Writing can be an arduous task, but going through the whole piece of content again just to look for mistakes and shortcomings can sometimes be really frustrating. Proofreading can sometimes demand more focus than you would invest in writing the same content in the first place.
Editing your own piece of writing can be really tricky. You might end up ignoring some mistakes because you overlook the mistakes that you subconsciously made while writing in flow. We have compiled a list of tips that will help you proofread your self-written piece of content effortlessly:
Get Expert’s Opinion
You might want to look for a proofreader for hire if you think you lack both time and patience to go through your own piece of writing once again. It might be difficult for you to look at the same document and topic from a different perspective hence, leaving room for some technical mistakes.
However, this is not the case when an external resource is doing the editing for you. He will look into the topic from a different perspective and will help you improve your writing. You will want to look for the best platforms in order to hire an expert in your niche.
Stick to Classical “Read Out Aloud”
Some classical tips remain timeless and continue to work over the decades. One such writing tip is reading out aloud. When read out aloud, it involves two senses which are better than using one sense. Using your sense of sight and hearing at the same time makes your brain more receptive towards catching on to any verbal or written mistake in the document. Make sure to proofread your writing by reading it out loud once you are finished writing it. It will help you detect those mistakes that would otherwise go unnoticed, especially the ones involving similar words.
Detect the Common Errors You Make
Every writer has a set of mistakes that he usually repeats. Some always mess up the pronunciation, while some will always make typos. Either way, it is important that you know the types of mistakes you are most prone to make as a writer.
Grab a piece of paper and make a list of all the mistakes that your writing style mostly has. Paste it near your workspace and after each writing project, go through your content again, keeping the mentioned mistakes in mind. Edit your document accordingly and submit it.
Scan One Type of Error at a Time
When you are writing a piece of content, focus on the idea and coherence. Make smooth transitions, and do not think twice about formatting and editing. But, when you are proofreading, scan the content a few times and each time focus on one type of error while going through the content. If you scan the document of all the mistakes at the same time, you might end up missing one or more mistakes. This will save you from the embarrassment of revising a document because of silly mistakes.
Give it a Thorough Read
Next, to ensure an error-free piece of content, you would want to slowly go through each word and make sure it makes sense. Sometimes, autocorrect changes some words to others. These mistakes are not even detected on premium writing assistant tools, and the only way you can find out these errors is by thoroughly reading and understanding the whole document line by line or word by word.
Double Check the Contractions and Apostrophes
Mistakes that involve contractions, apostrophes, and punctuation are most likely to go unnoticed because we do not use full forms and proper punctuation on a daily basis while informally texting someone. To avoid these, it is important that you go through the document keeping punctuation in mind and look for the correct use of apostrophes as well as contractions. In a formal piece of content, make sure not to use any contractions.
Use a Premium Tool
There are many tools in the market that have been helping content writers for years in the process of proofreading and editing. Grammarly Premium is one of the tools that the majority of writers use to edit their content. Nowadays, there are amazing content editing tools that have made the process of proofreading a lot simpler and less time-consuming.
These tools not only maintain the quality of the content but also detect any malpractices in content writing, like plagiarism, paraphrasing, content theft, etc. These tools also help you set the tone and readability of your content according to your requirements.
Crosscheck the Stats and Numbers
Statistics and numbers add to the credibility of any piece of content. But, if the stats and numbers mentioned in the content are wrong, it does more harm than good. Therefore, it is essential that you always double-check the credibility of claims made in the content.
Make sure the numbers and resources mentioned in any piece of writing are not dated and are working just fine. Similarly, also look into the credibility of the research you mention in your content.
Inspect for Tone and Coherence
Every business has a well-defined tone that is mentioned in its brand voice and guidelines. Every piece of writing that is meant for that particular business is supposed to follow that tone, be it a sales page, blog, website content, or social media post. Make sure the tone of your content is at par with the requirements of your business.
Don’t Miss the Clichés
Broadly speaking, every proofreader in the world is required to make content free of any spelling and grammatical mistakes. These mistakes may sound clichés, but they make a big impact if someone else notices them before you do. Mistakes that fall in this category are bad for the reputation of any tailored writer or editor.
Don’t Proofread Right After Writing
One of the biggest mistakes that you could make in terms of proofreading your piece of writing is reading it to proofread right after you have finished writing it. There should be a gap of at least a few hours between writing and proofreading. Take a break after writing, do something else, refresh your mind and take a short break. Then come back to work again and edit with a fresh mind to be able to detect mistakes.