#proofreading

[shitacademicswrite]

[nondelphic]

FDSFDSPOIIUP[ ,MNNM,LKJ NM,,MNLMML DSIOPPOI SDDSASDDSAFDSSDF FDSKJLKNM,NM, P[JKLLKJFDSSDF (translation: "it's 1am and i've been proof-reading my thesis for the last hour and i want to die why am i such a control freak and perfectionist also i'm gonna cry at my thesis defense because wdym i didn't answer the research question it's literally all i did")

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Proofreading

Proofreading - the part of the editing process that involves re-reading your own work or someone else’s piece of writing in order to catch mistakes like typos, grammatical errors, formatting errors, and missing words.

Tips for Proofreading

The following editing and writing tips can help your proofreading skills and make sure you catch all the errors in your final draft:

Edit a hard copy. If you’re looking at your computer screen or reading off a cell phone for too long, chances are you’ll miss common errors. Editing from a printed copy is a proofreading technique that may allow you to see various misspellings and other punctuation errors you did not catch the first time through. A print out is less strenuous on the eyes, and can make it easier to find typographical errors. Also, be sure to check to page numbers for sequentiality if your writing spans more than one page.

Double-check for homonyms. Words that sound alike but have different meanings are homonyms. Homophones are words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Sometimes it can be easy to overlook words like these and they can be easy to mix up.

Watch for punctuation errors. Aside from misspelled words, special attention should be paid to misplaced apostrophes, commas, and other punctuation marks. Making sure to include endings to your parentheses and quotation marks is another error to look out for.

Read aloud. Reading aloud can help you spot places for better word choice or improving sentence structure, like run-ons and fragments. Hearing the words you’ve written either by yourself or read by someone else may give you a new outlook.

Take a break. Walking away from the writing and coming back to it later with fresh eyes can greatly improve your ability to spot spelling mistakes and various other errors. Take a stroll outside, get a drink of water, or try meditating for a few minutes to reset your mind and come back to it anew.

Proofreading should not be confused with copyediting, which is the act of making sure organization and word usage stay as clear and understandable as possible.

A copyeditor works to ensure the reader will not get lost in extraneous detail, or bogged down by poorly-structured phrases.

A copyediting job may also involve research of a written topic, and the vetting of sources.

Proofreading, however, is reserved for the final stage of your draft.

Source ⚜ More: Notes & References ⚜ Editing ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs

[petermorwood]

Words that sound alike...

...don't always have the same spelling (though for extra English-As-A-Second-Language fun, sometimes they do), and they hardly ever have the same meaning.

But, despite those different spellings and meanings, they're all Real Words and a spellchecker won't catch them.

That's where careful proofreading pays off, and why I was surprised to see Less Than Careful proofing happen on a Very Famous Writer's blog post not once but twice.

(Two images from the blog of George RR Martin, in which he gives a word - horde / hoard - the wrong spelling both times. He intends to use the word HOARD, meaning a dragon's store of gold, but instead spells it HORDE, meaning a large unruly group of people.)

That sort of H is spelt HOARD, not HORDE, and always has been.

They're not derived from the same root word or even from the same language.

(Two images from my dictionary, showing that HOARD, as for dragon treasure, is derived from Old English (then called "Anglo-Saxon"), while HORDE, as for barbarian invaders, is derived from Turkish. The dictionary pronunciation guide, though not using phonetic alphabet, shows that both words sound exactly the same.)

If George R.R. Martin can make this mistake and let it get away unnoticed, anyone can.

Use voice-to-text with care, and proofread with even more care. :->

[danskjavlarna]

Source details and larger version.

I've collected some spooky vintage cemetery imagery.

[oldinterneticons]

[theyuniversity]

99% of the time, you’ll use “affect” as a verb and “effect” as a noun.

I tried to affect my grade by studying.

This was the effect: I passed with flying colors.

Grammar: it’s a cause-and-effect relationship. 😉

🔗 Here is a detailed explanation.

Website | Twitter |  Instagram | Medium | Pinterest

[novlr]

Get some distance before you proofread

Never begin proofreading immediately after a first draft or edit. Your brain will read what it's expecting, not what's actually there.

