The Profession of Proofreading and What It Needs to Be a Proofreader

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"Aha! Would you look at this? I found three grammatical errors and a misspelling in this rag that passes for a newspaper. And, this article on the school bond issue, ugh! The sentences are so messed up, you can't even tell what they're talking about!" If you've made similar remarks and if you delight in finding errors in grammar or punctuation and misused or misspelled words, you may be a born proofreader. Proofreading appeals to people who like detail-work, people who achieve personal satisfaction from seeing that a job is done just right. There are lots of rules to proofreading, so you must also enjoy doing things according to a prescribed formula.

There's one other aspect of proofreading that should be mentioned at the outset: while a proofreader is responsible for ensuring that the grammar, punctuation, and general style (e.g., capitalization, use of abbreviations) of a written work conform to rules laid down by the employer, a proofreader does not have wholesale license to make changes in the artistic style of the author. If the proofreader doesn't care for the way a book is written, there's usually little she can do about it. Many people are relieved not to have this responsibility, but for a few, it's frustrating not to be able to make more substantive changes.

Are You Qualified?



Being an eagle-eyed proofreader sounds challenging and rewarding. Right? Then let's talk about the qualifications you'll need. As with manuscript reading, you'd don't need a degree, but you should have a pretty good grasp of English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You also need sound judgment, an ability to pay close attention to detail (nitpicking, one might say), and plenty of patience. Deadlines are important in proofreading, too.

There are specialized techniques, proofreader's symbols, and vocabulary that you'll have to learn before you can begin proofreading, but we'll teach you those. Other prior training is not required, and to be a good proofreader, you do not need to be a good writer, although it helps if you can recognize one.

One last thing: eyesight. The first stage of proofreading usually involves looking back and forth between a proof and an edited manuscript. If the copy editor has had to do a lot of editing, which is done in pen or pencil, the manuscript may be pretty well marked up and somewhat difficult to read. You don't need the eyes of a hawk to be a proofreader, but if your eyesight is really poor, it may be something of a strain to do the work.

To summarize, a good proofreader needs:
  • good background in English grammar, spelling, punctuation

  • sound judgment

  • detail orientation

  • patience

  • deadline orientation

  • reasonably good eyesight
Only you can be the judge of whether you have the right temperament for proofreading. If you have a tendency to get things done in a hurry so you can go on to something else, you may not have the patience for proofreading. Proofreading really does require a nit-picking personality-in the best sense. In this context, nit-picking means a desire for perfection, a willingness to stick with something until it's just right. If you enjoy doing that, you can develop the other skills.

Testing Your Skills

Just to see where you stand on basic skills, we've prepared a few tests. If you don't do as well as you thought you would, it doesn't mean you won't make a good proofreader. These tests are just to make you aware of the types of skills you'll need to develop.

The "F" Test

Quickly scan the following sentence and count the number of f's that occur:

Frozen foods are the result of years of scientific study and the development of refrigeration.

The correct number is seven. Don't be surprised if you didn't count right the first time. Most people don't.

Spelling Test

It's not important that you be able to spell words like these without using a dictionary; what is important is that you recognize words that you'll need to look up to check the spelling. A dictionary is one of the proofreader's most important tools. Don't be nervous if you think your recollection of basic rules for grammar, spelling, and punctuation is a bit dim.

Wrap-up on Proofreading Technique

In this section, we've covered the basic things you need to know to become a proofreader, but to develop your confidence and to sharpen your skills, you'll need more practice before you'll be ready to proofread for pay. You can practice by proofreading the classified ads in the newspaper-they're notorious for misspellings and other errors. Use the regular proofreader's marks just as you would if proofreading the classifieds were your job.

Local weekly newspapers often are not published to the standards of the big-city dailies, either. You can try your hand at those too. Watch especially for inconsistencies in style: one article uses indentation for paragraphs, another doesn't, etc. If you have a sharp eye, you'll find lots of things to practice on.

Mark My Words

If you'd be more comfortable with more formal exercises, we can suggest an exercise book: Mark My Words. It's by Peggy Smith, and it's published by Editorial Experts, Inc. The book covers much of the same material we have, but in addition, there are lots and lots of exercises on perforated pages so you can tear them out. The exercises include both live and dead copy, and there are "answer" sheets for each exercise, so you can see whether you've done it right. If the book is available at your library, you can xerox exercises to take home. If you can't find the book at the library, it can be ordered from Editorial Experts, Inc.

Classes

Some community colleges offer classes in proofreading. You might also investigate this avenue to get more practice. Before you sign up for a course, make sure you will get an opportunity to do lots of proofreading exercises. What you've learned in this article covers the essentials of proofreading, so the course will help you most if you can actually proofread.

Regardless of the approach you use, you should get as much practice as you can before you go job-hunting. Because proofreading is so detail-oriented, it's important that you feel comfortable with all the nit-picking technicalities (remember, we told you it's a nit-picky job!) before you sally forth.

Of course, you'll learn on the job too, so you don't need to try to become a pro before you start. If you know the types of things to look for and where to look up the things you can't remember, you'll do just fine.

Once you feel confident about your skills, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find there's lots of work out there. Good proofreaders are much in demand, both as freelancers and for fulltime work.
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