) a favor by pressing the ‘Return’ key when you start on a new topic. 

3. Read It Out Loud

You are going to miss something. That is a fact. One way to help catch any errors that your computer might miss is to read it out loud.

Reading your writing is an awesome tactic when proofreading because it helps you with sentence structure and cadence (aka rhythm). Think about it, most people subvocalize in their head when reading to themselves. (This means that they say the words in their head when reading!)

By reading your work out loud, you get to hear your writing as the reader will “hear” it! It will take time, but this is so worth it.

4. Walk Away For A Bit

There’s only so many times a person can read the same paragraph before their eyes start to glaze over. Spending time away from a project is one of the hardest, but most important steps a person can take in the proofreading process.

Your brain naturally filters out details that it finds unimportant or too small to matter. (This is called selective filtering if you want to learn more about it.) That’s why people tell you to look at something with fresh eyes!

If you are cramming an essay the night before, this step might not be possible for you. However, resting your eyes for even 10 minutes at a time can help you catch more errors. 

Tips That Save Time

As you can probably guess, proofreading can take some time, especially if you’re reading through a long piece of text. We all have places to be and things to see! Here are some easy tips for speeding up the process when you just don’t have the time.

Cmd + F

If there is a term that you need to change or replace, you can find the term by pressing Command (Cmd) key along with the F key. This may seem basic for some, but it is a life saver when making last minute changes to some aspect of text.

This will find every instance of that word in the work and save you from having to read through all of it again. 

Track Your (Obvious) Mistakes

Writing can be a long process. Filler text, incomplete world building, and awkward sentences are par for the course. Some writers find it beneficial to keep track of their mistakes as they are writing.

All you have to do is highlight or color code the things that you need to come back to! Yellow highlight or bright red text works fine. It may be helpful to keep a separate tally of broad ideas or themes that need revisiting and are too abstract to physically flag in your writing. 

This tip is also a great technique for writers who struggle with perfectionism. By creating a separate bullet list of things to go back and correct, you allow yourself to keep writing without losing momentum.

First drafts are never our best work…that’s why they’re the first of many!

Outsource The Job

Nothing will save you more time in the proofreading process than outsourcing the job to someone else! Earlier, I mentioned that looking at the document with fresh and rested eyes may allow you to catch more errors.

One easy way to get around this step if you are pressed for time is to have another pair of eyes look at your work. Another person will always bring a fresh perspective, and naturally catch things that you may have missed. 

Besides, professionals do this all the time! So don’t worry about needing to ask for help during the proofreading process. Your coworker, teacher, or friend can all be perfect candidates for this step. 

You can also hire someone from job boards like Upwork, or Reedsy if you need a professional editor for your creative project!

Summary

Proofreading isn’t fun, I know. This might have been my least favorite post to write. I think that just proves the importance of it: I mean, I can’t have a writing blog without addressing this topic!

The most ironic thing about this post is that there’s probably a typo hiding somewhere in there. I’m always open to improvement, so if you see something wrong, please lovingly call me out.

Lastly, if you took nothing from this guide, make sure to at least have someone you trust look through over your writing. This can seriously be a game-changer. Hopefully, this guide has given you a map towards the finish line! 

Happy Writing. 🙂