Take a break, and read something from another genre as a palate cleanser. You'll be more likely to spot errors if you get some distance.

[everyponie]

Hey kings 🙏🏻💯👑 I have the nonfiction writing autism. I love writing essays. I especially love to write argumentative and media analysis essays. I also do not believe in word or page maximums... (unless it'll dock points). I also need a new side hustle because I fear I had less semesters left at my college and will have to be moving to transfer to my university BY AUGUST!!

I'm also a film student with 5 years of experience if that means anything here 🙏🏻

So if you're too lazy, or struggle with writing, IM your guy... for a flat price of 45 dollars I will write your essay. I also can proofread and edit essays for like idk $20. I especially love writing about queer related topics. Argumentative is my strongest.

I'll write college and highschool essays...

Unfortunately I will not write any creative writing because I do not have enough experience to where I feel I could provide something of good quality.

Thanks kings #blessup 🙏🏻💯👑

[editthat]

Editing (Fan)fiction Like a Pro

Yes, most of us write fanfiction for ourselves, in our free time, and as a way to release stress. This means that, more often than not, we do not have the will or energy to spend hours editing our latest one-shot or the newest chapter for that longfic we updated...uh...has it already been five months??

While I wholeheartedly agree that we shouldn't strive to be perfect in the things we do for pleasure (and what counts as perfection in a highly subjective field such as literature?), you don't need to spend tens of hours on your World, Doc, or Scrivener file to apply some crucial edits.

Even a quick second read-through can be enough to spot those little mistakes and inconsistencies that don't let your writing shine as it deserves. And yes, beta readers are a wonderful thing to have as a fanfic (and pro) writer, but not all of us have access to one (or we may be too shy to individually share our stories with people we know).

So, how should we go about this and what can we spot in a 15/20-minute reread?

Any good revision begins with a fresh, impartial eye, meaning: WAIT. Even an hour or two will do. Do not start editing immediately after writing. I know you really want to post your story or start the next section, but trust me, your brain is so synced with what you just wrote that it can recite it like a top-notch Shakespearean actor. Take a break from it, go run some errands, go to the gym, read a book, or even edit a completely different piece. Then, come back to it and wait for the "Oh my, what on Earth was I thinking?" eureka moment to come.

Punctuation matters. It may seem like it doesn't in the grand scheme of things, but it does. Why? Because when we read, even unconsciously, we fall into the flow of the text. As readers, we follow the words to guide us into the scenes they depict, and a misplaced comma or semicolon can disrupt that flow and make us do a double take. It makes the story feel clunky and hard to read, potentially causing readers to DNF. Once the flow is gone, it can be hard to get back into it.

Spelling matters, too. Similar to the point above, spelling mistakes can be harmful to readers' enjoyment of the story. One here and there is not a huge issue, but if you consistently misspell words, the text will feel clunky and hard to get through, especially for non-native speakers. I'd recommend the Merriam-Webster (for US English) or the Cambridge (UK English) dictionaries, they are free, easy to search, and have great thesauruses and writing tips.

Dialogue tags. "He said," "she shouted," "they laughed," etc. They're great until they aren't. While they are good at emphasizing who is speaking, they can become overwhelming for readers if overused. They also risk making the text repetitive and flat. I'll tackle ways to adapt these tags in a later post, but for now, if you think you have too many speech tags in your story, try to highlight which character is talking with their actions and behaviors. Make it clear enough so readers know without the need to have it spelled out for them.

Repeated words VS synonyms fest. As mentioned in the point above, word repetition can make your story feel flat. What do I mean by that? That readers feel as if they are reading a legal document or a tax return where only specific terms can be used. Fiction is magnificent because there are literally billions of words at your disposal across so many languages! If you're brave enough, you can even pull a Tolkien and make up your own (an excellent tool for immersion, especially in fantasy and sci-fi). So, if you spot the same word or character name being used multiple times within 10/15 lines, get rid of it. Either find a suitable synonym or rephrase the sentence so it doesn't include that term anymore. Just be careful not to swing too far to the other end and turn your story into a glorified thesaurus.

These are 5 quick proofreading and editing tips that do not take too long but can elevate your writing to match your amazing ideas!

