Little marks make a big difference in the readability and meaning of a story. A missing or misplaced apostrophe, comma, period, quotation mark, etc. may disrupt and confuse readers—and no author wants that. When proofreading, I watch for the following: Apostrophes • Contractions An apostrophe takes the place of missing letters or numbers. Examples: don’t, who’s, you’re, I’m, ’80s • Possessives An apostrophe may […]
Accurate grammar allows readers to enjoy and understand your story—without having to backtrack to try to figure out what you’re trying to say. (If readers have to do that, you may lose them.) Grammatical sentences convey your story clearly. The following isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list of every grammar issue I proofread for, but it should give you a good idea of what I’ll be on the lookout […]
Yes, it’s been a while since I’ve posted. More on that in a moment. First, here’s my brief word-usage lesson for the day: a while or awhile? a while is a noun that means a length of time. Example: I haven’t seen you in a while. awhile is an adverb that means for a length of time. Example: I’d like to sleep awhile. You wouldn’t say “I haven’t seen you […]
Reading out loud is a highly effective proofreading method used by many writers, and for good reason. Whether your manuscript is long or short, reading out loud forces your eyes to slow down and keep pace with your voice. And when you slow down, you’re more likely to catch errors. Additionally, hearing your words aloud instead of silently in your head will highlight problems that your eyes alone simply don’t […]
In honor of National Grammar Day (did you even know that was a thing?), I’m sharing four pairs of frequently misused words. Why four? Because National Grammar Day is on March 4, of course! 1. It’s or its It’s is always a contraction and means “it is” or “it has.” The apostrophe indicates the missing letter(s) and is NOT indicating possession. Example: It’s going to be a long day. Its is possessive. […]
The best proofreading advice I can give you is to slow down when you read your manuscript. Slow. Down. Ex. Treme. Lee. Take the time to literally focus on each and every syllable, letter, space, and punctuation mark (particularly the apostrophe). Concentrate and take in what is on the page as well as what isn’t. Sound ridiculous? Tedious? Maybe, but this is honestly what it takes to spot elusive errors. […]
Not long ago, a man contacted me through my personal author website to inform me of a misspelled word: “I thought you would like to know you misspelled the word ‘likeable’. Silly mistakes are a pet peeve of mine and they can ruin your website’s credibility.” The man then went on to push an online spelling website/tool at me, claiming I needed it. In truth, the mistake was made by […]
As a proofreader, I’m in the habit of spotting typos and misused words; this isn’t something I can turn off, even when in public. In fact, I find spotting typos in unexpected places to be rather fun. Today I’m going to share how I came across my latest public proofreading find: Not long ago, my husband and I took our four kids to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. […]
As I browsed Amazon yesterday for a new pair of slippers (because as a writer/proofreader/stay-at-home mom, I go through slippers faster than shoes), a description for a pair of slippers with “rubber souls” caught my proofreader’s eye. In this context, the word soul was clearly misused; it should have been sole. Soul refers to a spiritual, life-giving essence. It may also mean a person or a fervent force. Examples: God […]
There’s no one size fits all when it comes to editing. So if you’re considering hiring an editor or proofreader but not really sure who or what you need (or what to expect), this excellent Writer’s Digest article clarifies the matter: 10 Things Your Freelance Editor Might Not Tell You—But Should. I recommend paying particular attention to the differences and degrees of editing versus proofreading. Like most professional proofreaders, I believe […]