I have lost my power of proof-reading

bluemoonscribe · Oct 29, 2007

I'm preparing another revision draft of my manuscript before my agent presents it to publishers. I'm a first timer and I'm nervous. I find myself reading the same sentence over and over again, completely unable to determine whether there are errors in it.

Does anyone feel like they lose the ability to proofread the closer they get to submission? Or am I completely alone in this?

kristie911 · Oct 29, 2007

I lose the power to proofread when I've read the story too many times. It has nothing to do with submission. I just get sick of it after awhile and can't see the mistakes any more.

I know some people read it backwards, from end to beginning because it puts the sentences out of order and you're not as likely to skim.

But if you have some time, I'd set it aside for a couple days and come back with fresh eyes. A couple months would be better but if you're on a schedule, you do what you can.

Good luck!

Maryn · Oct 29, 2007

Kristie is giving you the advice I'd have given if I was faster. If time allows, set it aside to see it with fresh eyes at a later date. If time doesn't allow, read backwards, one sentence at a time, which is strangely difficult but works because it takes each sentence out of context.

Maryn, whose eyes see what ought to be there, not what is

KTC · Oct 29, 2007

I hear ya. That's why it's best to find another set of eyes. I proofread mine 4 times recently. Then my wife reads it and finds about 15 simple errors. Your eyes gloss over these small errors, because they see what you meant, not what is actually there. She found a You're that should have been a Your that I missed 5 times. Simple...but I happily read it wrong every time. And I am a mad-stickler. Do you have someone to read it over for you?

Happens to us all.

Spiral Stairs · Oct 29, 2007

I'm certainly nowhere near putting a manuscript in an editor's hands, but proofreading requires a little separation from the text, and I am a poor proofreader of my own work. That's why my wife proofread the manuscript I'm sending to agents now. I consider myself a pretty careful writer (occasionally getting bogged down in a hotly contested issue of punctuation instead of forging ahead with writing), but the number of errors she found was astounding.

Do you have someone who could act as an objective proofreader?

(Also, as I have experimented with manuscript formatting, I have found that using Courier New -- for all its old-fashioned cumbersomeness -- is like shining a light on typos and punctuation errors.)

donroc · Oct 29, 2007

I also need others to proofread because I see images not words when I read even though I try to focus on the text. Also, after I move paragraphs from section to section, I forget to delete the surplus. Sometimes I think I need Beta to Omega readers.

www.donaldmichaelplatt.com

WittyandorIronic · Oct 29, 2007

I don't write in MS Word, but another program, so after a few passes in my normal writing software I export the whole thing over to Word and find a thousand different things wrong. Then I transport it back, and the same happens. After that, I export it into an ebook program that makes it look like a PB book on my screen, and go over it again. The different fonts, backgrounds, and contexts make it easier and fresh each time.

Wraith · Oct 29, 2007

Yes, like Witty said, it's easier to spot stuff in different formats. Printing it out and retyping both give you new angles on the text and make it easier to spot errors. But in your case, I think if you can afford to put the MS aside for a bit it might help a lot. I've reached that state before, of going over words that made no sense to me because I had read them so many times. At that point it's wise to take a break or at least be extra careful because you no longer know if the changes you make are really for the better, at least that's what happens to me when re-drafting too much.

Good luck with the submission, blue! Don't freak out too much, ok?

aka eraser · Oct 29, 2007

Perfect would be terrific but it's not necessary. A typo or three sure as heck isn't going to cost you a "yea" at this point in the game.

As others have recommended, set it aside for a bit and do anything/everything except look at the ms. Then return to it with fresh(er) eyes. Your agent should be an able second reader and will catch anything glaring you may have missed.

Good luck.

Prawn · Oct 29, 2007

For sentence-level proofreading, read it backwards.

You are missing things because you are caught up in the story. If you start at the last sentence and read the sentences from last to first, it is impossible to pay any attention to the story, and you will catch more errors.

mirrorkisses · Oct 29, 2007

I edit and proofread by reading the manuscript backwards line by line, as someone said.

another thing to do is use find and replace on ms word. It's great for proofing. You still need to actually go through the manuscript, but it works wonders on cutting time.

in find and replace, type general mistakes like extra periods, extra spaces, etc. You can also go through with find and replace and have it highlight a certain word in the document, which i LOVE.

The best thing to do is as others have said: set it aside for a few MONTHS (yes, months).

WittyandorIronic · Oct 29, 2007

Great suggestion mirror!

aadams73 · Oct 29, 2007

I find that changing the font really helps me take a fresh look at it. I write in Garamond 12, then switch to Courier New for editing.

melaniehoo · Oct 29, 2007

These are great suggestions. I should be finishing my first draft in a couple weeks - just in time for a 2 week trip to the states - and I plan to edit while I'm away from the computer. I'll have to remember the backwards thing for sure!

