So why do you need to worry about proofreaders if you’ve already enlisted the help of an editor? While many editors offer proofreading services and vice versa, they are completely different functions. Whereas an editor reviews the text for content and overall quality, the proofreader's task is to ensure that there are virtually no errors. Spelling, punctuation, typos, name spellings, and other small grammatical errors are what the proofreader is looking for, and having a good relationship with professional proofreaders is a necessity.
Trust Their Skills
As with any relationship, trust is critical, and good proofreaders are hard to find. Before you go about hiring a professional proofreader, you’ll want to run a few trials, perhaps asking the candidate to proofread sample paragraphs, to test his or her skills. The time you put into your search for a reliable proofreader is going to be well worth the effort, as you will be more willing to trust that the person you contract with will do well with your eBook. By conveying confidence in their efforts before the project has even begun, you’re more likely to achieve better results.
Communicate Your Style
Professional proofreaders will ask about your preferred style. Let them know if your eBook has regional specificities, an example being the notable difference between American English and British English. You may prefer to always use contractions and keep your writing casual, or you may not care if there are fragmented sentences because of what you’re saying. Sharing this information is critical to the proofreader’s role and can cultivate frustration if you haven’t communicated the details of your writing.
Set Reasonable Expectations
Proofreading is something that takes time, and proofreaders are not perfect. While you should expect them to be able to catch and correct more errors than most, a single typo or misplaced comma out of 100,000 words is not bad. Have reasonable expectations for your proofreaders, but be willing to be flexible with your timeline. Proofreading is a tedious and meticulous task, one that you don’t want to rush. By allowing professional proofreaders the time and flexibility to do their job, you’ll be well on your way to a strong relationship.
The relationship you build with your proofreader can allow for many years of success as a writer. With someone you can reliably turn to for grammatical edits, you’ll be able to self-publish with confidence. So why do you need to worry about proofreaders if you’ve already enlisted the help of an editor? While many editors offer proofreading services and vice versa, they are completely different functions. Whereas an editor reviews the text for content and overall quality, the proofreader's task is to ensure that there are virtually no errors. Spelling, punctuation, typos, name spellings, and other small grammatical errors are what the proofreader is looking for, and having a good relationship with professional proofreaders is a necessity.
Trust Their Skills
As with any relationship, trust is critical, and good proofreaders are hard to find. Before you go about hiring a professional proofreader, you’ll want to run a few trials, perhaps asking the candidate to proofread sample paragraphs, to test his or her skills. The time you put into your search for a reliable proofreader is going to be well worth the effort, as you will be more willing to trust that the person you contract with will do well with your eBook. By conveying confidence in their efforts before the project has even begun, you’re more likely to achieve better results.
Communicate Your Style
Professional proofreaders will ask about your preferred style. Let them know if your eBook has regional specificities, an example being the notable difference between American English and British English. You may prefer to always use contractions and keep your writing casual, or you may not care if there are fragmented sentences because of what you’re saying. Sharing this information is critical to the proofreader’s role and can cultivate frustration if you haven’t communicated the details of your writing.
Set Reasonable Expectations
Proofreading is something that takes time, and proofreaders are not perfect. While you should expect them to be able to catch and correct more errors than most, a single typo or misplaced comma out of 100,000 words is not bad. Have reasonable expectations for your proofreaders, but be willing to be flexible with your timeline. Proofreading is a tedious and meticulous task, one that you don’t want to rush. By allowing professional proofreaders the time and flexibility to do their job, you’ll be well on your way to a strong relationship.
The relationship you build with your proofreader can allow for many years of success as a writer. With someone you can reliably turn to for grammatical edits, you’ll be able to self-publish with confidence. 