How to Proofread and Self-Edit Your Book Before it's Published

Self-publishing is a cost-effective way to publish a book. You must proofread all work. If you don't proofread your book and edit it well, it could be embarrassing.

There is nothing more annoying than having readers point out mistakes in your grammar, punctuation, spelling and punctuation. Even worse, your fact-checking may have been flawed.

Professional proofreading is expensive

Although hiring a book editor and an experienced proofreader/editor is a smart decision, it can also be costly. Proofreading costs $0.02 per word, while editing costs $0.03 per Word.

For a 100,000-word work, you could pay more than $2,000 You will need to have your book proofread by an outside pair of eyes before you publish it.

You might be able to save money and embarrassment by doing some of the work yourself. Our minds work in a way that is unusual, which makes it difficult to spot errors in writing.

These are some of the methods that I have found to be most effective.

It doesn't mean that you will get it right the first attempt. You will be amazed at the number of errors you find.

How do you start your first self-editing or proofreading session?

Your word processor's spellchecker is the best place to begin.

Be sure that your document is written in the English that you prefer. Do not just read through the text, but take the time to look at every word.

Look for words that sound similar to those you are searching for. Writing mistakes can be caused by your attention span.

Next, run your manuscript again and use the built-in grammar tester.

Each error should be carefully examined. To ensure all your agreements are valid, you should look at the whole sentence again. Word's grammar checker is quite basic.

You have other options.

My Mac allows me to copy Word documents into Apple's Pages program. It also has a handy Proofreader' function.

Pro Writing Aid is another option that can help you find additional errors, edits and suggestions to improve your text.

Use Find in MS Word

"Find" is your best friend. The most powerful tool to locate errors in your work is the discover feature of your word processor.

You can look at common grammatical errors like it's and they're there, it's, their, were and if, of, and you'll be able to see which spelling mistakes the spellchecker missed. Get out there and start hunting.

If there are double spaces between words that bother you, use "Find."

Double-checking the names of your characters is another way to make sure they are correct. It's easy to mix up names such as Ann, Anne, Cathy, Kathy, Jeffrey, or Jeffery when writing. This strategy has allowed me to discover many times that I have misspelled the name of characters.

Invert the order in which you read

Your manuscript should be proofread from the inside. Although it may seem silly, proofreading outside of the sequence allows you to keep your mind on the story.

Start with the most recent chapter. Proofread an existing chapter and then shuffle the pages. You can focus on the text by breaking up your book.

A new way to convert my novel or portions of it into.mobi files and load it onto my Kindle has been discovered. The flaws in the final work are more obvious.

Calibre is an application that converts Word to Kindle. I also saved a copy to my wife's Kindle. She is always making mistakes.

To highlight inaccuracies, you can use your Kindle. You can then go back to correct it.

Take a break

Last but not least, don't proofread or edit your work until you have taken a break from it for at most a few weeks.

Your brain is too full of ideas to want to criticize creative writing. Your story is still so captivating that I can't help but point out any flaws.

Proofreading is a time-consuming task that requires a lot concentration. However, proofreading is possible if you are able to disconnect from the plot.

Refer a friend

Now that you have completed a thorough proofread and edited, it is time to find an independent person to proofread your work. It doesn't matter if the person is your spouse, a friend, or your child. They are not always critical enough and any additional eyes can be beneficial.

If professional services are not affordable for your project, rest assured that you made every effort possible to improve your book.

Next, you can go over the post once you are ready to publish. You'll probably find a few more typos and mistakes that you are happy to have found, but your audience will not.

Signs that Self-Editing is Not Right for You

Self-editing might seem like the only option for review. However, you should examine whether any of these factors apply to your situation. If so, self-editing is less viable.

In regular conversation, you can simply share your weaknesses in writing.

It might be something you are proud of. You believe that you can detect any vexing mechanical flaws in your book by magic.

This project is huge

It is possible to hire a professional editor to edit short blog posts.

It is not a bad idea, but it is something you should think about as you write more pieces.

If the manuscript is too long, like for a book, your editing skills will be stretched to the limit. This can increase the chances of errors and require a professional editor.

The topic is unusual or novel

Writing skills can lead to writers exploring new and unexpected areas. To avoid embarrassing mistakes, a professional editor who is familiar with the topic is recommended to check for content viability.