Archive for April, 2010
April 30th, 2010 | 
Author: Proofreading, Editing, Online Learning, Online Courses, Distance Education
Tips to good proofreading and editing?
Learning to effectively proofread and edit is a specialised field and it is important to have a good understanding of the industry and be able to apply acquired skills in a theoretical and practical manner. Lifestyle Learning Direct, one of the Gold Coast’s premier online learning and correspondence course providers has some important tips to being a good proofreader or editor. To be a good proofreader or editor you need to:
1. Differentiate between the different editorial, proofreading and typesetting roles in the publishing industry.
2. Be able to identify common spelling, punctuation, grammatical and layout errors in printed text.
3. Be proficient in applying and understanding the functions of the various parts of speech, such as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs and adjectives.
4. Demonstrate the correct use of Australian industry-recognised editing and proofreading symbols.
5. Have an understanding of computer applications within the publishing industry.
6. Have a more comprehensive knowledge of the written application of numerals, abbreviations, capitalisation, italics, etc.
7. Understand the importance of checking facts contained in written text.
8. Have a more competent knowledge of all theoretical and practical aspects of copy editing and proofreading.
9. Be proficient in spelling, grammar, punctuation and the application of editing symbols
How can you become better at Proofreading and Editing?
To gain professional proofreading and editing skills it is best to undertake a professional course that teaches you essential skills. Lifestyle Learning Direct is a leader in the provision of Professional Editing & Proofreading distance education online courses which aim to give students a broad knowledge of the industry competency in both the theoretical and practical application of this knowledge.
With comprehensive coverage of the necessary components of good English, such as spelling, punctuation, syntax and grammar, the student will develop the ability to recognise and correct all manner of spelling, punctuation, grammatical and typesetting errors. Courses available will benefit anyone who is interested in writing as a career, to supplement a career that involves writing things such as reports, publicity blurbs, news articles, marketing material, and so on and to undertake professional editing and proofreading as a career.
For more information in relation to available editing and proofreading courses please contact Lifestyle Learning Direct
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Proofreading Your Way to the Top – 5 Short Essay Tips
What is proofreading? Proofreading is a technique used to making your text free from the logical, punctuation and grammatical mistakes. Whether you are writing an essay, business report, dissertation report, or a magazine article, you can not afford to commit mistakes. Committing mistakes puts a question on your credibility, working expertise and efficiency. There are so many spell checkers available, but they are of little use on their own, as you cannot completely depend on a spell checker for accuracy. This is where you are required to proofread your document.
The following section is completely devoted to making you understand the technique and importance of proofreading your documents. Below are five top tips for proofreading your document:
- Concentrate on different types of errors – The key for a good proofreader is their concentration. By concentrating hard on finding out the grammatical, punctuation, logical and ethical errors. For this, you can start with reading the document sentence wise, and understanding the message to which that sentence wants to convey. After understanding the information conveyed by the line, try to find out whether the line is ethical. Is the statement missing ethics? Then, look for logic. Is the statement illogical? Try to cross check it with the evidence you have. Evidence can be through facts and figures, maps, tables, diagrams, etc. Then look out for punctuation errors in the statement. Are punctuation marks correct? Is the statement giving the correct expression (question, exclamation, etc)? Then look out for the grammatical errors. Is the statement free from grammatical errors? Is the sentence structure correct? Is the use of words correct? Finally, find out the connection between the previous statement and the current one.
- Back track – You should read the document or report starting from the last sentence. This is a very common technique used to find errors in people’s work. Reading the document from the last sentence makes you aware of the conclusion, and now you have to check whether the report is moving in the right direction by trying to find out the question. You know what you wanted to write and are less prone to missing the errors, which otherwise would have been missed.
- Read aloud – This is another very important trick used in proofreading. By reading aloud, you read each word independently and it gives you a great chance to find the errors such as punctuation errors and missed commas.
- Use printed copy – The best way to proofread a document is to have a printed copy of it. Concentration on a piece of paper can be easily achieved as compared to a computer screen. If you proofread on a computer screen, your eyes will tire soon and a lot of strain is produced on the eyes. Due to this strain, your chances of missing an error increases, and it will finally affect your grades. Moreover, proofreading a paper copy saves your eyes from stress. This is highly required as your eyes are precious, and you don’t want to harm them.
