Professional proofreading isn’t always the most suitable choice for every project and every writer. Factors such as time, budget, and availability can determine whether you engage a professional to proofread for you, or you find an alternative way to get the work done.
If you decide that doing the work yourself is the best option, I highly recommend using a checklist to help you with the process.
Here’s why I find checklists invaluable:
- working on one item at a time helps you to focus more carefully on finding errors and inconsistencies
- the process helps you to distance yourself from the content, meaning that your brain has more chance of seeing an error rather than filling in the blanks
- you’ll start to notice the more technical aspects involved in crafting a text, which will help you to improve your style and technique
- the job will be less tiring because you’ll work through your text a little at a time, which saves your brain the job of trying to remember everything at once.
Creating a checklist from scratch can be time-consuming in itself, so I’ve created a free download to help you get started. This is a basic checklist that includes many of the elements you’re likely to find in a variety of text types.
There are two formats available – a printable PDF and an editable Word document. You can download one (or both!) by clicking the relevant button below.
These files are completely free to download and no registration is needed. If you’d like to get in touch with questions or feedback though, I’d love to hear from you! Head to my homepage or use the button below to send me a message.
Thanks for visiting – see you next time!
LJ Pond | Editor & Proofreader 