Proofreading and Editing Services
Why Proofreading is such an important aspect of writing and why you need to hire expert proofreading and editing agencies?
Why is proofreading important for written documents? To understand this, one needs to first examine what exactly is proofreading and why hiring expert proofreading services becomes so important for an impressive content.
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Proofreading is perhaps the last scrutiny given to a document before it is trundled off to the printer. Almost like the last glance a well-known movie star would give herself in a mirror before stepping-out into the harsh glare of the media.
The terms editing and proofreading are often used interchangeably but there is a very significant and not so subtle difference between them.
Editing can be structured in two ways:
Substantive – which focuses on the form, flow and overall logical sense that a document makes.
Mechanical – which focuses on spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, consistent presentation (formatting), and copyright issues etc.
An editor will check the document for the form, flow, structure and veracity of ideas and thoughts. He is allowed to make changes to the structure of sentences to ensure a greater flow of ideas, enhance clarity and concision in the document.
On the other hand the role of the proof-reader is like that of a make-up artist, one of pure aesthetics. His job is to ensure that the overall appearance of the document is perfect – clean, clear and consistent.
The tools that a discerning proof-reader uses, will be those that govern:
- Incorrect Punctuation – can change the entire meaning of a document as Lynne Truss famously speaks of her panda that “… eats, shoots and leaves…” So whether they are missing commas or exclamation marks they certainly need to be looked into.
- Grammar and spelling Errors – splitting infinitives, tenses that are not aligned and omitting or sometimes adding letters to spellings can all make for poor form.
- Inconsistent Spelling – words spelt haphazardly through the body of a document.
- Regional Spelling – The USA, UK and Australia have their own language rules, especially in terms of spelling, quotation marks and terminal punctuation with parentheses. It is important that these are observed and followed.
- Formatting Errors – lends to the overall visual display of the document.
- Incorrect Capitalisation – whether it is sentence case or title case or proper nouns and words of consequence, it is important that capitalisation is taken care of.
- Reference and Style Guides – Will ensure consistency of presentation in a manner that has been dictated and coded for various disciplines. Fields of study like medicine, law and other academic areas will have a set of rules specific to each field of study.
- Formal and Informal Style – setting the tone of the document and maintaining that same tone throughout, is critical.
- Confidentiality and Copyright – It is also very important that a good proof-reader be able to observe confidentiality regarding the documents he is proofreading. To spot any lapses of plagiarism, copyright issues and point them out to the author to make appropriate corrections.
- Libel is another big issue that needs to be covered. It is not the job of the proof-reader to change any text or copy that is libellous or defamatory in nature. However what a good proof-reader will be able to do, is to point out to the author the libellous nature of his statement and suggest possible changes before it is actually printed.
If a document has not been proofread – the errors will jump out at you and result in a shoddy, unfinished product. However if done well it will differentiate a good article or document to a superlative one that will flow lyrically like a well conducted symphony. And of course bring in repeat business!