The Purpose Of Proofreading

Even if your manuscript is in the hands of a professional book editor, you still need to check the proofs of your self-published book. Once the book has been laid out, there may still be new errors or mistakes that were missed on the previous edit. Proofreading consists of checking the final edited manuscript of your self published book against the proofs that have been laid out ready for printing. As well as checking the proofs yourself, it may be worth investing in the services of a professional proofreader, who will make sure that your finished book has the polish you require.

A professional proofreader will check for consistency between the two versions of your book and will also make sure that the style sheet (if there is one) has been followed. This will ensure that headings and subheadings are in the right fonts and are the right type size and that there are no formatting errors, widows and orphans.

If you decide to proofread yourself, you'll need an eagle eye. Most traditionally published manuscripts are proofread several times before going to print, so it's worth proofreading a few times and getting friends to look for errors you might have missed. Remember that now is not the time to decide on major changes - each time the author makes a change, there is a cost attached. Printing and typesetting errors are what you should focus on.