Testing proofreading skills

Recently, I posted a proofreading test on a networking website and invited people to see how many errors they could find in the short article. Most people rubbed their hands in glee at the chance to play teacher with mistaken-laden text, but what was surprising was just how many mistakes people missed.

Granted, I had been a bit cruel stuffing so many errors into four paragraphs, but people did miss some rather obvious things - such as an extra full stop at the end of a sentence. The absolute killer seemed to be that three months' worth needs that apostrophe after months. Not a single respondent spotted that - the only one who did, in fact, notice something amiss was a fellow professional proofreader who took great pleasure in informing me and the rest of those involved that I had missed three month's worth. It's completely wrong, but I was kind enough not to humiliate him by pointing that out in public.

Another major issue was the amount of changes people made which were completely unneccesary. I had people fiddling with every aspect of the article and changing things that did not need to be changed at all. One of the essential elements of being a good freelance proofreader is to know when to make changes, and when to leave alone - and to respect an author's writing style. Some, I think, got rather carried away with their red pens and made the kind of changes which would get them fired by a publisher asking for a proofread.

A great exercise for me which brought home the fact that, realise it or not, many people need some support with their writing and proofreading.

Leave the complex writing to Dickens...

Good writing is clear, concise and simple. Good writing is not about how many fancy, long words you can ram in a 70-word sentence. It's not about feeling smug that your reader will need a dictionary to fathom your meaning. It's definitely not about confusing, boring or exhausting the reader, or trying to appear clever.

When I write, I try to keep it simple. I know that my readers will be more impressed by copy that's accessible and easy to understand than pompous writing. Just because I know a longer, weightier word for something, doesn't mean I have to use it. I trust that people know my worth as a writer and my intelligence without shoving a regurgitated dictionary down their throats.

Sometimes, it's appropriate to use formal language, for example my terms and conditions are worded formally. But formal writing can still be simple and clear, something which too many people forget.

I was once approached by a student who wanted me to rewrite his theses to make it 'more wordy'. His well-written plain English work was losing him marks from his university tutor because it wasn't 'complex enough'. I was rather glad I couldn't take on the project (it would constitute plagiarism) as to deliberately complicate text seems ridiculous to me.

If you want to win a literary award for a beautifully-written but fairly incomprehensible novel, pick up that dictionary. If you want copy that sells or informs, don't be afraid to keep it simple.

Think editor, think detective

Being a copy editor is much more than just looking for spelling mistakes or rephrasing an awkward sentence. Copy-editing is about being a detective and tracking down mistakes and inconsistencies and flights of pure fantasy (in a non-fantastical genre).

I confess, it's an element of the job I rather enjoy: getting to page 67 and declaring Ah-ha, why is this character casually eating peanuts when on page 22 we're told he's allergic, or Hang on, how can she be admiring the sunset when she's just finished lunch?

Such detective work is a key element of an expert copy-editing service - your words may be beautifully crafted and free from typos, but a reader will be frustrated by inconsistencies and factual errors (such as setting a book in the Peak District but describing flat-as-a-pancake vistas throughout).

Professional copy-editing demands high levels of concentration, an enquiring mind, the ability to retain snippets of information from many pages ago and cross-reference against the current page, and having and building upon general knowledge so factual inaccuracies jump out.

It's all in a day's work for a freelance copy editor.

Five things you may not know about the world of publishing . . .

1. You go into a bookshop and browse the titles in the chart, then choose one because after all, it's in the bestselling section so must be good, right? It may well be, but bear in mind that publishers pay some bookshops money to have a title displayed in the chart (and indeed in special offers and beautifully laid out on tables). What you are buying into is good marketing.
2. Not all published authors can write, at all! If you've wandered into your local bookshop and picked up a new book by such and such celebrity, chances are it has been 99.9% ghostwritten by an invisible and uncredited writer. In my time, I've done this on one book which shall remain nameless, and found it a very frustrating, badly paid and unrewarding process.
3. Not all published writers can write well. Rumours abound that some of the highest-earning authors in the world are actually poor writers who scribble out ideas which are formed by a good editor. In my job as a proofreader and editor, it's astonishing how much work I have to do on material written by 'proper' journalists, copywriters and authors.
4. By a certain point, some publishers will give up on perfecting text in the rush to get it printed. Once text has been typeset, changes take time and cost money, and proofreaders may be instructed to only pick out the 'worst mistakes' and ignore the rest.
5. Some publishers don't seem to give a Dickens about the state of their text - I recently bought a best-selling book and was appalled at the amount of mistakes that jumped out at me. The odd one or two is standard - after all, no editor/proofreader is perfect - but this was up to three a page in places. Sad as I am, I began marking them up, and finally sent the corrected book to the publisher in question suggesting they may need a better proofreader. I'm still waiting to hear...

Proofreading/copy-editing before approaching publishers . . . it's essential.

Occasionally, I'll come across an author who'll tell me the following: I don't need to have my book proofread or edited before I send it out to agents and publishers. I know it's great, and I've proofread it myself and caught all the mistakes. Besides, there's no point doing too much to the text as the publisher will have an in-house copy-editor and proofreader who will do all that for me. Why should I pay to have someone work on the story or style and weed out any mistakes when the publisher will do it for me? It's a waste of time and money.

Gently, I have to break it to them that this approach is very, very, very unlikely to result in a published book. Firstly, you're unlikely to get past the slush pile if the publisher's reader is faced with typos, inconsistencies and issues in the style and content. A rare few may get through this on the basis of being a fabulous idea, but not many - what publisher wants to spend the time (and money) weeding out all those basic problems? If your book is littered with mistakes and problems, these will stand out a mile to the publisher and put them off greatly.

