Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Proofing - When to quit!



Proofing – When to quit!


            The most common mistake made by self-published authors, is trusting their manuscript to proofing by their own eyes. Pinpointing one’s own errors can be a real crapshoot. It’s even difficult for a professional proofer; the temptation to get caught up in the story lurks in the background, daring the proofer to skip over errors.
            When I published my first novel, I proofed it myself and also had a friend proof it for me. It wasn’t long before I found out the hard way—in a review—the book was loaded with proofing problems. I reproofed it two more times. When the print version came out, I proofed it once more only to have someone tell me there were so many problems in the book that she couldn’t even read it! I finally woke up to a very bitter truth. The only way to publish a product that reads like it was not written by an amateur, is to hire a professional proofreader.
            Yes, the pros can be expensive but more services are available every day, and some are still affordable.
Thoughts on proofing.
1)   When I talk about proofing, remember in the true sense, proofing only looks for obvious errors, such as spelling, typos, punctuation, inconsistencies, etc. If you want something more in depth, you’ll need an editor, a line editor, or copy-editor.
2)   In considering services for hire, make sure you have them define exactly what they’ll be doing for you. The line between the different services listed above is not exact. There is a lot of overlap depending on who's explaining the process. Always be certain what you'll be getting before committing yourself to anyone’s service.
3)   Know what you want done. Don’t pay for proofing if what you really want is someone to give you feedback on your story or your writing style.
4)   Before using anyone’s services, ask for a list of authors he/she has done work for. Don’t be shy about contacting them.
5)   Before signing up, be sure to ask how long it will take before the work is completed. And be mindful, when you hire an individual, you always run the risk of extended timelines due to problems in their personal lives.
6)   Use services that require only a deposit before you see the final product.
7)   If you aren’t convinced you need a proofer, keep in mind there are many promotion sites and reviewers who will not accept books that have not been professionally proofed. Some even require professional editing.
8) Is it possible to proof too much? Unlike editing, the answer is no. But don't forget, even best-sellers have a few typos.
9)   There are many services out there, but here are a few I’m familiar with who are affordable and do a good job:

Red Pen Proofreading & Editing  April.Solberg@gmail.com  
April, an excellent editor and proofer who works for our local paper, is a friend of mine and has worked on both of my novels.

I haven’t used Steve’s services yet, but have heard good things from other authors I know.

Karen Syed, at Sassy Gal, http://karensyed.wordpress.com/sassy-gal-for-hire   
Karen, a member of Sisters In Crime, was recommended to me by a friend. She’s done proofing for me and she did an excellent job. Her service also has package deals that include all aspects of readying your book for print, including formatting and covers. My spouse has used her for his non-fiction book.

Melissa Gray, proofreadingwithmelissa@gmail.com. Melissa is highly recommended by authors whose opinion I value, and she has reasonable rates. She's affiliated with Steve Caresser of eprinted books, (see above).

Alastair, at StoryWonk.com, I haven’t used this service yet, but was impressed with his rates and prompt responses.



Dear Readers,
A special thank you to all my new followers. It’s fun to read your blogs. Keep sending links to them with your comments!
Once more, I’d like to remind you of two things I’ve learned the hard way: Proofing is important, and don’t use a service unless you have either had it recommended to you by a friend or asked the service for a list of other authors who have used them.
Have a great week, everyone,
Marla

14 comments:

  1. Hi Marla, spot on, I have bought books that had typos in them and it doesn't bother me, but it does stand out. For the price of a book from an indie I think the customer knows there getting a deal for a reason. JK Rowling just came out with her book and sold over 300,000 books, I am sure everything about her books is as close to perfect as a human can make them because of the resources she has at her disposal. Indies might not have such resources but you listed those that are reasonable and that is much appreciated Marla,bill

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    1. Thanks, Bill. Proofing is difficult and I still struggle with it. I need to develop a better eye because after you
      pay someone to proof, you make the changes and then have to proof your changes! It goes on and on.
      I notice errors in every book read, not just Indie books, so a few is acceptable I suppose. Maybe someday,
      I'll make enough on my books to pay someone to do every stage for me.
      Nice hearing from you,
      Marla

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  2. Marla, wish I had had this information a few months ago. My new book (http://www.poetrybysharla.com/) is due on the market hopefully by the end of the month (Blog: http://awakenings2012.blogspot.com/). Did not have a proofreader and you are so RIGHT about trying to do it yourself. The writer reads with the same thoughts as when it was written so many errors are easily overlooked. Will definitely keep your article bookmarked. Who knows what the future may hold. Hope to one day publish catnipoflife. Here is my other blog http://catnipoflife.wordpress.com/

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    1. Hi,
      Good luck with the book! Poetry would be even more critical to have perfectly proofed; not as forgiving as fiction I would think. Keep at it.
      Liked your blog!
      Nice to meet you,
      Marla

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  3. So glad I ran into this post because I see others share in my misery.

    Recently I published a short story novel (<25K) on Amazon and I too went at it alone (proofing/editing). Well, it hurt me in a big way because I received a damaging one star review (bad), which unfortunately for me was posted just hours after the book went on sale (FREE promo day).

    Since then I have decided to hire a copy editor who will point out all my weak spots and help me clean up the book along the way.

    Thanks for this post!
    PS: will RT :)

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    1. Thanks for the great comment! We do love company in our agony! I thought my problem had to do with the fact that I'm not a detail person, but my spouse, who is super-anal and very detail oriented, can't see his writing errors either!
      Yes, a copy editor is worth every penny you spend. (I hate learning things the hard way)
      Take care and keep writing,
      Marla

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  4. I so agree - I can't praise my copy-editor and proof reader enough. And a review on my latest book included the comment that she found no mistakes!! That was praise indeed - but not for me, for my copy editor. (But I allow a little bit to rub off on me!)

    http://gapyearsthebook.blogspot.com

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    1. No mistakes?? Awesome! Glad you found someone who does a great job. I read a lot and notice
      that even the biggest names have errors in their books. I doubt the average reader notices them,
      but you expect a good job when you're paying for the service.
      Nice to meet you, Jo. Keep writing,
      Marla

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    2. JO, I couldn't get into your blog with the address you left.
      Marla

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    3. Sorry the link didn't work - no idea why not. So thanks for taking the trouble to find me another way. Good to meet you.

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  5. You are so right, Marla. I haven't published a book (yet!) but I know how difficult it is to spot errors when reading the same manuscript over and over agin. I find that reading aloud (especially to an audience) helps - but obviously will still leave a lot of errors.
    If I ever get to the publishing stage, I'll be back to check out your list of proof readers.

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    1. Reading aloud is a great idea. I do that on my chapters before submitting them to my critique group, but seems like there is never time to do that for the whole book. I need to start, though. It will save time in the long run.
      Thanks for stopping in Sally!
      Marla

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  6. Hi Marla,

    It's an important problem but it's not just us indies, you know. Without naming any names, I have come across two ebooks produced by professional publishing companies, both of which were littered with horrendous typos and formatting errors - really bad! In both cases the books were really well written but the authors had been badly let down by the so-called professionals. So I think there's something to be said for trusting our own judgement also; after all, no-one cares as much about your book as you do yourself.

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    1. YIkes! There is no excuse for that; thanks for sharing. That gives us one more reason to be sure and do our research before hiring anyone or any service. Can't be too careful. There are so many new people out there looking for our business, but not all of them are equipped to handle it. I've used people recommended by others, and haven't always had a good experience either. It pays to get more than one opinion and ask them for references.
      Thanks for the heads-up, Tim.
      Marla

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