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DIY Proofreading

Proofreading is an important topic these days, particularly for indie authors. Just this week we caught sight of a conversation on Quora that started with the thread: “What does it say about you if you are terrible at proofreading?” What we’ll say is that self-proofreading is very challenging but doable. So, we thought we’d provide some tips.


First things first, give yourself a wide berth and don’t be rushed. Depending on your book’s word count (really large manuscripts may demand a different approach), it’s better to knock out a proofread in fewer sittings than sporadically or piecemeal. If your manuscript is under or near 70,000 words, clear a three-day weekend and get to work. Start with spellcheck. Once you’ve exhausted the helpfulness of your word processor’s spelling and grammar function, start the self-proofreading process by tackling one issue at a time—concentrate on sentence structure, then paragraph structure, word choice, spelling, and then punctuation.

Proofreading checklist

1. Proofread one sentence at a time.

2. Use your “find and replace” tool to your advantage—be careful with this, but once you identify an error ensure you didn’t make the error repeatedly. Use “find and replace” to correct it if you have.

3. Read your text aloud—this is especially helpful in discovering missing words, things you inadvertently or incorrectly spelled phonetically, dangling modifiers, and faulty verb endings; it’s also useful to ensure a novel’s dialogue is believable.

4. Print the entire work, either on your home printer or by publishing a private-access book on Lulu. Staring at the same words over and over again on your screen, you start to see what you want to see—perfection. Printing or changing the font fakes a fresh set of eyes, and you’ll be more prone to catch mistakes you’ve skimmed over previously.

5. As a final stopgap effort, read your text backward—this helps you focus on individual words rather than whole sentences.

For extra help with writing tips, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a fantastic resource.

Team Lulu

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10 thoughts on “DIY Proofreading”


  2. Great article. Have to agree on the importance of proofreading, as a poor finish will take the shine off your message. I always encourage two passes. On the first pass, make any amendments to repair errors and improve readability. On the second pass, read though and check the flow, while snagging any cunningly disguised errors in the text.

  3. Proofreading your own work can be a major challenge. But with the right tools, it is possible to make a reasonable fist of it.
    One such tool is a list of ‘thorny’ words. These are the kind of words that spell-checking software will, on the whole, fail to notice. Keep these by your side whilst proofreading.
    Thorny Words List:
    A lot/Allot
    All Ready/Already
    All Together/Altogether
    Hope you find the list useful. Good luck with your proofreading!
    Kind regards,

  4. These are some great tips that I will keep in mind next time I am proof reading some of my writing content. Over the years I have found a few other proofreading tips very helpful. Here they are.
    1. Make sure to print out a hard copy of your work to proofread. I find it easier to proofread a hard copy of something so you can make notes and changes with a pen.
    2. Leave your work for a half hour after writing it and then go back and re-read it once more.
    3. Read your work out loud. I feel this help a lot with grammar mistakes, for example run-on sentences.
    I hope these tips help, thanks for the helpful information and letting me contribute.

  5. John R. O'neon

    Best article I have read on proofreading…looks like I have more work to do!

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