Secondly, you want the publisher to be impressed by both you and your book. They want to deal with a professional writer, and presenting an error-free manuscript is the ideal way to convey this. It's true that some books you see on the bestseller lists have been heavily edited and proofread in-house, but if you want to sell your book to a publisher, why not save them much of that effort?

Finally, no matter how well you think you've edited and proofread your book, unless you are a professional writer and editor, I can assure you there will still be mistakes and problems. You're too close to your own book to see the issues, and a professional proofreader and copy-editor will be looking for things you may never have thought of.

By all means edit and proof the book as much as you can, but if you are serious about getting that book published, let an expert take a look as well.

Writing critiques, advice and coaching

Critiquing, by the very sound of the word, can be a terrifying concept - it sounds a lot like offering your writing up for fierce and painful criticism. But a good critique has little to do with criticism, and a lot to do with positive, affirming, encouraging advice and constructive pointers for your writing.

Critiquing writing, and offering writing advice and coaching for writers is a job I enjoy greatly. I see it as my role to encourage people to write, and there's nothing more rewarding for me than watching (and helping) writers grow in their skill and craft.

No writer is so brilliant at writing that they don't require plenty of pointers from others' reading the text - from the target audience to an experienced and sensitive editor. Writing advice, writing coaching and writing critiquing are not just about improving the bare bones of a writer's technique, but also about inspiring, motivating and generating new, exciting ideas.

Writers are often very possessive about their words: by its very nature writing is very, very personal and can feel like an extension of the writer themselves so making it harder to take on board comments and advice. However, this is something I encourage my clients to get past, and understand that constructive, realistic advice can only improve writing and confidence in the long run.

If you want to grow as a writer, and see your writing improve, critiquing, advice and coaching is an important part of this process.

Proofreading services in Kent, London, the UK, all over

How big a deal is location when hiring a freelance proofreader? Well, it rather depends on your needs. Some clients like to meet and discuss copy face to face, and this can be useful in determining whether the material would benefit best from proofreading or copy-editing. But many of my clients prefer to work with me remotely.

I provide proofreading services in Kent, where I'm based, and some of my more local clients like to meet and discuss projects with a Kent proofreader.

I also provide London proofreading services, and some clients like the fact that I can travel to meet them in London, but usually after the initial meeting the project continues over email and the phone.

But the beauty of a freelance proofreader is that geography isn't limiting, meaning I can offer UK proofreading services across the country, working remotely with clients. Many of my clients are scattered far and wide, and yes, some as far off as Sweden. As long as the internet connection is up and running, I'm a proofreader on any client's doorstep.

Of course, the flip side of this for me is that one day I will settle in a cottage away from it all, and proofread happily in the countryside.

Should copywriters, copy-editors and proofreaders be experts in the material?

This is a common question. Clients often feel reassured hiring a writer, editor or proofreader with a background in the genre of the material.

Obviously, this makes the process easier, but I'm always keen to show clients that any copywriter, copy editor and/or proofreader worth their salt will be flexible and practised in researching their subject matter. Thanks to the Internet, checking facts and reading up on particular areas is easier than ever, and most editorial and writing professionals refer to a bulging shelf of reference books, dictionaries and style guides.

You'll often be hard-pushed to find a freelance writer or editor with an exact background that matches your material, and for that very reason freelance writing and editing is all about adaptability and learning new things daily. Part of the make-up of a successful professional editor and writer is their research ability, and their willingness and commitment to making the effort to learn about new things.

For copywriting there are, of course, some areas where a specialist writer may be required, but the majority of copy can be provided by a skilled and flexible copywriter. For copy-editing and proofreading, there are few limits on the type of material suitable. Editing and proofreading is a process applicable to all material, and as long as a thorough dictionary or glossary is available, there is no reason why a professional copy editor and proofreader can't effectively and efficiently check the material.

Flexibility creates variety, and it is this essential component of the editor and writer's job that I enjoy most. This year alone I've gained a wealth of knowledge, an eclectic mix that demonstrates my adaptability as a freelance proofreader, editor and writer. Here's a snapshot: Romans, parenting, animation, property investment, drugs awareness, GCSE curricula, pesticide testing, anxiety, gardening, environment, economics, grammar, Doctor Who, football, muses, digital marketing. And that's just the non-fiction . . .

The difference between copywriting, copy-writing and copy writing

This is where most of my clients come unglued - hyphenated (copy-writing), spaced (copy writing) and compound (copywriting) words.

If you look at my website, you'll see my three key services are exactly these sorts of tricky words: copywriting (copy-writing, copy writing), copy-editing (copy editing, copyediting) and proofreading (proof-reading, proof reading) - and this includes permutations like copywriter, copy editor and proofread.

Sometimes, this is a matter of style and is open to interpretation; sometimes there is a right style and a wrong style. So how do you know the difference? Two words: the dictionary.
Copyediting, for example, is not correct, but copy editing and copy-editing are, although most dictionaries agree the correct style is copy-editing.

Because there are no clear rules governing styles such as these, you're only hope of getting it 'perfectly write' is to pick a dictionary, and then stick with its particular style. I use Oxford style (although you may go with Chambers or Penguin), which means I style my services copywriting, copywriter, copy-editing, copy editor, copy edit, proofreading, proofreader, proofread.

The golden rule, however, is consistency. Pick a style for a word or phrase, check it in a dictionary, then stick with it in your writing. Nothing is more off-putting for a reader than a copywriting service by a professional copy-writer.