Follow these ten steps to give your documents, including email messages, a polished finish that will help showcase your professional capabilities.
1. It’s important to proofread with your total attention. Whenever possible proof from a printed hard copy, not a soft copy on the computer screen. Sit in a comfortable, well lit place with no distractions. When marking your corrections, use a red pen and draw a bold circle around the error so that it will be easy to spot. While there are special marks that are used traditionally by professional proofreaders, aptly called Proofreader’s marks, when you’re proofing your own material you don’t need to worry about using those particular indicators. Now that you’re prepared, simply put on your reading glasses and follow these steps.
2. Pretend you are the intended recipient of the document and read through the material the same way you would expect to read it if you had just opened the document. Mark any errors that you see as you go along.
3. Correct those errors that you marked, and print it out. We’ll call this the corrected “#1 edit” version.
4. With your marked up original print out and the “#1 edit” printed version side by side, compare the two to make sure that you’ve corrected every marked error. If there are any errors that you didn’t correct, make those corrections and re-print “#1 edit” version.
5. Now, looking at the printed “#1 edit” version, read through the material a second time with your “Super Serious Proofreader” hat on. Read very slowly and concentrate on each word, phrase and sentence. Mark any errors that you find. Keep in mind that you’re looking for:
a. Misspelled words. Don’t depend on the software spell checking option to catch all the errors; for example, you might want to sell extra large shirts, but a simple spelling error can make a drastic change in the meaning, one that the spell checking function wouldn’t notice.
b. Run-on sentences. When in doubt, make two shorter sentences.
c. Overly lengthy paragraphs. If you’ve started a new thought, start a new paragraph.
d. Correct tense.
e. Consistent voice.
f. The right use of your/you’re, its/it’s, a/an, sign/sing, then/than, further/farther, principal/principle, insure/ensure, and other common word use mix ups. Don’t hesitate to use a dictionary to confirm you have the right word.
6. Next, still looking at the “#1 edit” version, use a critical eye to proof the formatting (margins, fonts, borders, spacing, etc.) punctuation, footers, headers, section numbering, page numbering, headings, captions, addressee’s name, title and addresses, salutations, cc:, and enclosure notations. It’s best to proof these areas separately from the main body material because your mind “reads” them differently; it would be easy to simply scan over these, but they are equally important. Also, double check the accuracy of any numbers, such as dollar amounts, dimensions, or quantities. Circle each error.
7. Make the corrections and print out a corrected “#2 edit” version.
8. Now lay the proofed “#1 edit” version (with marked errors) side by side next to the printed “#2 edit” version, and as you did before, compare the two versions to make sure that you have corrected every marked error. If there were any errors that you didn’t correct, make those corrections, and re-print the “#2 edit” version.
9. You’re almost finished, but don’t skip this critical step. Take a break, clear your mind, then read the entire document through again from start-to-finish with a “hunter’s” mind as if you’re searching for errors, expecting, even hoping, that there are errors yet to be found. That frame of mind will help remove the blinders that prevent you from seeing your own errors.
10. If you “hunted down” any more errors, correct them and your next print out is your final version. Congratulations! It’s ready to send on its way. You can be confident that you’re sending out an error-free document that represents you and your company in the most professional way possible.
See: Yahoo Voices
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