Why Writers
Need
Professional
Proofreaders
written by Julie DeSilva
©2013 ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
Page 2
English writer Sydney Smith wrote: “What you don’t know
would make a great book.” What people don’t know about
proofreading would make a great e-book, so here goes!
In this electronic age anyone can become a publisher just
by clicking SEND. That’s why it is more important than
ever that writers distinguish themselves by deferring to
professional proofreaders to hone their prose and make it
perfect.
The word hone is a perfect example of something even a
great writer may need help with.
Example: His editor honed the speech through
rewrites, homing in on the many clichés that would
have left the audience members rolling their
eyes.
In the example sentence the difference between hone and
home is clear, but if you were confused a quick GOOGLE
search finds this:
Phrasal Verb: Hone in on
Meaning: Target, focus
Example: The company HONED IN ON its rival and tried
to take it over. (Some consider this verb to be wrong and
that is confused with 'home in on.) [sic]
Retrieved February 10, 2011 from
www.usingenglish.com
Oh, where to begin!
First, do not trust as “expert” any Web site that has this
many mistakes in so few characters! I have copied the
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Page 3
entry exactly as it appears—mixed tenses, missing quotation mark, and all. And who does “Some” refer to? Some
experts or some people on the street?!
The GOOGLE entry on page 2 was followed by multiple
entries—even blogs—on the subject. When in doubt turn
to tried-and-true Merriam-Webster’s.
Main Entry: hone in
Function: intransitive verb
Etymology: alteration of home in
Date: 1965
: to move toward or focus attention on an objective
*looking back for the ball honing in — George Plimpton*
*a missile honing in on its target — Bob Greene* *hones in
on the plights and victories of the common man — Lisa
Russell*
usage The few commentators who have noticed hone in
consider it to be a mistake for home in. It may have arisen
from home in by the weakening of the \m\ sound to \n\ or
may perhaps simply be due to the influence of hone.
Though it seems to have established itself in American English (and mention in a British usage book suggests it is used
in British English too), your use of it especially in writing
is likely to be called a mistake. Home in or in figurative
use zero in does nicely.
Just two days after writing the section
on hone in, I was proofreading a book
for a major publisher, written by a
prominent philanthropist, reviewed by a
seasoned editor, and copy edited by a
professional copy editor and I found
(and corrected) this sentence:
I relied on my rather abstract
conceptual framework for guidance and
I honed in on the concept . . . .
~Julie
Want to avoid mistakes like this one?
Hire a professional proofreader!
Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition
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Page 4
What Exactly Is a
Proofreader?
Over the years the term
proofreading has come to
mean the same thing as
copy editing. In traditional
book publishing the
proofreader and copy editor
roles are still two distinctly
different roles, with the acts
of proofreading and copy
editing being two distinct
steps in the publishing
process.
Here’s a quick overview of
the proofreader and copy
editor roles and the hybrid role that has become the
norm in many publishing processes: editorial proofreader.
Copyediting
Reviewing manuscript (on paper or
electronically) to ensure correct
punctuation, spelling, grammar, usage,
sentence structure, and consistency
Proofreading
Correcting typeset, designed copy by
comparing it with a previous version
(usually the original copyedited
manuscript). Involves using standard
markings and symbols (on paper or
electronically, usually via PDF) to correct
typographical errors and deviations from
typesetting and design instructions. May
involve checking specifications. Egregious
typos and grammatical errors are also
corrected.
Editorial
Proofreading
Proofreading material that may or may not
have been edited and may need extensive
querying for mistakes in spelling,
grammar, punctuation, consistency, and
style
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Grammar and Spell Checkers
We’ve all received one of those emails with a sentence
that looks like this:
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch, it deosn't mttaer in waht
oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt
tihng is taht frist and lsat ltteers are in the rghit
pclae.
Even though the words are jumbled and words are
missing, most folks have no problem interpreting the
meaning. And running something like this through a quick
grammar and spell check should fix the problem, right?
Wrong. Here’s what the grammar and spell check turned
out:
Occurring to scholarch, it doesn’t matter in what
order the letters in a word are, the only iprmoatnt
(no suggestions given) thing is that the (it did not
catch that this word was missing) first and last
letters are in the right place.
According to research, it doesn’t matter in what
order the letters in a word are, the only important
thing is that the first and last letters are in the right
place.
A good proofreader would have fixed everything and
edited it for clarity.
According to research, the order in which letters
appear in a word doesn’t matter. The only important
thing is that the first and last letters are in the right
place.