- Break – You should take a break from proofreading your work every 15 – 20 minutes, especially when the length of the essay is large. Taking a break reenergizes you and increases your concentration levels. It provides some rest for your mind and eyes, and enables you time to recapitulate the theme of the topic.
These were some tips for efficient proofreading. Follow these tips will mean that you will see the difference in your performance and ultimately your grades.
Start a Proofreader Business
If you are thinking of becoming a proofreader, you obviously need to have an eye for detail as well as a good command of spelling, grammar and punctuation. It helps if you can speed-read. You’ll also need patience — it’s more tiring than most people think to sit and carefully read page after page of type.
In addition to those skills, you will also need to be familiar with the standard symbols used by editors and proofreaders. And don’t confuse proofreading with editing — they are actually two different things, although many people are proficient at both things and can provide both services.
Virtually everything that is written needs proofreading, whether it’s content for a website, a book, newsletter, magazine or legal document. Many writers have learned to proof read their own work — but it’s always a good thing to have it checked by a second pair of eyes.
Even though proofreaders are in high demand, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door. Many people begin by working for a local newspaper, college or community letter or similar. If all else fails, volunteer your services — it will give you a chance to polish your skills and make contacts in the industry.
It isn’t easy to find a college that offers proofreading courses; however you can easily find and take courses on line. Many proofreading companies and potential clients require you to be certified or experienced, or will require proof that you can do an adequate job — they may expect you to take a proofreading test.
If you have the skills and the qualifications, it won’t cost you much to set yourself up in business. Much work is assigned and received on line. You will need a reliable internet connection, a fax machine and printer. You may want to print and distribute business cards. And one of the most important requirements — a quiet place to work, free from distractions.
It’s possible to make a living from being a proofreader, although many people regard it as a supplementary source of income. You can charge by the word, by the hour or by the page — a realistic rate per word might be 5 cents, for an hour’s work might be anything from $15 to $60; and for proofreading a typical page of type, a charge of $2 to $4.
If you have a particularly lengthy or difficult project, you may also want to consider charging by the project. Proofreading is a somewhat competitive business and there are many companies for a potential client to choose from. Some companies with a larger project may ask proofreaders to “bid” for their services and time.
Learn to Effectively Proofread
Proofreading experts who are completely familiar with all the aspects of proofreading. Heed their advice to avoid any proofreading surprises.
Proofreading is not an innate ability; it is an acquired skill. The following exercises will help you master it, or at any rate will impress you with how difficult it is. Hints for successful proofreading: Cultivate a healthy sense of doubt. If there are types of errors you know you tend to make, double check for those. Read very slowly. If possible, read out loud. Read one word at a time. Read what is actually on the page, not what you think is there. (This is the most difficult sub-skill to acquire, particularly if you wrote what you are reading).
Proofread more than once. Most errors in written work are made unconsciously. There are two sources of unconscious error: Faulty information from the kinesthetic memory. If you have always misspelled a word like accommodate”, you will unthinkingly misspell it again. A split second of inattention. The mind works far faster than the pen or typewriter. It is the unconscious nature of the worst that makes proofreading so difficult. The student who turned in a paper saying, “I like girdle cakes for breakfast” did not have a perverted digestion. He thought he had written “griddle cakes”, that’s what he “saw” when he proofread. If he had slowed down and read word by word, out loud, he might have caught the error.
You have to doubt every word in order to catch every mistake. Another reason for deliberately slowing down is that when you read normally, you often see only the shells of words—the first and last few letters, perhaps. You “fix your eyes” on the print only three or four times per line, or less. You take in the words between your fixation points with your peripheral vision, which gets less accurate the farther it is from the point. The average reader can only take in six letters accurately with one fixation. This means you have to fix your eyes on almost every word you have written and do it twice in longer words, in order to proofread accurately. You have to look at the word, not slide over it.
In proofreading, you can take nothing for granted, because unconscious mistakes are so easy to make. It helps to read out loud, because 1) you are forced to slow down and 2) you hear what you are reading as well as seeing it, so you are using two senses. It is often possible to hear a mistake, such as an omitted or repeated word that you have not seen. Professional editors proofread as many as ten times. Publishing houses hire teams of readers to work in pairs, out loud. And still errors occur. When word gets around about your command of proofreading facts, others who need to know about proofreading will start to actively seek you out.
