Tina's Proofreading

The most important thing you can do when you are done with your writing is to proofread.

I have been responsible for hiring people at a couple positions I have worked at. If I received a resume with spelling and grammatical errors, as well as inconsistent formatting, it went straight to the trash. I believe I trashed it at 5 errors. I figured if the person couldn't spend a little extra time on the first thing I would see about them, what did that say about their future work ethics?

I have been assured editors feel the same. No one wants to offer you a contract if you can't spell or have poor grammar. That only will mean more work for them. This stands true for all forms of communication with a publisher or agent. Query Letters, MS's, Synopses, they are all the same. You need to make them as perfect as you can.

One other thing, do not rely on your own proofreading skills alone.
After you have been working on something for so long, you know what is coming up, what is supposed to be there- and your brain sees what you think should be there.

It doesn't matter if you were a proofreader for 4 years in college (as I was), it doesn't matter that you were your High School editor and proofreader for the newspaper. That only says you have experience. I have had friends read this site a dozen times, and still I find errors.

We all need help with proofing. Grab a friend, family member, someone to help you proof before you send your MS or any letter out. Trust me, it will pay off in the long run.


Writing Hints and Tips
	PROOFREADING The most important thing you can do when you are done with your writing is to proofread. I have been responsible for hiring people at a couple positions I have worked at. If I received a resume with spelling and grammatical errors, as well as inconsistent formatting, it went straight to the trash. I believe I trashed it at 5 errors. I figured if the person couldn't spend a little extra time on the first thing I would see about them, what did that say about their future work ethics? I have been assured editors feel the same. No one wants to offer you a contract if you can't spell or have poor grammar. That only will mean more work for them. This stands true for all forms of communication with a publisher or agent. Query Letters, MS's, Synopses, they are all the same. You need to make them as perfect as you can. One other thing, do not rely on your own proofreading skills alone. After you have been working on something for so long, you know what is coming up, what is supposed to be there- and your brain sees what you think should be there. It doesn't matter if you were a proofreader for 4 years in college (as I was), it doesn't matter that you were your High School editor and proofreader for the newspaper. That only says you have experience. I have had friends read this site a dozen times, and still I find errors. We all need help with proofing. Grab a friend, family member, someone to help you proof before you send your MS or any letter out. Trust me, it will pay off in the long run.
© 2006-2009 Tina Bendoni

Writing Hints and Tips