What do you think? Are you already doing any or all of these? Do you have issues with any of them? I'd love to know your thoughts!

[stellorao3]

What I think is going to happen when I ask my friends to proofread my fic

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Novel Editing

Below are 4 different types of novel editing. Revising in the right order is essential if you want your book to be in the best shape possible.

Developmental Editing

Comes first.

Involves looking at the story as a whole.

Also called structural editing, or content editing.

Base components. Plot, structure, characterization, pace, viewpoint, narrative style, and tense:

Plot: Sequence of events that take the reader from the beginning to the end.

Structure: How the plot is organized. Even if B occurred after A, the reader might learn about B before the events of A are unveiled.

Characterization: How characters are represented such that we can make sense of their behavior as we journey with them through the story.

Pace: The speed at which the story unfolds. Effective pace ensures readers feel neither rushed nor bored. That doesn’t mean the pace remains steady; a story can include sections of fast-paced action and slower cool-downs.

Viewpoint: In each chapter or section, readers should understand who the narrator is—whose eyes they are seeing through, whose emotions they have access to, whose voice dominates the narrative. It also means understanding the restrictions in play such that head-hopping doesn’t pull the reader out of the story.

Narrative style: Is the narrative viewpoint conveyed in the first, second or third person? The choice determines a narrative’s style.

Tense: Is the story told in the present or the past tense? Each has its benefits and limitations.

Notes: On Developmental Editing

Types of developmental edits:

Full-novel edits in which the editor revises (or suggests revisions) that will improve the story;

critiques or manuscript evaluations that report on the strengths and weaknesses of the story; and

sensitivity reads that offer specialist reports on the potential misrepresentation and devaluation of marginalized others.

Different editors handle developmental edits in different ways.

One might include an assessment of genre and marketability; another might not.

Some editors revise the raw text; others restrict the edit to margin markup.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Developmental editing isn’t about checking spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Line Editing

The next step in the revision process; it is stylistic work. 

A strong sentence elevates story; a poorly crafted one can bury it.

This level of editing revises for style, sense, and flow.

Also called substantive editing or stylistic editing.

Editors will be addressing the following:

Authenticity of phrasing and word choice in relation to character voice

Character-trait consistency and unveiling

Clarity and consistency of viewpoint and narrative style

Cliché and awkward metaphor

Dialogue and how it conveys voice, mood, and intention

Sentence pace and flow, with special attention to repetition and overwriting

Tenses, and whether they’re effective and consistent

Told-versus-shown prose

Notes: On Line Editing

Types of sentence-level edits:

Full-novel line edits in which the editor revises (or suggests revisions) that will improve the line work;

line critiques that report on the strengths and weaknesses of the line craft; and 

mini line edits in which the editor revises an agreed section of the novel such that the author can hone their line craft and mimic the edit throughout the rest of the novel.

Different editors define their sentence-level services differently.

Some include technical checking (copy editing) with the stylistic work, while some do the stylistic and technical work in separate passes.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Line-editing stage is not the ideal place to be fixing problems with plot, theme, pace and viewpoint. Fixes are likely to be inelegant and invasive.

Copy Editing

The technical side of sentence-level work.

Editors will be addressing the following:

Chapter sequencing

Consistency of proper-noun spelling

Dialogue tagging and punctuation

Letter, word, line, and paragraph spacing

Logic of timeline, environment, and character traits

Spelling, grammar, syntax, punctuation, hyphenation, and capitalization

Standard document formatting

Notes: On Copy Editing

Some editors offer line editing and copy editing together in a single pass. That combined service might be indicated by what it’s called, e.g. ‘line-/copy editing’. However, it might be called just ‘copy editing’ even though it includes stylistic work.

Check what you’re being offered against what you want.

Novel copy editing is best done in a single pass:

When an editor works on separate chunks of text, inconsistencies are likely to slip through.

One pass of a sentence-level edit is not enough to ready a novel for publication. Final quality control is necessary.

Proofreading

The last stage of the editing process prior to publication.

Every novel, whether it’s being delivered in print or digitally, requires a final quality-control check.

