How to proofread and edit your documents

It has to be said that in order to produce a good piece of writing it is essential to edit, re-write and proofread.  It’s the only way to turn a good text into a great text.  Yet, proofreading and editing are often overlooked or done without much attention or time and when this happens it can severely affect the quality of your work.

Fine-tuning your ideas is essential if you want to make an impact in your writing.  So, if you want to know more about how to edit and proofread your texts, read through the five key things you need to do turn your good documents into great documents:

1.     Take time out

It’s best to not start proofreading and editing immediately after you have finished writing your text.  Writing and editing are two very different tasks that need different approaches.  Writing is obviously creative – you are getting your ideas down on paper, whereas editing is more objective whereby you look at improving what has been written, and look on the words as if you are seeing them for the first time.  Therefore, you need to take some time out – a day or two if you can manage that depending your deadline – and then come back to your text and start editing.

2.     Use the spell-checker

Although spell-checkers on computers are far from fallible, they can be helpful.  A spell-checker will spot incorrectly spelt words, but is unlikely to highlight words that have been spelt correctly but used in the wrong context, such as “red” and “read”, “pervious” and “previous”.  So, let the spell checker pick out spelling mistakes, but don’t rely on it too heavily.

3.     Print it out

When you have completed the first draft of your text (and used the spell-checker), it’s best to print out a copy.  After staring at a computer screen for several hours, your eyes are likely to feel fatigued and in need of a rest.  You will probably also want to get away from your desk.  Carrying out editing work in a different setting, such as whilst sat on the sofa or in the garden or in the office lunchroom, can be very good for sharpening the mind.  Reading your text on paper instead of a screen is also better for your eyes and you are more likely to spot errors more quickly.  Remember to make notes on the pages highlighting any errors and changes, which can then be changed on the computer document.  Remember to spell-check again and then press “Save”.

4.     Read your text out loud

Reading your text aloud is a great tactic for spotting lack of flow in your writing, such as repetition of words or awkward sounding grammar.  It also gives you a good idea of how the wording sounds to your audience.  Reading aloud in a busy office might not be an option, but you don’t have to read loudly – just loud enough so that you can hear how the sentences sound.  You can always warn colleagues seated near you that you are going to read aloud as part of your editing process – they might even start to do the same! Better still, you can give each other your documents to read through – a fresh pair of eyes is always necessary when proofreading and editing.

5.     Make sure you know who you are writing for

It’s important to know the market you are writing for.  Knowledge of your target group is crucial in creating an effective piece of text.  If you “know” your readers you can empathise more readily with them and structure your writing accordingly.  For example, a letter to a prospective client would read very differently to one written to an established customer.  Make sure you carry out plenty of research first before you even start writing.

If you follow these five key points you are well on your way to successfully editing and proofreading your texts.  And remember, editing often requires a fair amount of re-writing to turn a document from good into great.  Don’t forget to edit and proofread any re-written pieces of text.