Copywriting- How to proofread your copy
This guides aims to read like a Copywriting how to. As glamorous as copywriting may seem to the outsider, there are certain parts that aren’t as much fun as a barrel of monkeys. One such area covers how to proofread your copy. Although it can seem to be tedious, it can really make your copy stand out. So it’s best to learn the best ways to proofread our own copy.
Your readers will take the extra care that you take when you upgrade your copy.
Where to start
It helps to have a good foundation when you start the proofreading process.
The main areas that need to be addressed are grammar, punctuation and spelling.
Tools like grammarly are must-haves to help you in the process.
( www.grammarly.com )
The best way to make sure that you are writing professional copy is write copy that is short and snappy in the first place. It’s best to keep your style simple and sentences short.
In this way correcting spelling, grammar and punctuation will also be simpler.
The hallmark of quality writing is the lack of spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors.
Find a Quiet Place
It does take some concentration to take on the proofreading process. It’s best to find a distraction free zone to take it on.
Paper copy is superior
Most people find it easier to proofread copy when it is in printed form. Although this might seem old school, it’s a good idea to try it out to see which method you prefer. This might seem like it is more clunky and costly, but you should also consider it an asset if you do a better job proofreading.
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Keep a positive mental attitude
Proofreading is one area of writing that you should approach with a critical eye. You should be actively looking for errors in your work. If you are satisfied with your work as it is, you may miss some errors that could have easily been fixed.
So, as counterintuitive as it may seem, be positive that you will find errors and you will. How’s that for reverse psychology?
An odd practice that works
Although this may seem strange, one of the most effective ways to nail the proofreading process is to read your copy out quite loud to yourself at a very slow pace. In this way you can see if your sentences are solid and flow naturally.
When you have read your copy from start to finish, its time to read it backwards. Why?
This is to trick your brain. You see the brain tries to auto correct any content errors before you say them out loud. This means that you may miss them even when you say. Crafty devil, isn’t it?
If you say the words backwards, it can cause your brain to turn off its autocorrect feature.
Try it out, what have you got to lose? You only have better copy to gain.
Formatting and style
The proofreading process also takes care of how your copy actually looks, the format of it. You should correct any incorrect spacing, margins, font settings and bad capitalization. It’s amazing how easy it is to overlook these areas when you are in the writing phase.
These errors make it harder to read and less enjoyable for the reader.
Natural flow of words
The best aim that you can have for your copy is to be uniform and consistent. This helps the copy look natural whether it’s in print or web copy. Consistency also involves using the same names throughout it and keeping similar formatting styles.
Try it a few times
It’s always a good idea to take a few sessions when proofreading. Like any skill, it may take a few tries to get it right. If you have the time, try proofreading on different days. Sometimes you will be more effective this way.
Copywriter How to Ask for help
If you have access to another expert, you should call in a favour and ask for another proofreading. This can be invaluable in gaining new insights on how to make your copy better.
Instead of paying huge fees to hire a proofreader, it would be better to trade proofreading tasks with other copywriters. When another copywriter checks out your work with fresh eyes, you can’t help but get a better result.
Thanks for reading!
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Written by Monty Salt
