Tips for Proofreading

[MeanGreenATO]

So, I've been slumping and I've had to run more corrections than I would have liked over the last week or so. And it's all simple stuff that I've glossed over, even after I've read a story a few times to make sure everything's correct. And then I'll go back over something and of course, something's wrong.

I was wondering if anybody has any proofreading rituals or tips that could help me out.

 

[NDJournalist]

Not any rituals, but I will say, above all else, make sure names are spelled correctly.

 

[SnarkShark]

Not any rituals, but I will say, above all else, make sure names are spelled correctly.

I knew you took a Journalism class once. I just knew it.

 

[spikechiquet]

If the letters F, U, C, and K are all next to each other...find a different way to say it.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I read at least once from the bottom up. Disrupts the story flow and lets you concentrate on each sentence a bit more carefully. Also, it often helps me to assure I've got first names in proper spot.

 

[WriteThinking]

Do not do the proofread(s) immediately after writing the story.

Pay particular attention to names and other vitals like age, locations, etc., and also specifically check places in the story where the word "not" should be (did not, could not, and most importantly NOT guilty, etc.), and make sure the word is actually there. It's easy, as you're writing, to think about/be saying/seeing that word in your mind as you're working on the story but have your fingers go right past it and not type it. (This is largely why most media now generally use "innocent" in places where legal pleas and decisions are discussed).

This has always been an editing issue for me, I know. My stuff, even in posts, is generally clean on first glance (I think), but sometimes, I'll leave words out.

(And, hopefully, see/catch it later).

All this said, proofreading beyond the at-a-glance spelling/grammar issues is different than the making and catching of actual reporting or writing mistakes.

The former is proofreading. The latter is actual editing.

 

[baddecision]

I, too, read once from the last graf up.

Also, I stop at every first name in a high school story, because it's very easy to mix up older brothers/sisters with current kids.

If you are in the office, have a bunch of photocopies of each team's roster at your desk and check off each name as you proof it so that you can catch any misspellings and avoid repeat first-name references.

If you are facing deadline, always save time to give a read. The more important it is to finish quickly, the more vital it is to proofread carefully. A clumsy phrase, you can do better next time. A screwed up score or name, that stuff doesn't get forgotten.

 

[buckweaver]

Get some more sleep. Seriously.

 

[slappy4428]

We all get the yips, but making sure you don't take shots for getting the ****s (Hi Rosey!) is a good thing.

 

[Versatile]

What kind of mistakes are you making?

 

[HanSenSE]

On nights when I'm solo on the desk and have to cover something, after I write and give it a read, I'll put it aside for an hour while doing something else, then take another look at it.

 

[MeanGreenATO]

Vers, it's misspelling a name or putting down that somebody's ranked No. 4 when they're No. 5. Easy stuff that you want to kick yourself for after you realize it's wrong. And these tips are great, everybody. Keep 'em coming.

 

[Versatile]

Google every single name (and if it's at all common, add in the name of the school or team to the search).

Use an actual pen or marker to put a check mark next to every number when proofing a page. That means every number. Page numbers on refers and jumps are wrong as often as anything.

 

[Matt Stephens]

My biggest issue is on columns. After I'm done, I have to sit it down for an hour (unless it's live on deadline), tune out, then come back and look again.

 

[Versatile]

My biggest issue is on columns. After I'm done, I have to sit it down for an hour (unless it's live on deadline), tune out, then come back and look again.

What makes proof-reading a column any different?

 

[Matt Stephens]

My biggest issue is on columns. After I'm done, I have to sit it down for an hour (unless it's live on deadline), tune out, then come back and look again.

What makes proof-reading a column any different?

I guess I'm speaking more in terms of my own columns before sending it on to the desk. More so than a feature or news piece, the column is completely my voice. I know what I'm trying to say, I know my opinion, so when I write it, my brain jumps ahead of my fingers and there are random missing words in sentences. Even when I go back shortly after writing, I don't catch those missing words until I take a break and then they're obvious. I never really have that problem with any other story type.

But even when reading other writer's columns, I'm always a little concerned I'll be changing their voice by doing too many edits.

 

[joe_schmoe]

The two best tips I could have have already been mentioned:
1. Do not give the final read immediately after writing it. Your brain still reads what you want it to, not what it needs to. You need to focus on something else for a while (another story with another topic, page design, even Facebook or a game on TV). Then go back and read. I know you don't always have the time to do this, so even if it's just one minute of intense focus elsewhere, it will help.
2. Read it backward. An old editor gave me this tip. Said it was the best way to find typos and sentence structure errors. Mind you I've been in this biz long before most of my colleagues were born, so this was advice given back in the day before spell check. Even our earliest computers that we could type our stories on didn't have spell check. It's a bit I got into back then and one I still use today and that's when I notice a lot of stuff like a bad score, an incorrect ranking, etc...

 

[Untitled]

When you actually have time to do this, read the story out loud.

It may feel stupid, but having to actually read copy (especially your own) out loud can help you catch mistakes that, in your mind, read right while proofing.

 

[Drip]

Three tips that have helped me.
1. TAKE YOUR TIME.
2. Recheck everything, even if you THINK you are 100 percent accurate.
3. Be well-rested. Many mistakes are made when you are tired.
Good luck.