The thing is that no one knows your story as well as you do, which is why it is incredibly easy for you to skip over some mistakes by reading what you thought you wrote instead of reading what is actually on the page. On that note, if you are not hiring a proofreader initially, the best thing you can do is to make the familiar unfamiliar.
Prepare for Proofreading
Proofreading your draft is incredibly daunting, especially if you are doing this for the fifth time in a row. Of course, opting for the best proofreading services in the UK and employing a professional proofreader to do this job for you is always the best option – but – if you feel like you need the practice – doing the proofreading of your book yourself is a good way to start.
If you have decided to proofread yourself, there are some techniques that you can integrate to evaluate your work.
Give it A Break
You need to detach from your draft so that you can look at it with a fresh pair of eyes instead of the familiar ones. Suppose you have typed that last period of the very last paragraph of your draft. At this point, you must fight the temptation of rushing back to the beginning and start editing.
On the other hand, we recommend putting the manuscript in the drawer and forgetting that it has been there for at least three months. The thing is that it is always a great idea to let the manuscript breathe before you start working on the proofreading process.
This way, you allow the writing palate some time to cleanse without letting so much time pass that you forget about the work entirely. So, three months is a good bet with a little more or less – depending on the length or complexity of the work.
Take Breaks between the Re-Edits, Too
Some newbie writers like to let enough time pass before the first major edit. Then, they let some more time pass before they followed with another round of editing. Speaking of editing, you might want to hire a professional editor, but you will need to edit and re-edit your work a couple of times before you can finally send it out to a professional editor or proofreader.
What the countless rounds of edits do for you is that they will leave proofreading to the side until the manuscript is in its draft. Remember that all of this is up to you – the only thing that you should focus on is to allow the manuscript to breathe each time between the rounds without losing interest.
Read the Manuscript Out Loud
One of the best ways to catch strange expressions, misspellings, and other mistakes is by reading aloud your manuscript when you are proofreading. Now, you might find it awkward at first, especially if you have never read out loud your manuscript before – but you might want to think of it in terms of recording your official audiobook.
This way, you will actually enjoy reading your manuscript out loud. What this will do for you in return is help you pick up on typos and technical mistakes, as well as those stretched where the flow isn’t simply right. You will also be able to catch the areas where the intended emotions aren’t delivered correctly.
The best part is that when you will read the manuscript out loud, you will get to experience the story from the viewpoint of your ideal readers. You will be able to assess whether the flow is right and whether the pacing of your story is well-balanced, too.
If you want to take things a notch higher, you might want to consider recording your verbal narration as a way to double up your efforts and playback the audio to hear what your audiobook might sound like.
Listen to the Recording
Previously, we recommended that you read the manuscript out loud and even record it to take the proofreading experience to another level. On that note, you might want to ask a friend to help you with the final proofreading of your manuscript.
Also, if you have a handful of digital friends who don’t mind hopping on Zoom’s social media platforms for regular reading sessions, you can ask them to help. You can also avail yourself of the best text-to-speech services, which can be web-based software. This software can be human-like and help with the final step of proofreading.
Leverage Technology for Proofreading
The thing about technology is that it won’t skim-read the text like humans, which is why it will be easy for you to detect mistakes. If you would rather not use software or a friend, you can always record your manuscript in your own voice and listen to the recording later.
This way, you would essentially be going from proofreading to “proof listening.” The thing about proof-listening is that it will switch your mind from a problem-hunting mindset to becoming a passive consumer of your own work.
Change the Font Style
You should know that proofreading isn’t only about finding typos and excessive words or sentences, but it can also highlight the need for additional story tweaks that go beyond the basics. On that note, if you don’t have enough time to take a massive break from your manuscript before you start to edit, you can change the font of the manuscript to make it look different and to gain a fresh perspective of the familiar.
Remember that the point is to make the familiar look unfamiliar. By changing the font of the text, you will force your brain to look at the text in a new light. This will help you prevent involuntary skimming. Also, you are more likely to pay more attention to the written words. Once you have completed proofreading, you can always change the font to the one it was previously.
Sticking with the same style on screen or in the form of a printout only emphasizes the aspect of familiarity. This aspect explains why you are more likely to take shortcuts without being consciously aware of it.
