Happy National Proofreading Day!

Happy National Proofreading Day! I believe that the editing/revising stage of your writing is the most important part of your writing process. You often have one chance when you’re querying, and you need your manuscript to be the best it can be.

Here are some proofreading tips that can help.

• Print out your document and proofread it on paper.

• Use your word processor’s read-aloud functionality to listen to your manuscript. You will often hear misused words (e.g. then for than) that you may miss reading.

• Make sure you spellcheck your document after ever editing session to catch any gremlins that slipped in.

• Check for missing punctuation, especially quotation marks.

• Make a list of your overused words. We all have them. Then use the search feature to find them. You will be shocked at how many times you used some words/expressions.

• Find a writing partner who will swap manuscripts with you for proofreading. It helps to have another set of eyes on it.

What would you add to my list?