How to Become a Freelance Editor/Proofreader
Setting up as a freelance editor or proofreader could be the ideal money maker for you. It’s work you can carry out at home, as and when you like, doing as much or as little work as suits you. There’s no particular skills or qualifications you need to get started, although a liking for reading and an eye for detail is an advantage. Here’s what to do if you’d like to follow this route to extra part/full time cash.
What Does an Editor or Proofreader Do?
There’s a slight difference in the work of an editor and that of a proofreader, although many people do both jobs, as customers for one service usually also require the other.
The main work of the editor is to take an author’s raw manuscript, check the spelling, punctuation and grammar and then mark up the manuscript for the typesetter according to the instructions given by the publisher.
A proofreader, on the other hand, takes the final page proofs – after the typesetter has finished with them – and checks them meticulously for both author’s and typesetter’s mistakes.
Both are very responsible jobs – a single mistake in a book, such as incorrect instructions or even just a wrong telephone number, could easily cost a publisher many thousands of pounds in reprinting costs if they slip through the net. However, as you’ll see, editing requires a little more initiative, whereas the proofreader basically just follows instructions.
How to get Started
You don’t need any special qualifications to launch yourself in this new career. However, you will boost your chances of finding work – and your likely earnings – if you organise some sort of training first. Many further education colleges have short courses in editing and/or proofreading. Ask your local FE institute for details. You will also find there are correspondence courses on offer, which are advertised from time to time in the national press.
If you prefer, there are several books on the subject suitable for studying on a ‘teach yourself’ basis. Copy Editing, published by Cambridge University Press, is the authority on the subject and is used by many large publishers.
Incidentally, editors and proofreaders have their own professional association – the Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders (SFEP) – which works to promote their interests and generally help and advise on matters which affect the profession. They can also advise on sources of training.
How to get Editing and Proofreading Work
There is no shortage of work for freelance editors and proofreaders, as the number of publishers who use freelancers rather than in house staff to do this work is growing by the month. There are over 25,000 companies involved in publishing in the UK alone, from the very largest to the very smallest, so you can see the potential that exists for this service.
However, publishers won’t come to you if you don’t tell them that you are available. The best way to get work is to either telephone or write to as many publishers as possible (or better still, write and then follow up with a telephone call). Ask to speak to the Senior Editor. The vast majority of publishers are listed in books such as The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook, The Writers’ Handbook and The Directory of Publishing, which are available in most main libraries.
Because of the huge diversity of publishing it is a good idea to specialise in something, preferably something that reflects your own personal interests. For example, if you like romantic novels then offer your services to publishers of romantic novels. If you are interested in either gardening or motoring, then again write to relevant publishers. As a professional editor or proofreader, you should be able to work with any subject, but working in this way will make your work easier and more enjoyable.
Try and convince the Senior Editor to give you a small test project, then proceed from there if they are pleased with your work. Obviously the quality of your work is important, but how much you are offered in future could well depend on being able to develop a good working relationship with the Senior Editor.
There are no set fees for this service. Current rates are around $35 per hour for editors and $20 per hour for proofreaders, perhaps less if you are relatively inexperienced. This all depends on what you negotiate with the company you are working for. Quite often the work will go to the editor or proofreader who can do the job for the lowest cost.
Carrying out the Work
The various courses and textbooks listed will teach you the basics about editing and proofreading. Above all, you must listen to what the publishers tell you they want. Ask for a written brief before taking on an assignment. Most publishers have a house style for editing and proofreading and this must be followed in detail.
Much of the work is common sense – for example, correcting spelling and typing mistakes, punctuation and grammar, and checking for missed words and sentences. If you’re editing you might also have to check facts and figures, instruct the typesetter how to lay the page out, and even make decisions on cutting parts of the text if it won’t fit the page. All this is done by marking up the manuscript or the proofs, using Standard Correction Markings.
The development of computerised desktop publishing has revolutionised the publishing industry. Certain facets of the industry, particularly magazines and newspapers, now use DTP programmes such as Quark Express and Aldus Pagemaker to put together their publications. Pages can be designed and text inserted onto the page by one person – the sub editor or editor – rather than the editor having to check it and then pass it to the typesetter. This has speeded up the whole publishing process.
