How To Proofread And Edit Your Work The Right Way

  Content creators who care about their craft know how important proofreading is for their writing. Proofreading gives you the confidence to share your work anywhere and anytime. Even if you have a penchant for telling stories or breaking down difficult concepts in ways people can understand, your writing still needs to be proofread. Qualities such as grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word choice can make or break the quality of your work.

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Of course, your work can’t be completely error-free all the time, you can avoid silly mistakes by following these tips. Here are 5 great proofreading techniques for content creators.

Write First, Proofread Later.

“Write with the door closed, rewrite with the door open” Stephen King

Although writing and proofreading go hand in hand, they require different approaches. To be efficient at writing, write down your words without trying to change anything. This enables your ideas to keep flowing without any interruptions, ensuring you don’t experience writer’s block. Once you’ve put down all your ideas on paper, you can begin the proofreading process. However, this is general advice. If you prefer to proofread (and edit) as you write then stick to this by all means.

Take Your Time 

How many times have you read a piece of content you wrote and came back only to discover more errors that you didn’t notice were there before? This is why it is important to repeatedly read through your work slowly and carefully before submitting it for publishing. Try using a pencil to point at each word as you read. If possible, take a two or three-day break from your work, so you can look at it with fresh eyes.

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Read Aloud 

Reading aloud is a great technique to try because it makes you slow down and pay attention to your writing. In this way, it will be easy for you to pick out missing or misspelt words, observe how your sentences flow and identify the flaws in your logic.

Use Online Proofreading Tools 

Online proofreading software like Grammarly, Hemmingway Editor, and Ginger are some handy tools every writer should have in their arsenal. The highlighting feature of these tools makes it possible to see many errors in your writing at a glance and correct them immediately. However, don’t rely too much on them, as not all their suggestions will be correct and they will not catch every error.

Get A New Pair Of Eyes 

Having someone else read your work can allow you to see things from different perspectives. Not only can they help you spot grammatical errors, but they may also point out any ideas that don’t resonate with your audience. You can partner with someone and do the same for them. Featured Image Source: iHarare

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