Proofreading your book is one of the most important steps in self publishing. The cost of not proofreading or not proofreading properly can be high. Unlike traditional publishing, when you self publish the job of proofreading and editing is yours. When you send your book off to be produced it will be published exactly as you send it, mistakes and all. Some people look down on self published books because they look “amateurish”. One of the reasons for this is that many self published authors publish their book with spelling and grammar errors. Don’t let yourself be one of those authors.
Before you send off your book to the publisher or book producer, proofread, proofread, proofread! Then, when you are done, have your friends and family do the same. You want to catch as many mistakes as possible before you hand it over to be published. If you catch a mistake after it has been sent off you can probably still correct it, but at a price.
In addition to adding to the price of your book, having to correct mistakes will also cost time. Corrections can take weeks or even months to be completed.
It is strongly suggested that you hire a professional book editor to proofread and edit your book. If you cannot afford to do so follow the tips below to perform your own editing.
- Don’t be the only one to proofread your work. Have friends and family proofread it as well. They may catch things or point out problems you never noticed.
- While spell checkers and grammar checkers can be handy tools, don’t rely on them as your only means of proofreading. They do not catch everything.
- Pick up a book on proper grammar such as “Grammatically Correct” or “The Elements of Style“. You may be using improper grammar without realizing it is incorrect.
- When reading your work, sound out the words in your head or read them out loud.
- Read slowly, don’t skim over words or sentences. Doing so will often cause you to miss small errors.
- After proofreading, put your work down for a day and check it again later. Things you missed one day you might notice the next.
- When possible get a printed, bound copy of your book to proofread. There are other things besides grammar and spelling that can make your book look amateurish. Check your margins, line spacing, font selections and book layout to make sure everything looks good and is easy to read.
A published book should be a source of pride, not of embarrassment. Publishing a book that is error free is an important part of making sure that it is one you can be proud of.