10 Proofreading Tips

If you are writing professionally, it goes without saying that proofreading your work is part of the package.

1. Once you've written your piece, let it sit. When you are rested, return to it with fresh eyes and incorporate any rewriting. You will pick out errors you missed.

2. Again, let it sit, then return to it a few hours later or the next day. You will find additional errors.

3. Read aloud to spot problems with "flow."

4. Check formatting: look for extra spaces between punctuation marks, between words or paragraphs.

5. Read over each word separately. the brain can trick the eyes and make you think a word is spelled a certain way--when it isn't.(Did you spot the lowercase "t" at the beginning of this sentence?)

6. Check the end of each paragraph for periods. You'll be surprised at the number of times this is missed.

7. If there are certain words you type incorrectly (on a regular basis), make sure you check these.

8. Check any suspicious words in your Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

9. Read your piece backwards. You may spot something you missed when reading it the usual way.

10. Finally, take a deep breath . . . then press Send!