How to Improve Your Article Proofreading Skills in 3 Simple Steps

You've worked your way through an article, an essay, a book... with the written word, but what comes next is perhaps even more hard work in terms of making your piece more readable. To achieve this, you'll want to ensure that it flows well, and that it is grammatically correct and free of typographical errors; has good diction; and succinctly delivers the message you want delivered. You'll need to proofread your work! This article will offer tips on how to improve your proofreading in 3 simple steps.

Whenever I write, it is the proofing that takes up the bigger chunk of my time. Indeed, it takes me more man hours to proofread than it does to write. But I enjoy it, so it is a joy to do ... for me. But I am well aware that it isn't everybody's cup of tea. So unless you're going to hire someone to proof your work -- which can be costly, the next best thing is to learn how to do it yourself -- but, more meticulously and with less stress and frustration on your part.

Writing is fun. I've always enjoyed writing and that's why I took it up as a profession. But what defines a good writer and sets you apart from the rest of the pack is a well written article devoid of the typos, inappropriately thrown-together words, and clumsy sentences that neither sit nor flow well with the piece. They're easy to spot during the proofing phase of assembling your article. This is where you get to clean up your work so that it is well refined and enjoyable to read.

You should begin by putting all of your ideas down on paper, or as the case may be, on your computer. You need the idea behind the piece you're working on to be laid out on an assembly line so that you have the entire story you want to tell right in front of you. This will enable you to objectively evaluate your article's content. As you write, don't stop to think. If you can help it. Get everything you want to say written down. That should be your first objective. Once you've completed your article, it is time to dissect it piece by piece to see how it reads, and most importantly, how it delivers your message.

As you read through it the first time, you'll want to correct typos, missing words, sentences and phrases that don't cut the mustard, so to speak, and so forth. And don't be afraid to add new material to your content during this process. Ideas will spring to mind ... stick them in before you forget, and keep going as you continually review your work. I use the word 'continually' here because to be thorough with your proofreading you will have to reread your article many times. Don't make the mistake of limiting yourself to a limited number of rereads. I've reread my work over a hundred times -- in some instances -- just to get it right. It get's easier with time, and you get more proficient with time. Focus on getting it right. That should be your primary goal.

The final phase in your proofreading should aim to improve the quality of your article. This is where you prune out words and phrases that sound a bit repetitive (or could be phrased differently to sound better); and where you pay due diligence to refining your punctuation... as nothing brings the written word to life more expressively than good punctuation. What I like about the English language is that there are so many different ways of saying the same thing. It is a very colorful language, so the more you express yourself using well thought through prose, the more your readership will be entertained and impressed with your work.