Are you in dire need of proofreading your article? If you have never done that, it may sound challenging and get overwhelming as many factors get laid out. Editing is more of art. Here are the tips to get you started.
- Pace your reading
You will make a lot of mistakes when you read or write hurriedly. If you fail to give your document enough time for revision, you will not get to your set goals. Shortcuts will lead you nowhere. In short, provide as much time to editing as you do to writing.
- Readout loudly
There are instances where you have found that you made silly mistakes in your document. When you are writing, the brain encodes and decodes information faster than the movement of the hands. It is because of that reason you will misspell words or forget to punctuate some. The best way to avoid this is by reading the text loudly. You will catch the slip-ups.
- Backward reading
It may sound silly, but it does not mean reading individual words. You do this by reading each sentence. It will not help with content, yes, but it will help you check on mistakes that involve punctuation.
- Error Marking
Microsoft Word is a useful tool for proofreading. Select track changes under the review tab. It will assist you in seeing all changes that you make when you edit your text. Seeing the history of your changes will make you accept or reject them.
- Try again
The best writers are known to write and write and write. The process is not a one-time thing. You can divide your time to edit and proofread for a day, then come back after a few days to continue. You will find more mistakes to correct.
- Ask for help
Writing is not a one-person battle. You can begin and end it as an individual, but while in the process, you can seek validation or feedback from your peers or superiors. It is for this reason why authors hire editors and why journalists get editors too. You might also need to find an external editor. Professionals, again, ask others for help or feedback.
- Get Brutal
You can’t get weak when you are ending your writing. Any time of day, you should get prepared to review any changes as you perfect your craft. Until you come out at the top of the pinnacle in writing, you will still have a lot to do. You also need to incorporate humility and accept to learn to improve in your area of expertise.
- Forgive
You cannot write every time. You will need to rest at some point. You can take hours and days proofreading your work, and eventually, you will need to stop at some point for a breather. If you fail to stop or pause, you will most likely over-edit your text and make different mistakes while in the process. You do not need to strip a sentence or a word of its meaning just immediately. You can rest and say to yourself that you tried the best you could and therefore forgive yourself.
- Have hopes
As a writer, you must recognize that you are still in the learning process. Since you have spent a lot of your time editing and proofreading, you will make the next document better. It could be that you sought help from someone else, and they have given you some helpful tips or corrected your errors. It is all a part of the bigger picture. It would be best if you encouraged yourself to get better every day. Giving yourself hopes will make you go a long way to become a better writer. Most international bestsellers did not just wake up to start writing and made it. It took them a lot of practice, mistakes, corrections, sheer strength, luck, and many hopes and dedication to reach their attained levels. It would be best if you also had the faith that one day will happen to you and toil towards making that dream come true.