Every writer wants their novels to be professional.
Do you want to write tales full time or simply want to complete your dream project producing a professional-quality novel is an important thing, particularly for self-published authors. Do you want to get novel proofreading?
While many of us do not dislike it, readers are likely to be comparing us with the traditional publishers but sometimes not in a positive image. Although perceptions have changed however, there was a time that “self-published” meant “amateur” for people who read. What is the real distinction between self-published and traditional books? It’s a good question. The answer will have a lot to have to do with editing.
The Difference Between Pros and Amateurs
In order to be traditional published, the book must go through a lengthy and intense process. it’s not to have to do with asking questions or locating Literary agents!
What I’m referring to edits.
It is true that publishers are reducing the support they provide for writers (especially in the area of marketing) the only thing traditional publishers continue to put an enormous amount of time and effort into editing. The purpose of developmental editing is to enhance the plot of a novel Copyediting is used to edit prose and proofreading assures the book is in line with professional standards.
You heard me right- proofreading makes sure your work is up to a professional standard.
While you might believe that it’s just about looking for misspellings or typos It’s actually an essential stage before publishing This is true for authors who are indie exactly the same as those who write traditional works.
This is the area where self-published authors often fall way short. The process of proofreading can be time-consuming which is why many authors fail to do this step instead of spending time or time or money for it to be done correctly. This not only gives self-published books a bad rap however, it can also make the writing in a short form. Your novel may be captivating and your prose is enthralling yet without that final bit of polish, your work appears unprofessional to the readers.
As dull the task of proofreading might be this doesn’t mean you won’t accomplish it.
There are plenty of tricks and techniques for proofreading an entire novel, together with some useful proofreading tools you’ll need to look over. If you’re taking your writing seriously, whether you’re an indie writer or not, proofreading is a crucial aspect of editing that you shouldn’t miss!
Copyediting vs. Proofreading:
Though most of us are aware of some understanding about what it means to be a proofreader but there’s still a lot of confusion around the term “proofreading,” particularly when it is compared with its counterpart: copyediting.
No Copyediting or proofreading is different things.
Although proofreading is more concerned with the tiny elements of your work The copyediting process is focused on your writing overall. Are your sentences clean and compelling? Are you consistent when you define different terms? What can you do to improve the use of words? In addition, how do you improve your writing so that you can better tell your story and draw the reader’s attention?
It is important to note that copyediting must be done prior to doing proofreading in editing a novel. If you’ve never copyedited your novel yet, you should do it before diving into the tips for proofreading below. Since proofreading is the final step, it should be the top priority of self-editing on your checklist!
If you’re considering copyediting your work, these are some places to begin:
Why is Proofreading so Hard?
While you are rewriting the final version of your manuscript You may be asking yourself: Why is proofreading such a challenge?
For starters the process of proofreading can be an exception when you write novels. This isn’t as imaginative as writing, and it’s far from being analytical like most of editing is. It’s more concerned with knowing the rules and identifying errors. It’s more mathematics than writing!
Here’s a handful of things that you should be aware of in your proofreading of your book:
- Grammatical errors
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- In-between sentences
- Fragments
- Passive Voice
- Capitalization
- Formatting errors
- Tense skipping
- Typos
A few people love the game of hiding and seeking, however many writers do not. It’s not easy to keep your focus and enthusiasm in this tedious job particularly when you don’t be able to see a dramatic improvement in the process. In addition, it is essential to have a solid understanding of English grammar in order to be able to master the process of proofreading, that’s not the case for everyone.
If you think you’re required to master certain of these areas take a look at these sources:
- How to Choose the Right Tense for Your Novel
- Top English Grammar Tips
- What Are the 14 Punctuation Marks in English Grammar?
- The Basics of Run-On Sentences
- Grammar: Run-On Sentences and Sentence Fragments
- Tips and Tools for Passive Voice
There are plenty of programs that can assist to proofread your book successfully even if you don’t have a doctorate in English grammar. The majority (though some) tools are completely free!
8 Ways to Make Proofreading Your Novel Easier
Start at the Right Time:
It’s true that I’ve talked about it in the past But this is crucial:
The process of proofreading is your last step to should do while working on your novel.
There’s no need to search out formatting or typos when you’re editing your story or if you’re still working on your tale by itself! The only thing you’ll do is consume your time as you’ll end up cutting or editing portions of your tale, eventually introducing new typos after finishing editing.
It is better to save proofreading until the final stage. Once you’re happy with the finished version of your writing then it is time to put on these finishing elements.