J. R. Tomlin · Oct 29, 2007

I change to courier and print it out. There is all the difference in the world reading from a piece of paper rather than a screen. It might as well be a different piece of work.

bluemoonscribe · Oct 29, 2007

Thanks for the suggestions. I do have a "writing buddy" that reviews my stuff for me. The problem is we've both read this so many times, our eyes are kind of skipping over stuff. My agent has a good sense for proofreading, though. And most of the things she noted for this round of revisions were cosmetic. So it's not a content issue so much as "apostrophes curving the wrong way."

I feel better. Or at least not alone. Thanks everybody.

David I · Oct 29, 2007

Definitely print it out!

And, if you really want a mind-bender, save in a separate file, narrow the margins to the size of a book page, change the font to something book-iss, switch to single spacing, print it, and read through it that way. A totally different experience of how the words look on the page, and something that will prepare you a bit for proofing actual galleys.

Proof it that way and make your changes in the original file.

ORION · Oct 29, 2007

The problem with reading backwards is that you can't catch continuity errors and the really big things - My agent never worried about minor misspellings -- like there for their- they happen - that will never kill a sale. Yes you do what you can but editors are buying a STORY!! After your revisions if you have time to let it sit for a week do so and then start again from the beginning reading a hard copy- I hand a hard copy off to a beta reader and give them a red pencil-
After over a hundred times reading the same book you DO lose perspective.
I would do one chapter at a time (when copy reading) and then take a break so I wouldn't get caught up in the story.
JMHO

johnzakour · Oct 29, 2007

Prawn said:
For sentence-level proofreading, read it backwards.

I tried that once but I kept editing the mirror. ;-)

Actually that's a good idea.

I've never had the ability to proofread. I've just never let that stop me.

mirrorkisses · Oct 29, 2007

ORION said:
The problem with reading backwards is that you can't catch continuity errors and the really big things - My agent never worried about minor misspellings -- like there for their- they happen - that will never kill a sale. Yes you do what you can but editors are buying a STORY!! After your revisions if you have time to let it sit for a week do so and then start again from the beginning reading a hard copy- I hand a hard copy off to a beta reader and give them a red pencil-
After over a hundred times reading the same book you DO lose perspective.
I would do one chapter at a time (when copy reading) and then take a break so I wouldn't get caught up in the story.
JMHO

Reading backward is FOR catching details and punctuation, not for style and prose. This is a trick that copy editors and proofreaders use. (Trust me, I am one.) And having a poorly edited story WILL result in loss of sales. Proofing is done better backward, and I say this because you're talking about editing, not proofing.

And I believe your agent probably did not worry about it because it wasn't their problem. It was for the copy editor to correct.

avid-dreamer · Oct 29, 2007

bluemoonscribe said:
I'm preparing another revision draft of my manuscript before my agent presents it to publishers. I'm a first timer and I'm nervous. I find myself reading the same sentence over and over again, completely unable to determine whether there are errors in it.

Does anyone feel like they lose the ability to proofread the closer they get to submission? Or am I completely alone in this?

if you cannot get anyone - well someone who's intellect you can rely upon - to help, you can try a reading program. The one I use is ReadPlease. The download is free and you can just copy and paste text in ther and lay back and listen to it. I like that you have 4 voice options to choose from.

GOODLUCK!!!

melaniehoo · Oct 29, 2007

avid-dreamer said:
if you cannot get anyone - well someone who's intellect you can rely upon - to help, you can try a reading program. The one I use is ReadPlease. The download is free and you can just copy and paste text in ther and lay back and listen to it. I like that you have 4 voice options to choose from.

GOODLUCK!!!

They have that? That sounds really cool! I assume it's only for PC?

avid-dreamer · Oct 29, 2007

melaniehoo said:
They have that? That sounds really cool! I assume it's only for PC?

Not sure. Here's the link:

http://www.readplease.com/

mirrorkisses · Oct 29, 2007

avid-dreamer said:
if you cannot get anyone - well someone who's intellect you can rely upon - to help, you can try a reading program. The one I use is ReadPlease. The download is free and you can just copy and paste text in ther and lay back and listen to it. I like that you have 4 voice options to choose from.

GOODLUCK!!!

You mean "whose intellect?"

avid-dreamer · Oct 29, 2007

mirrorkisses said:
You mean "whose intellect?"

I was rushing. Hehehe..could not resist tossing in my comment before leaving

I also missed an 'E' on 'THERE'

I have lost my power of proof-reading

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