Mcuh bttr, rght?!
If typed correctly, the sentence should have read:
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Page 6
Typos
How about words
that are words,
but not the right
ones? If the
jumbled word
theory above
applies, when
proofreading
your own work you will read a mistyped word as the word
you meant it to be. If you rely on your spell checker or
grammar checker to clean up behind you, most typos will
not be flagged as words used incorrectly. Here are some
sample sentences where a proofreader could help the
writer save face!
 The front office manger is responsible for
distributing the mail. (mange, manger, manage,
managed, manager)
 We complied a list of all donors. (compile,
compiled, complied)
 The community watch policies the neighborhood.
(polices, policies)
Not only could you type the wrong word but you could type
the wrong form of the word: compile instead of compiles or
manage instead of managed. In my more than twenty
years as a professional proofreader this is one of the
mistakes I encounter most often.
 As the guest of honor, we severed the bride first.
(serve, server, served, sever, severed, severe)
 Thanks to the parents who volunteered to mange
the science fair. (mange, manger, manage,
managed, manager)
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Page 7
Of course, if you ever use the word public in your writing,
you must use a professional proofreader!
Wordos
Not only can you mistype a word creating a typo, you can
use the wrong word, thinking that it’s the right word, as
with hone and home in the opening section. I call these
wordos.
Once you have crafted that perfect piece of prose who will
ensure (assure or insure would also be okay, but would
you know that!?) that your words will speak to your
principal (or is it principle?) audience or that your graphics
are complementary (not complimentary)? Once again,
why stress yourself out? Why not take the worry out of
your writing and leave sorting through the words to a
professional?
South Bend, IN—Published by CNN/WSBT, September 22, 2010.
Retrieved on February 22, 2011, from
www.wthitv.com/dpps/news/strange/billboard-reads-pubic-instead-of-public-ob10jgr_3588314
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Page 8
Grammar
Everything Else!
You may have an excellent command of the English
language and all its nuances but even the finest writers
still don’t know how to employ dashes correctly—like this
em dash—use semicolons, or decide whether that or
which is correct. A good proofreader will fix all your grammatical errors, your subject–verb agreement issues, and
your inconsistent or incorrect use of punctuation.
We’ve only covered the words in your writing. If your
document has figures, tables, graphics, or multiple
heading levels, a proofreader will make sure that all of
these elements are consistent within the document.
The difference between
the almost right word
and the right word is
really a large matter—
it’s the difference
between the lightning
bug and the lightning.
If you use a lot of proper names or industry-specific terms
a professional proofreader will make sure that they are
spelled and hyphenated correctly and consistently.
Moving from one year to the next with a document revision
or within a document? A professional proofreader will
check the calendar and make sure that February 22,
2011, is, in fact, a Tuesday if you write that it is.
~ Mark Twain
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Page 9
Make a Good Impression
A professional builder hires a professional plumber for
plumbing or a professional electrician for wiring. A
professional writer should hire a professional proofreader
to make sure that the words he crafts are perfect.
There are lots of proofreading options available today. Be
sure you choose a professional proofreader who offers the
quality you need and who has the experience to find your
errors before your work is published.
After all, wouldn’t you rather spend your time writing and
not worrying?
ProofreadNOW.com, Inc. | 447 Boston Road | Topsfield, MA 01983 | 978-887-6675
Page 10
Back in 1999, we recognized that many business writers
had a need for fast, accurate, professional proofreading
services. We realized that we needed to be available to
these clients when they needed us, not just during regular
business hours. So, we created an online model that
allows writers to submit documents to us with no advance
notice, no pre-payment, and no contracts. And we created
a team of professional proofreaders who are available 365
days a year, around the clock, around the world.
Our model is unique in that we perform two separate,
complete readings on every document. And this double
review is done as part of our standard service at no
additional charge.
Since then, we’ve helped marketers, advertisers,
publishers, editors, and other professional writers maintain
their professional and personal reputations by ensuring
their documents are free of errors and clearly written.
We’ve caught hundreds of thousands of errors before
documents were published. This kept our customers from
incurring additional printing costs, saved them time and
protected them from professional and personal
embarrassment.
Our services come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee!
You’ll love our service or it’s free.
To find out more about our services, please visit our Web
site at www.ProofreadNOW.com.
Why not send us a document and we’ll proofread it at no
charge? Take advantage of this offer by clicking on this
link:
http://www.info.proofreadnow.com/special-ebook-offerwhy-writers-need-proofreaders
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