Or the icing on the cake!
It’s all about the show!
If you’re going to put out an ezine, a newsletter, an eBook, a manual or some other document with your name on it, it’s important to put your best foot forward.
You can’t just throw on your “duds” and go out “looking like that!”
So, to keep you from looking a bit like you don’t know what you’re doing in your written presentations, consider these hints for proofreading.
Don’t rush
If you’re rushed to get your ezine, your newsletter or other project done at the last minute or otherwise, you might be inclined to skip the proofreading altogether.
Spell-check is your friend!
Although, there may be a time or two when you wish you didn’t use Spell-check–because occasionally it just does not get it right.
The Gremlins
Common trouble makers are the words that sound alike, spell differently and sometimes give a whole new meaning to what you’re talking about. Words like “your” and “you’re;” “its” and “it’s;” “to,” “too” and “two.”
And this is not all!
First impressions, and all that!
Here are several more tips to consider when you’re putting the finishing touches on your written work:
Make sure you capitalize only proper nouns
Unless you’re me!
I really like to capitalize words, other than proper nouns, and sometimes do it more than necessary (or I suppose more than correctly)…as exaggeration for effect! To make a specific point stand out! So I confess to taking some “writer’s license” now and then.
It’s sort of like that “because I said so” thing!
Have someone read what you’ve written before you print, “hit send” or seal the envelope!
It’s a lot easier for a second party to see misspelled words, transposed letters, incorrect word usage and the like when that person is not as close as you to your end result. If you have no one available to do this, leave your work for a few hours, and then come back to read what you’ve written.
Print it out, then proof!
“Misteaks” are lots easier to see when you can hold them up to the light. Although I suppose you could enlarge the Verdana font size in a Word document to size 28 or so. Nevertheless, it’s usually still easier to proofread from a print document.
Tou dnats sekatsim pleh ot sdrawkcab daer dna, dne eht ta trats
Well, somehow I don’t think that’s quite what the guideline means, although it really is easier to see errors when you “read it backwards”. I mean, hello, the whole line ^^^ above is an error!
And finally,
When in doubt, look it up!
Now I don’t know about you, but sometimes I have a concern about that. Because even if you have the bestest dictionary and style guide in the world if you don’t know how to spell a word or barely know how to start it, neither will do you much good.
So there you have them for now. We’ll have more again one of these weeks!
In the meantime, good luck in “righting” your “writing”
About the Author
Get a complimentary copy of “Tips and Tricks to Grammar and Proofreading” and a subscription to “On the Bright Side,” our weekly ezIne, when you click to http://www.Konceptuality.com. At Konceptuality, we specialize in proofreading, editing, and ebook production support services, as well as general administrative support to Coaches, Speakers and Consultants. Email Karen McGreevey, Virtual Assistant and Expert Author, at kmcgreevey (@) konceptuality.com, for details.
