Five Ways to Freeze Your Fear of Proofreading

“I’m not afraid of death. I’m afraid not to have lived fully.”

Wim Hoff

Like everyone else, I have become obsessed with Wim Hoff. His awe-inspiring words, his utter lack of fear and his love of anything below zero degrees are truly captivating. I confess, I have always loved the cold. Give me a snow-capped mountain and a Narnian-style forest over a sun-drenched beach any day. A trip to Lapland, Finland (shortly before the world shut down) intensified this love. In the event that we had attempted to leave the country only one day later (we were booked on the last flight out of the country), we would have found ourselves trapped in a land of vast snow-covered forests, beautiful frozen lakes, gingerbread houses dusted with snow and some of the cutest, furriest (and sometimes most deadly) wildlife you can imagine. I’m not sure if I would have ever returned home.

Wim has rekindled my love for all things resembling a winter wonderland to the point that, after this week’s episode, I told my family that if I could spend the rest of my life living among the beautiful Dolomite mountains (where Freeze the Fear was filmed), I would happily jump in icy water every day. Despite their scoffs, I’m almost 100% sure I meant what I said.

It’s easy to be envious of Wim and his obvious passion. It’s a gift to love what you do and to believe so strongly in it. Words give millions of people valuable information. Every writer deserves to feel passionate about what they write. Many people say they love writing. Some even like editing. But, most writers aren’t big fans of proofreading. So why do they dread this process so much? Nothing makes me happier than going through a text with a fine toothcomb and finding all the little mistakes that the writer has missed. I enjoy reading and solving logical puzzles, and proofreading allows me to combine both of these passions into a single career. However, if you’re not like me and the idea of proofreading your work sends shivers down your spine, there are five ways that you can improve your proofreading ability.

Focus on one issue at a time

Proofread your work several times, concentrating individually on sentence structure, spelling, grammar, word choice and punctuation. Use the built-in spelling and grammar checks that your chosen program offers. You can also use online AI checkers. Grammar checkers are probably the most common AI-based tools used by writers today. Unfortunately, most of these tools rely on set grammar rules to identify and correct errors. In general, they are useful for a basic once-over check, and they can help detect spelling mistakes, but they are nowhere near perfect at detecting advanced grammatical errors. You also need to make sure that the tool you are using is checking for the correct English spelling you require, such as UK or US English. Overall, the human eye is always the best tool for proofreading.

Have your computer read to you

A great proofreading tip is to read aloud. When you read aloud, however, you still have the potential to miss mistakes because you read what you expect to see. Some proofreaders swear by the process of re-reading text backwards line-by-line, but this is time-consuming. I prefer to listen to my computer read the text to me. I highly recommend using Microsoft Word’s ‘Read Aloud’ feature. I usually listen to one line at a time so that I can correct any mistakes as I hear them.  

Create a proofreading checklist

Make a list of the most common errors and refer to it every time you proofread. Proofreaders often use a style guide when working for larger organisations or publishers, and you can find many great general writing style guides online. 

There are four widely used style guides in the UK. These are:

• The Guardian style guide.

• Copy-Editing: The Cambridge Handbook for Editors, Authors and Publishers.

• The Times style and usage guide.

• The Telegraph style guide.

While there are many in the US, these are the most popular:

• The Chicago Manual of Style.

• The Associated Press Stylebook.

Everyone has preferences when it comes to writing. While there is often no one right way to do things, consistency within a document is crucial.

Fool your brain 

Our eyes may see the mistakes, but our brain interprets them as whatever we intended to write. Therefore, we need to fool the brain into seeing information differently. It’s sometimes easier to find more typos on paper than on a computer screen, so printing your writing might help you identify more errors. When reviewing something on a physical sheet of paper, extra spaces or variations in fonts and point sizes stand out more, but the printing process is not exactly eco-friendly. Therefore, instead of proofreading a paper copy, make the changes on your computer screen – alter the resolution, width and colour of the text.

Hire a professional

Wim has a motto: ‘what I am capable of, everybody can learn’. The idea is a nice one, but I think it makes sense to focus on your strengths and delegate the tasks you feel less confident completing to others. Good communication is crucial. No matter what you’re writing – an academic paper, a novel, a newsletter, a blog or web copy – if your message isn’t clear, you’re wasting your time.

While you read your work, your eyes skim over the sentences; you’re much more interested in the points you’re trying to make rather than the words you’re using. This process is called generalisation – it’s the mind’s way of retaining information. It’s common to miss errors while reading because your brain is on autopilot. To make sure I spot as many errors as possible when writing something, I need to read it word for word at least two times to ensure I overcome my natural tendency to see what I want to see. The more I reread an article, the more likely I am to find mistakes. By hiring a proofreader, you ensure that your writing is checked to a high standard, and is as free of errors as humanly possible. Without proofreading, errors may remain. These errors will cause your readers to be less impressed with you and your work.

Wim believes that cold weather helps you to feel less stressed, more energetic and more ready to concentrate. He enthusiastically exalts the power of the cold and its ability to improve our lives. While you may not be ready to start every day with a cold shower, by taking control of proofreading your work, and by feeling secure in the knowledge that your words are in safe hands, I believe you will also start each day feeling energised, invigorated and excited about your writing. Contact me today to find out how we can work together.