What a Proofreader Does

Looks for literal errors and layout problems that slipped through previous rounds of revision or were introduced at design stage.

Authors preparing for print can ask a proofreader to annotate page proofs. These are almost what a reader would see if they pulled the novel off the shelf.

Others ask proofreaders to amend the raw text, either because they’re preparing for e-publication or for audiobook narration.

Proofreaders are more than typo hunters

They check for consistency of spelling, punctuation and grammar, but also for layout problems such as (but not limited to) indentation, line spacing, inconsistent chapter drops, missing page numbers, and font and heading styles.

The art of good proofreading lies in knowing when to change and when to leave well enough alone.

A good proofreader should understand the impact of their revisions—not only in relation to the knock-on effect on other pages but also to the cost if a third-party designer/formatter is part of the team.

Notes: On Proofreading

A proofread is rarely enough, no matter how experienced the writer. It’s the last line of defense, not the only line of defense.

Be sure to clarify with an editor what you want and which mediums the editor works with. Proofreading designed page proofs requires an additional level of checking that a raw-text review doesn’t. And some editors work only on raw text, some only on PDF, and some only on hard copy.

Proofreading is about quality control. The proofreader should be polishing the manuscript, not filling in plot holes or trimming purple prose.

PROOFREADING CHECKLIST

Author:

Title:

Prelims

Title page. The title of the book, the author’s name & the publisher are correct

Copyright page. Check that author name and date of publication are correct, and that the copyright statement is present and correct

Dedication. The spelling/punctuation style are correct & consistent

Acknowledgements. The spelling/punctuation style are correct & consistent

Foreword. The spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Preface. The spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Table of contents. Check against all chapter titles & subheadings in main text for consistency of spelling/capitalization; Check page numbers against main text

Figures, tables, maps, plates. Check against all entries in main text for consistency of spelling/capitalization; Page numbers against entries in main text

List of contributors. Check consistency with chapters in main text Are the names spelled correctly and rendered consistently (e.g. A. B. Smith, AB Smith, A.B. Smith, Alan B. Smith etc.)?

Pagination. Check that all prelim pages are numbered consecutively and correctly in Roman (i, ii, etc. unless brief specifies Arabic); Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Running heads. Check that running heads in prelims are correct and consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

Main Text

Pagination

Check that all text pages are numbered consecutively in main text

Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Check that first page of the first chapter starts on a recto (right-hand page)

Check that all odd page numbers are on rectos

Running heads

Check that running heads match chapter heads (or abbreviated forms of them)

Running heads are correct/consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

Running heads and folio numbers have been removed from landscaped figures and tables

Check that running heads have been removed from part- and chapter title pages

Chapter titles and headings (incl. subheadings)

Consistency of font, spacing, colour, size & position on page for each heading level

Check that capitalization is correct and consistent for each heading level

Check that each chapter drop is consistent

Check that space above and below is consistent within heading level

Lists

Check that spacing above and below lists is consistent

Ensure line spacing of list entries is consistent

Check that bullet style is consistent within list type

Check that end-of-line punctuation is consistent within list

Page depth

Check page depth is consistent throughout

Look out for uneven page depths on facing rectos (right-hand pages) and versos (left-hand pages)

Page margins

Is the text area consistent throughout/adequate for printing/readability purposes?

Notes and cross-references

Ensure all notes are cued/numbered consecutively by chapter or through the book

Check that the note numbers given match the in-text note markers

Check each note appears on the appropriate page; if footnotes run over to the next page, there should be a short rule above the continuation (or other indicator as given by house style)

Check any cross-references in the text to chapters, figures or tables

Highlight any cross-references that still need to be completed

Ensure that in-text citations are presented according to preferred style and can be located in the book's references or bibliography

More layout problems to look out for:

Uneven spacing and leading

Irregular indentation of extracts

Crooked lines, especially in captions and headings

Wrong or inconsistent typefaces or type sizes

Bad word breaks that might trip the reader (e.g. cow-orker, trip-od)

Widows and orphans

More than two end-of-line hyphens stacked on top of each other

Paragraph indentation (first paragraphs in a chapter or section are often not indented)

Hyphens that should be dashes (e.g. when used parenthetically/in number ranges)

Double spaces after full stops (periods)

Rogue spaces at the beginning and end of paragraphs

Extracts

Check punctuation of sources

Check that extracts are set consistently (size, font, colour, position)

Query any missing acknowledgements/permissions

Figures, tables, maps, plates

Check that quality is acceptable

Is numbering correct and consistent?

