Freelance Writing – 10 Proofreading Tips Every Blogger Needs to Know

If you are like most bloggers, you love to write. Unfortunately, you probably also hate proofreading. Here are some proofreading tips to make it easier for you to get better results with less effort:

1. Write outside your browser. Make the writing process easier on yourself by writing outside your Web browser. When you write in Word, you can use its proofreading tools, which are generally more sophisticated than your blogging software’s proofreading tools.
2. Get a proofreading buddy. You probably find it hard to look at your own text with a fresh set of eyes. So, borrow someone else’s. Find another blogger who will proofread your entries in exchange for you returning the favor.
3. Write. Stop. Proofread. Stop. Proofread. Another way to get a fresh perspective is to walk away from your text for a while after you finish it. Do something else, then proofread, then do something else, then proofread it again.
4. Use a spell-checker and a grammar-checker. Although both spelling and grammar-checkers are imperfect, use them as a first line of defense. Although this might seem like one of the most obvious proofreading tips, read others’ blog entries to see how many people disregard it!
5. Keep a list of common errors handy. If you know which words you are likely to misspell, or which apostrophe errors you make, print them out and refer to the list when you proofread.
6. Read out loud. When you proofread your blog entries, read them out loud exactly as you wrote them. For example, if you put a comma, insert a pause. If you did not, do not pause. Hearing how your text sounds will give you new perspective and make it easier to catch both errors as well as awkward syntax. Of all of the proofreading tips here, this could be the most powerful one.
7. Eliminate distractions. Although you may prefer background noise when you write, proofreading requires concentration. Switch everything off, remove distractions, and focus for better results.
8. Read backward. Proofread your blog paragraph-by-paragraph or sentence-by-sentence, starting at the bottom. This will not help you find larger structural issues, but it will let you take a different perspective on the text and hopefully let you focus on the small stuff.
9. Print it out. You don’t get as much out of reading on a screen as you do on paper. Print out your blog posts and proofread them. You can also trace along with a pen or other pointer, which forces you to read every line.
10. Double-check your introduction and conclusion. Though mistakes anywhere in your blog posts are troublesome, people tend to remember introductions and conclusions better than they do other sections. Make sure that they are perfect.

These proofreading tips are about much more than just catching a few typos or fixing a couple of misused words. Because a properly proofread blog post enjoys more credibility than a sloppy one, following these tips will improve your readers’ perception of your writing.

About the author: Randall Davidson is one of the founders of ProofreadingServices.Us, a proofreading service that offers website proofreading. Randall enjoys sharing proofreading tips and best practices with other writing enthusiasts.