It is therefore desirable (or necessary, if you intend to edit magazines and newspapers) to have some experience using DTP programmes.
Again, your local FE college should provide DTP courses, and there are various distance learning courses advertised in the national press.
Indexing Publications
A related, and highly lucrative, service you can offer to your customers is INDEXING.
This is, as the name suggests, making an index of the contents of the book which will appear in the end pages. This can be done manually, although it can at times be a tedious job. If you have a personal computer with a database programme then a book can be indexed very quickly and easily indeed. You will normally earn at least $20 per hour for this, or between $200 and $900 for indexing an average book.
10 Tips on Proofreading Your Blog
Reading becomes difficult when the written article contains errors such as spelling, punctuation, grammatical and poor sentence structuring. The flow of reading is lost with the presence of these errors. There has been a lot of effort made to reduce these errors. A blog is a place where you can put your online content, and there has been a lot of discussion about proofreading your blogs and for the same purpose, there are so many proofreading service providers available online. These service providers can make the posts written on your blog free from grammatical, structural and punctuation errors. You can get it done by these professionals, but it will cost you. To avoid this cost, it is better to proofread your blog yourself.
Proofreading is a very tedious job but can be made easier if you follow a defined procedure. The following section is meant to give you tips for learning the art of proofreading. Here are the top ten tips for efficient proofreading:
- Concentration – The key to efficient proofreading is concentration. You are required to concentrate on finding the errors. I will recommend that you to turn off music and your cell phones, sit in a room in isolation, and forget about your SMS and emails, at least for a while. Don’t let anything interrupt or distract you.
- Use printed copy – Instead of proofreading on a computer monitor try to proofread on a printed copy. This can eliminate the stress caused by the computer screen on your eyes. You can concentrate more and can find more errors while proofreading on paper, when compared to your computer screen. Moreover, it saves your precious eyes from a high amount of stress.
- Watch out for Namesake – Namesakes are the names or words having the same spellings as others, but have different meanings.
- Have a look at the contractions – Try to find out contracting words like “its” and “it is”, “you’re” and “your”, “their” and “they’re”. All of these words look similar but have very different meanings.
- Punctuation – Look out for punctuation errors. Punctuation errors are hard to find, and you will need to concentrate hard on checking a sentence again and again to find all punctuation errors. Get a feel for the words and then decide whether the overall paragraphs are conveying the message you want to have.
- Back track – Next tip is to read the blog starting from the last sentence. This is a very common technique used to find out the errors in the blog. Reading the blog from the last sentence makes you aware of the conclusion and now you have to check whether the blog is moving in the right direction by trying to find out the question. You know what you wanted to write and are less prone to miss the errors which otherwise would have been missed.
- Have a break – Try to have a break after 20 – 25 minutes. Breaking up the proofreading of your document will increase your detection of errors.
- Read out loud – This is another very important trick used in proofreading. By reading out loud, you read each word independently, which provides you a great chance to find the errors; whether punctuation errors or missed commas.
- Ask someone else to proofread it – Once you are done with proofreading, ask someone else to take a look, this will help you ensure that your writing is free from errors and offer you another opinion on the tone of your post.
- Check for grammatical errors – Finally, check for grammatical errors, these are the most basic mistakes one commits.
Following these steps will get your blog proofread efficiently and effectively to ensure your blog is free from errors.
Consider A Career In Proofreading
Do you have excellent language skills and enjoy reading? Then why not consider a career in proofreading? Many writers are looking for people who are offering freelance proofreading services. But what exactly is proofreading and how do you go about finding these freelance proofreading jobs?
Trevor Horwood on his website, copyediting.co.uk describes proofreading as follows: “Once a manuscript has been copy-edited …it is sent to a typesetter, who produced a loose-leaf proof copy of the book (or article, or brochure, or whatever) prior to publication. These proofs, together with the copy-edited manuscript, are then sent to a proofreader who checks a.) that the setter has not made any errors while typesetting the manuscript and b.) that the copy-editor has not missed any errors in the original copy. Again, the proofreader’s task consists of rather more than simply ‘checking the spelling’”
Most people who provide freelance proofreading services work from home and enjoy the benefits of home-based employment such as setting their own hours, being their own boss, determining what projects they take on and when. The disadvantages of home-based employment however also apply to those who offer freelance proofreading services – they do not have a set income each month, they don’t get paid holidays or other company benefits. These disadvantages however are easily overlooked when you are enjoying the benefits of freelance proofreading jobs.
