To err is human, and the same applies to the field of editing and proofreading. No matter how much of an expert you are or how much experience you have, you are bound to make mistakes. Especially for a field like this, where you need to be meticulous, it is natural for you to miss out on words or make some typing errors. This article is more targeted toward people who are new to editing and proofreading and want to avoid making mistakes.
To err is human, and the same applies to the field of editing and proofreading. No matter how much of an expert you are or how much experience you have, you are bound to make mistakes. Especially for a field like this, where you need to be meticulous, it is natural for you to miss out on words or make some typing errors. This article is more targeted toward people who are new to editing and proofreading and want to avoid making mistakes.
First of all, let us get it out of the way by telling you the truth — you will make mistakes and errors, and there is no way around it. However, what you can do is be aware of what could possibly go wrong. That way, you will know where and what to look for.
In this article, we will go over the most common mistakes and problems that people face while they are editing and proofreading. After reading this article, you will be aware of the potential areas where you probably made a mistake and hence, rectify it easily.
There are too many aids and services nowadays to help with editing and proofreading. This is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, later, we will talk about how you should rely on them. But, when the extent is too much, that is when issues occur.
Some authors make the grave mistake of completing their work and leaving it entirely on the editor or digital tools to deal with the mistakes and changes. However, understand that the content is yours, and no one understands it better than you. Editors and digital aids can simply help make it better, but that’s all.
Therefore, no matter how big or short the text is, you should check it yourself first and participate in the whole editing and proofreading process.
This issue is the most natural of all the barriers. When you spend too much time dedicated to content, you get too familiar with it. This occurs to the point where you cannot see the text for itself and start predicting it in your head. The result is that you overlook the actual state of the text, hence ignoring the errors and mistakes.
This is the sole reason why getting a third person on board for editing and proofreading is a must. A third person’s point of view will help the text take a refreshing breath. The errors and mistakes will easily pop up, and you can fix them while refining them.
Another grave mistake that authors on deadline commit — immediately jumping into editing as soon as they finish writing. Please, refrain from doing so. The fact that you are already too familiar with the text does not help but editing and proofreading immediately can do more harm than good.
As the writer, your head is still abuzz with the ideas, and your editing can reflect that. The result will be poorly edited, all over the place content that will not be worth it. Our recommendation is to give yourself and your content a break. Once you are done writing, take time off before you start with the editing process.
Lastly, we would like to focus on the need for reliance on digital aids. Yes, we are living in a digital world, and yes, you should rely on them conveniently. There are some amazing professional tools out there that can help refine your content and help increase its quality.
These tools may be paid or free, whichever is convenient to you. But the end line is that they are all out there waiting for you to make use of them. The only condition here is, as mentioned in the first point, not to rely on them entirely. Utilize them smartly, and your work will be the best version of itself.
So, those are the biggest red areas where you can go wrong with editing and proofreading. However, with time and practice, you will get better at spotting your mistakes and refining your editing and proofreading skills. Here are some additional tips to help you with it:
Read aloud your text to spot mistakes easily
Do not write in bulk. Instead, break your text into small sections for easy writing and editing
Do not overlook fact-checking and make it a prominent part of your editing and proofreading process
Best Edit & Proof expert editors and proofreaders focus on offering manuscripts with proper tone, content, and style of academic writing, and also provide an upscale editing and proofreading service for you. If you consider our pieces of advice, you will witness a notable increase in the chance for your research manuscript to be accepted by the publishers. We work together as an academic writing style guide by bestowing subject-area editing and proofreading around several categorized writing styles. With the group of our expert editors, you will always find us all set to help you identify the tone and style that your manuscript needs to get a nod from the publishers.
You can also avail of our assistance if you are looking for editors who can format your manuscript, or just check on the particular styles for the formatting task as per the guidelines provided to you, e.g., APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian styles. Best Edit & Proof editors and proofreaders provide all sorts of academic writing help, including editing and proofreading services, using our user-friendly website, and a streamlined ordering process.
Visit our order page if you want our subject-area editors or language experts to work on your manuscript to improve its tone and style and give it a perfect academic tone and style through proper editing and proofreading. The process of submitting a paper is very easy and quick. Click here to find out how it works.
Our pricing is based on the type of service you avail of here, be it editing or proofreading. We charge on the basis of the word count of your manuscript that you submit for editing and proofreading and the turnaround time it takes to get it done. If you want to get an instant price quote for your project, copy and paste your document or enter your word count into our pricing calculator.
Contact us to get support with academic editing and proofreading. We have a 24/7 active live chat mode to offer you direct support along with qualified editors to refine and furbish your manuscript.
Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Medium.
For more posts, click here.
This article discusses 4 common editing and proofreading mistakes. To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.
When you start with academic writing, it is easy to confuse editing and proofreading. Each service requires close and careful reading but uses different methods and focuses on different aspects of the manuscript. Both services produce different outcomes for writers, and therefore, our potential clients must be aware of what they do. As a beginner, you may make the same common mistake as the rest, but we are here to help things set straight. In this article, we will learn the exact meaning behind these two concepts, what they are, and how they are different from each other.
Continue Reading
No matter what type of article or content you're working on, editing and proofreading can do wonders to improve your work and give the perfect finishing touch to it. While many think that editing and proofreading are just formalities, these contribute to the quality of your work. Precisely why editing and proofreading are essential steps in the writing process and which have professionals dedicated to this field. If you, too, are wondering how these two activities can help you improve your work, this article is all that you will need.
Continue Reading
Content marketing is an essential marketing strategy in today’s time. After all, we are exposed to content no matter where we go. In fact, in 2020 alone, the consumption of online content doubled in its rate, and it’s rising every moment. Many marketers have prioritized content marketing as it is the one strategy that is sure to bring you results with lesser investment. But what does it have to do with editing and proofreading? If you are a marketer, or anyone related to either of these two fields, this article will surely be enlightening.
Continue Reading
Although most editing and proofreading are performed today using the ‘Track Changes’ feature of Microsoft Word or other commenting tools, you may encounter traditional proofreading marks and symbols on a hardcopy document. In desktop publishing, it is important to understand the meaning of proofreaders’ marks. Both editors/proofreaders and clients, regardless of their backgrounds, should have the same standard marks for easy communication.
Continue Reading
Editing and proofreading are indispensable parts of the writing process. Therefore, if you are thinking of either entering this field to make a career out of it or simply looking for some services for your written project, you need to learn about the basics. For starters, several researchers and students tend to use these two terms interchangeably. Editing and proofreading are two entirely different things, albeit they are interconnected. This article will focus on different types of editing and give some basics.
Continue Reading
It is no wonder that many scholars dread the editing process and harbor numerous concerns even before they start it. They become skeptical about their academic writing abilities and are more prone to make fundamental mistakes. However, if approached strategically and in an organized manner, editing a dissertation and academic documents can become a much easier task. This article lists and explains four editing guidelines that writers must implement to edit their dissertations efficiently.
Continue Reading
In Academic writing, proofreading and editing services play a crucial role. However, people regularly get befuddled about the cost while seeking assistance from a proofreading and editing company. Being concerned about the situation, Best Edit & Proof has made a simple price guide to give you a basic idea about the cost of proofreading and editing services.
Continue Reading