We've discussed how important proofreading is and how frustrating it is to publish something and THEN catch the mistakes.
We've also discussed different methods for catching them. Among them are reading the copy aloud and reading it backwards. Also, most of us agree that setting the work aside for a few hours or a day is helpful.
But why, when it is so easy to see other people's mistakes, is it so difficult to see our own?
Making mistakes is easy...
We all know how easy it is to make mistakes. Often, our minds are traveling far 
ahead of our fingers as we type or write. That makes it easy to miss little details such as a typo, a missing comma, or a misspelling.
But what about later - when we're re-reading?
According to grammarist.com, our minds are still racing ahead, predicting and filling in the blanks based on what we know we wrote.
The result is that when we try to proofread our own work, we don't read the individual words, but instead see the text as a whole, based on our memory of what we wrote.
Their suggestion for a solution is to get better at both grammar and proofreading. Ummm... if I was speaking to someone in person and they suggested that I believe I'd say "Well duh."
Yes, getting better at grammar would do away with most grammar mistakes for a good number of people. It would allow them to know that an error was an error when they spotted it. But it wouldn't help the typos.
Become a better self-proofreader...
As for getting better at self-proofreading, in addition to the methods we discussed, a Google search came up with these additional suggestions:
- Proofread for only one kind of mistake at a time. Spelling, punctuation, misused words, doubled words, etc.
- Make a list of your most common mistakes and be on the lookout for them.
- Print it out or change the font before the next read.
- Print it out and read slowly, using your finger to follow along.
- Pay special attention to titles, headings, and subheadings (Titles are one of my downfalls.)
Do you have a handy proofreader, or do you need one?
I've been considering adding proofreading and light editing to my services. I haven't decided yet, so would love to hear your opinion.
Comments(15)