The first place to start your search for freelance proofreading jobs is at freelance jobs boards such as freelanceworkexchange.com, elance.com and guru.com. These freelance jobs boards offer many opportunities for those who are offering freelance proofreading services. All that is necessary is to register with one or two of them and then start tendering or bidding on the proofreading jobs that they are advertising.
As you discover what freelance proofreading jobs are available out there you may wish to focus on different kinds of freelance proofreading. Apart from your traditional proofreading of print books the world of the internet has opened up even more variety in the area of proofreading including proofreading for websites, proofreading ebooks, ezines or really any kind of document that can be produced. As a freelance proofreader you are free to choose what work you take on so you may want to specialize in one type of freelance proofreading or take on a variety of work from the above categories – the choice is yours.
If you have excellent language skills, enjoy reading and want the benefits provided by freelance employment then you should consider offering freelance proofreading services. As a freelance proofreader you will be able to work from the comfort of your own home, set your own hours and take on as much or as little work as you like and can comfortably live on. In order to find freelance proofreading jobs we suggest looking on freelance jobs boards such as freelanceworkexchange.com, elance.com and guru.com.
Earn Money From Home Working as a Proofreader
There are several ads luring for making an extra buck for those who have the talent in them. The ads saying “from home proofreader work” and “Become a proofreader and earn from home” attract most of us who have some extra time on hand and are sure of the grip on language and grammar. Let us have a look at what is required to become a proofreader
A proofreader is required to check manuscripts, documents, articles for websites and so on for spelling, grammatical or factual errors. The basic requirement for being a proofreader is to have a keen eye for imperfection and a good knowledge and command over the language, a reasonably fair reading speed, and on top of all a passion for reading. Also an understanding of publishing and other technicalities would help in the long run to acquire the proficiency needed to become an accomplished and successful proofreader.
The technicalities here include some symbols or marks, which denote what corrections have to be made. These are not difficult to learn now-a-days as many online courses are available on the internet which provide additional information and knowledge needed. Additionally, one can visit the library for a vast number of books on this subject, if he or she wishes to earn from home proofreader work.
Freelance proofreading is a wonderful way of supplementing income, besides a regular job from the comfort of home. It is suitable for all with the above-mentioned qualities. When you are considering an earning mode from home proofreader work, you can become a proofreader by starting with the various entry-level positions posted on the Internet.
There are numerous forums and sites where companies and proofreaders join together to bid for assignments and prices. There are many clients who do not require an experienced proofreader; the reason being, the client has to pay more to an experienced proofreader than a fresher. These assignments are usually simpler and thus provide a good learning platform.
Also, networking and advertising on the web or through the flyers around the town would help spread the work around and bring the first clients with projects. Through such opportunities from home proofreader work, one can have a strong base built to become a proofreader.
One of the most important requirements to become a proofreader, and get involved into earning option from home proofreader work is to adhere to deadline. By providing consistently good quality of work, a proofreader might be able to generate a steady income from his usual clients.
Also word of mouth and online referrals play an important role in building business in this field. A satisfied client would give a lot of work to the same proofreader at regular intervals and also tell others in his field about you for the work. To become a proofreader, speed and quality are two important aspects to succeed in this industry, as the competition is stiff.
There are many who believe that it is not possible to become a proofreader while working from home; however it is just a misconception. One can earn from home proofreader work to an extent that it can also be taken as a full time activity, if sufficient client base is developed.
However, it should be noted that while working from home, a person should create an environment where it is possible to work uninterrupted for couple of hours each day. Dedication and will power are two important aspects, which will determine the success of a home-based proofreader. Needless to say, you will be your own boss and you would also enjoy the flexibility of working hours from home proofreading work.
Many believe that the demand for home-based proofreader is diminishing due to applications such as Microsoft word and so on, but this is far from the truth. Practically the demand is on a steady rise and there is a constant need for well-qualified and experienced proofreaders.