Content material Proofreading and Modifying Ideas

Have you ever ever worn a knit cap with a baseball hat on high of it?

Most likely not. Not solely wouldn’t it look odd, however it will really feel uncomfortable.

But, many content material entrepreneurs try to do one thing comparable each time they evaluation a chunk of content material, performing as each editor and proofreader.

However modifying and proofing aren’t the identical – even with AI assists. And by treating them as a single hat, you create an uncomfortable expertise to your viewers.

You possibly can’t adequately edit and proofread on the identical time, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

Even the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics acknowledges proofreaders as distinct from editors. Its description of proofreaders’ duties consists of: “Learn transcript or proof sort setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical, or compositional errors. Excludes staff whose major obligation is modifying copy.”

What’s the distinction?

Let’s have an authoritative useful resource clarify. Grammarly says:

“Copy modifying takes place after a substantive edit however earlier than proofreading. The target of copy modifying is to shine the copy in order that it’s clear whereas retaining the creator’s voice and that means … [Copy editors] comb by a written work to determine and proper grammar, spelling, tone and elegance deviations, wordiness, clunky transitions, complicated syntax, problematic or misused phrases, and an uneven stream.”

In distinction, proofreaders evaluation the content material after it has gone by the modifying course of. They scrutinize the content material in its completed and almost-published state to catch any typographical or minor errors that weren’t fastened within the modifying course of or have been created within the manufacturing course of.

TIP: In the event you put on a proofreader hat for some tasks and an editor’s hat for others, don’t try to do one proper after the opposite. Take a break. Train your mind with a non-word exercise. In the event you don’t take a breather, you’re prone to be carrying each your proofer and editor’s hats – and the content material evaluation can be messy and unfocused.

How you can edit properly

Along with your editor’s hat on, comply with this five-step course of:

1. Be sure to perceive the general goal of the piece of content material for the viewers and the model earlier than you learn the primary phrase.

TIP: Require content material creators to write down one or two sentences on the high of the content material to elucidate to the editor who the supposed viewers is and why the content material was created.

2. Learn by the content material as a reader would – fingers off the keyboard besides to scroll. (If reviewing in print type, maintain the pen out of your fingers.)
3. Undergo the content material once more as an editor. Put your fingers on the keyboard (or pen in hand) and be aware the place the content material doesn’t work properly and why. Does the opening seize the reader’s consideration? Is the content material centered on a singular theme all through the piece? Can each sentence and paragraph be understood? Does the order of the content material stream logically? Does the content material signify the model’s voice and elegance?
4. Pause, then edit. Relying in your course of, if the wanted adjustments are important, return the marked-up content material to the author for revision. Use an AI modifying instrument, whether or not the built-in one supplied by Microsoft or an add-on extension like Grammarly. Look solely on the editing-related counsel and contemplate if they’d enhance the piece. If the content material received’t be going again to the author, go forward and make the adjustments.
5. Learn by a remaining time to make sure that the content material reads properly from the viewers and model’s perspective.

TIP: In the event you revise the content material considerably, return to the author, particularly if the article features a byline, to ensure you edited it precisely.

With the content material in fine condition from a readability perspective, now you can scrutinize different parts of the content material. You need to:

• Guarantee factual correctness and correct credit score. If the content material consists of analysis, statistics, opinions, or quotes, be sure that they’re correct and attributed accurately. In digital type, be sure that hyperlinks go to the unique supply of data (to not one other submit quoting the unique content material).
• Do the mathematics. If the content material consists of numbers, be sure that they add up accurately. For instance, if an article about favourite ice cream flavors consists of the sentence: “70% agree chocolate ice cream is healthier than vanilla,” the subsequent sentence shouldn’t be “one-third choose vanilla over chocolate.” The maths doesn’t add up.

Editors: If the #content material consists of numbers, be sure that they add up accurately, advises @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

• Evaluation together with your model information in view. Scrutinize the copy to verify it follows your model’s model information and chosen dictionary. For instance, the CMI Type Information is the AP Type Information with some minor model customizations.

TIP: Create checklists for modifying and proofreading to make sure that every step is accomplished. When somebody should bodily verify off an merchandise from a listing, they’re extra prone to do it. Plus, checklists famous with the editor and proofreader’s names function a useful tracker for every bit of content material.

How you can be a very good proofreader

Within the proofreading stage, the work is fastidious. A proofreader shouldn’t evaluation the content material only one time and anticipate to catch all the pieces that wants fixing. Like modifying, proofreading is a multi-step course of. Every of those steps requires its personal studying of the piece of content material:

1. Evaluation for stream and understanding. Although the modifying course of ought to have taken care of any issues on this space, proofreaders should learn by the content material for their very own understanding to correctly evaluation the content material. If flaws are discovered at this level, be sure that to deal with and repair them, ideally with enter from the editor.
2. Learn every sentence for correct grammar. That is what most individuals contemplate proofreading – the subject-match-the-verb stuff.
3. Test the spelling of every phrase. This sounds simpler than it’s. In the event you spell-check the identical approach you learn (high to backside, left to proper), you’re much less prone to catch errors as a result of your mind remains to be studying for comprehension. Begin with the final phrase within the content material and work your approach as much as the highest, checking every phrase’s spelling as you do.

Proofreading Tip: Spell-check by beginning with the final phrase within the #content material work your approach as much as the highest of the web page, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. Click on To Tweet

4. Consider the content material in printed type. Evaluation the content material to verify it seems the best way it was supposed. Do all of the subheads comply with the identical typography? Are there any awkward line breaks? Does the content material match the desk of contents? Do all of the hyperlinks work?

TIP: Proofreaders ought to doc the errors they discover greater than as soon as. Share that data with the author and editor to forestall (or a minimum of decrease) future occurrences.

NOTE: In case your workforce solely has the assets for a single individual to deal with modifying and proofreading duties, that’s OK. Simply be sure that to create a manufacturing schedule that a minimum of permits for modifying and proofreading to occur on separate days. You can even use instruments just like the Hemingway App and Grammarly to assist in the modifying and proofreading course of.

Use instruments like @HemingwayApp and @Grammarly to assist in the modifying and proofreading course of, says @AnnGynn by way of @CMIContent. #Instruments Click on To Tweet

Go forth to edit AND proofread

By carrying your modifying and proofreading hats at totally different instances, you’ll enhance your content material outcomes. You’ll additionally keep away from spending time on large issues that come up from poor modifying and poor proofreading (lack of curiosity and belief in your model’s content material, for instance, which finally results in fewer readers).

Up to date from an April 2021 submit.

Please be aware: All instruments talked about on this article have been steered by the creator. In the event you’d wish to recommend a instrument, share the article on social media with a remark.

HANDPICKED RELATED CONTENT:

Cowl picture by Joseph Kalinowski/Content material Advertising Institute