Is the design consistent (font, size, colour, spacing)?

Check captions against lists of figures, tables or illustrations in the prelims

Check spelling, punctuation/grammar of figure labels and table column headings

Check alignment of columns in tables and positioning of ruled lines

Check that all illustrations provide a credit/source acknowledgement and query if any appear to be missing

End Matter

Notes

Ensure all notes are cued & numbered consecutively by chapter/through the book

If notes are grouped at the end of the book, check the text and the page numbers given alongside to ensure they match the main text and the contents page

Check that the note numbers given match the in-text note markers

If running heads include cross-references to page numbers, check these are correct, or fill in if required

Glossary

Is the list in alphabetical order?

Check that the layout is consistent

Afterword

Check that the spelling, layout and punctuation style are correct and consistent

Appendices

Check that the layout is consistent

Check that the numbering is consistent and matches any in-text cross references and the contents list

Bibliography/references

Is the list in alphabetical order?

Has the preferred reference style been used correctly and consistently?

Pagination and layout

Check that all text pages are numbered consecutively in the end matter

Check that size and position of page numbers is correct and consistent

Page depth

Check page depth is consistent throughout

Look out for uneven page depths on facing rectos and versos

Page margins

Text area is consistent throughout & adequate for printing & readability purposes

Running heads

Check that running heads match chapter heads (or abbreviated forms of them)

Check that running heads are correct and consistent (size, font, colour, position on page)

FINAL NOTES

Authors need to take their books through all the types of editing.

That doesn’t mean hiring third party professionals for each stage.

Writing groups, self-study courses, how-to books, and self publishing organizations are all great sources of editorial support.

If you decide to work with a professional, invest in one who can help you where you’re weakest:

You might be a great structural self-editor but prone to overwriting. Or you might have nailed line craft but need help with story development.

Pay attention to the order of play when it comes to revision.

Fixing plot holes at proofreading stage might damage previous rounds of editing.

Source More: On Editing

[made-by-moon]

Looking for a beta reader? Here I come!

If any writer is interested I am very happy to offer myself as a beta reader. I love fixing grammatical mistakes and formatting text. My primary language is Polish but I am very proficient in English (I went to IB school). I helped edit many works of my friends, all of which were academic papers. I would love for beta reading to be something I can do in my free time so ye... if anyone's interested let me know! I would be really happy to help!

Ps. I can still make mistakes but I will try my very best!

[100percentevil]

oh btw i am SO DOWN to be a beta reader if anyone wants it. I would LOVE to do that, but i might make a couple mistakes. If you are okay with that and need a beta reader, PLEASE message me! Im a minor so no NSFW stuff plz.

[oh2e]

So far my least favourite, most head-scratching parts from copyediting would be:

Does 'pope' get capitalise here? (No)

What variations of the word 'analyse' get an 's' in American spelling? (Some, and some do not)

Why do I, Irish, have to copyedit this text to US spelling when it is written by an Indian author using UK spelling and its being published by an Irish company? (Because that's what my instructions told me)

Does 'The Holy Q'uran' need to be italicised? (No - neither does The Bible)

When does one capitalise the word 'state' when referring to a member state? (Ongoing - very frustrating. “member states” vs “the States” vs “states”)

Why is the author so bad at properly capitalising the brand name of the item his whole book is about? (BrahMos not Brahmos)

Why-oh-why would one use ‘‘ and ’’ instead of the perfectly functional “ and ” ?? Or even just ‘ and ’ I really don’t mind. Either way works fine for me. Absolutely gobsmacked at this.

Seeming to have no understanding of when to use a semicolon and using it in place of both colons and en dashes. Consistently. Also put the footnote before the full stop. Every. Time.

170 instances of a double space in a 9249 word chapter.

Things that made me sigh and go “oh me too”:

23th