Importance of Proofreading
It goes without saying, one can’t release the first draft of your manuscript as a book. Once you have finished writing, the next step is to edit your work. Right? But people often forget the most crucial step after editing: proofreading. It is the final step that enhances your work and helps you to communicate your words effectively. To proofread is to edit your book in such a way that is easy to read and keeps people hooked. Proofreading is the process of reading through your work and eliminating mistakes that commonly involve spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, etc.
Moving on, let’s dive into why proofreading is important, the ways it can help you, tips to proofread your prose better and much more!
- It brings a fresh perspective to your work
After completing the strenuous process of finishing your book, it is very tough to objectively look at it with fresh eyes, given that you have poured all your creativity into the story. Proofreading makes you question the choice of your words, a portion of the story and helps you decide what is essential and what is not.
- Enhances quality of writing
While proofreading, one learns the art of refining and polishing a piece of writing. This, in turn, helps you write in a much more clarified manner the next time, thereby improving the overall skill and quality of work. In a nutshell, it ensures that we don’t beat around the bush and communicate what is required.
- People make mistakes, proofreading eliminates them
It is only human to overlook basic errors and mistakes. Be it an established author like J.K. Rowling or an upcoming writer, no one can write a perfect manuscript in the first draft. Proofreading your work will help compartmentalise the important details, remove ambiguities and clarify communication.
- Ensures uniformity and consistency
Writing a book, prose, or any manuscript is not an easy task. There are so many elements, characters, story arcs, conflicts, points of view etc. In a perfect novel, there should be a perfect blend of all the elements that flow in a gripping manner. And proofreading helps in just that! It helps remove any inconsistencies, redundancies, ensures a uniform flow of words and increases accuracy.
- Makes your book publishing-ready
It takes you one step closer to actually publishing your book. In the most significant books of the world, it is the persuasiveness in writing that guarantees the success of the books.
In simple words, if someone reads your story, that person should be persuaded to keep turning the pages. If your book has that quality, then congratulations! You’re a successful writer.
Now that you’ve found the key to creating a good first impression for your essays, novels, CV’s, articles & blogs, here are a few tips and tricks on what to focus on the most important things to look for while proofreading.
- The right choice of words
- Grammar
- Typographical error
- Poorly structured sentences & paragraphs
- Attention to small details & plotlines
One of the most common confusions and unanswered questions is the difference between proofreading and editing. Proofreading and editing are two completely different stages in your manuscript preparation.
| Writing → Editing → Proofreading → Final Book |
Editing is done to the first draft of the book while proofreading is done in the final draft to ensure everything is as per what’s decided. There can be multiple rounds of editing a single prose while proofreading is generally done once or twice. Editing is a very intensive and time-consuming process of changing the entire core features of your first draft while proofreading is a final check to your edits. The key difference is that proofreading makes good writing error-free, while editing makes your words sound good! With that being said, let’s look into the different ways you can proofread your book.
- Hire a professional proofreader
There are many advantages to hiring someone else to check your manuscript. Firstly, a fresh set of eyes always adds the right perspective. They also look into the book from an audience’s perspective and arrange the words accordingly. In short, a professional can be called the author’s ambassador!
- Online Sites
There are various digital writing tools that help in auto-checking your work! Look through various software-driven websites like Grammarly, Thriving Writer, Ginger etc, that auto-checks your work. They understand your writing style and accordingly assist in proofreading.
- Do it yourself.
If you are self-proofreading, keep a stylebook handy for references. This book will help you navigate through the entire process step by step. The key to proofreading your prose is to look for your weaknesses, catch them and work on them.
If you are a budding writer, hope this helps you understand the importance of proofreading. Here’s to enjoying finer quality writing and great novels.
Also Read : Steps To Writing The Perfect Book Series