Use a Story Bible:
Most of the time, the most challenging aspect of proofreading isn’t spelling or punctuation. Most of us know at a minimum a basic knowledge of those subjects spelling and punctuation, but spell checkers are able to be a great tool for identifying what we’re not aware of. It’s the making sure you’re keeping track of all the distinctive terms and phrases you’ve come up with for your personal story. This is most challenging.
That’s why having the story Bible comes into.
The book of stories help you keep the track of particular details in the story, such as a character’s birthday, eye color or birth date, it also can provide you with a reminder of how you wrote or used specific terms. It is particularly helpful to writers of science and fantasy However, any genre may be benefited!
If you are thinking this might aid you in proofreading your novel If you think this could help, take a look at this tutorial on how to create the story bible.
Get an Extra Set of Eyes:
After weeks or days of editing your book, it’s often difficult to be able to see the true story of your novel. Words become blurred quickly, and there’s no way to recognize an unintentional comma, or even a small omission in your story.
This is one reason that enlisting help can be so beneficial!
When you request your loved ones, close friends and beta readers as well as other writers to look over your novel Their fresh perspectives is essential if you really want to find each and every mistake in your book. Additionally that majority of the time they’ll gladly aid, although you should ensure that you thank those who help proofreading your book is not an easy job at all!
Personally, I rely to my beta readers to proofread and editing my forthcoming novel The Ten Day Edit. In addition, they are wonderful collaborators however, they’re extremely skilled at what they do. I’m very fortunate in that respect.
If you don’t have a team that is dedicated to beta-reading A close family member or writing buddy can provide a tremendous assistance! Even if they just catch an error in your whole story, that’s an error less to fret about.
Hire Someone:
As a personal, I enlist aid of beta readers occasionally you have to pull in the big guns: Professional proofreaders.
If you’re sure that your article contains a number of errors or if you’re dealing with an extremely tight deadline or aren’t sure you need to proofread your work at your own pace hiring an experienced proofreader will likely be the best choice.
Proofreaders who are professionals not only possess the knowledge to spot mistakes in grammar and other difficult to spot issues as well, but also an experience that can back the proofreading process. That means that they’ll be capable of proofreading your book much faster than you can do, because they’re aware of how to proofread because of years of experience.
Naturally this comes with certain expenses.
Professional editors are an expensive investment, therefore it is important take a look at the pros and cons prior to evaluating the services of a professional. However, if you’re planning to turn over your writing to someone who is a professional, hiring the services of a professional proofreader are an ideal choice.
Proofread on Paper:
The best way to go about editing is to do so on a piece of paper.
Many of us enjoy writing your novels with software such as Scrivener or Word but there’s something in the feel of writing on paper which makes it easier to concentrate. It’s easy to notice things you might not have noticed in other software, and you will not be as likely to be distracted by unintentional internet surfing.
It’s one of those situations that old school methods are the best option, which is why I urge readers to get out their black pens and then print your book. It might be surprising the extent to which this one-time technique can benefit you!
Read Aloud (Or Have Your Computer Do It for You):
As well as proofreading the paper, there’s a second editing technique to look into:
Text reading loudly.
In the majority of cases, it is more likely that we will notice errors by listening to them instead of reading about it. This is particularly true with regards to grammar. Some certain things seems off, even though they’re right on paper. When we read our tales out loud, we’re more likely to spot mistakes that we would otherwise have missed.
Naturally, not all people have the capability to read an entire document for us. There are numerous options for having your computer read the text for you, ranging from dedicated programs to basic web-based tools.
Try ProWritingAid:
It’s not a secret that I’m a massive enthusiast of ProWritingAid.
It’s not just that I utilize ProWritingAid for my posts on my blog and in books and articles, I also suggest the program to everyone who wants to. There’s no thing quite like getting a pair of independent observers review your writing, ProWritingAid is definitely the alternative. In addition, it will assist your beta readers in making their lives much easier.
Here are some of the areas ProWritingAid can assist in:
- Basics of grammar: punctuation, spelling and punctuation
- Clarity of the sentence
- Readability
- Poor words
- The run-on sentences
- Words that stick
- Repetition
- Passive voice
- Cliches
- Plagiarism
Holly Ostara from Books and Alchemy wrote an amazing article about the advantages and disadvantages of using ProWritingAid and I would recommend you reading. She goes into lots of detail, which makes her post a fantastic option to consider which ProWritingAid is the right choice for you!
Take Your Time:
In addition, when you proofread your novel, it is important be patient and be patient and take time. time.
Nothing is more damaging to your writing and your final draft than overworking your self. It’s not just that you’ll make glaring and even minor mistakes, but you’ll also overstress yourself during the process. If you’re working to a strict deadline, get an expert to assist you. In other cases, you should be patient and meticulous. Your book will be grateful to you.
