Proofreading For Typo Problems

It has been said that cold hard facts have a habit of killing the most beautiful theories. Most proofreading services companies tell us something similar could be said for typos destroying great written ideas. I'm sure we have all witnessed this happening at one time or another. While reading that great article about space travel, we become distracted by the typo in the middle of the most interesting paragraph.

Proofreading for typographical errors is a subject that doesn't require a lot of creativity to master, but it does require common sense, focus and hard work. Typo errors can severely damage the impact of your article or blog post... because they distract the reader. When that happens, we can probably say goodbye to our conversion efforts.

Can typos be avoided?

It's one of those things you can control to a large degree, but you can't win 100% of the time. Therefore, it's best for us to try and control the largest part of the problem prior to writing our article or blog. After completing our writing, we should have a proofreading system in place to find and eliminate those typos. This is also the time you might want to consider professional proofreading services.

A Few Ounces of Typo Prevention

Take some time to make a list of all the words you can think of that have caused you typo problems in the past. Paste that list in a convenient place and add to it every time you think of another one. Before long you should be avoiding those errors.

Search the internet for common typo errors. Study the correct spellings on a regular basis. There are numerous websites offering help with this problem.

Write First, Check Typos Later

Don't worry about correcting typing errors until you have finished your writing. This is the best time to get your proofreading started... correcting typos.  Here are a few ideas to help:

•                    Take a break from reading your copy. It's good to get your head out of your writing for awhile.  Most writers agree with the benefit of being able to take a fresh look at the content to be checked. It recharges our focus.

•                     Read your content backwards, from finish to start... forcing yourself to concentrate on the individual words and not the content.

•                     Get another person to read the copy. Fresh eyes see problems more clearly. This is also a good reason why many writers hire proofreading services.

•                     Read your copy out loud to yourself.

•                     Print your content out. Check it line for line by covering the unread portion with a blank piece of paper. This forces you to focus on one line at a time.

•                     Give yourself plenty of time to spot the problem typos. Don't rush it. Stay relaxed.

•                     Make a separate read-through to catch any capitalization problems with proper nouns. Focus on the names of all people, places and things.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Eventually, many of these proofreading tips will become second nature to you. The main thing is to sort out and focus on the individual problems. This will take time, but it will be time well spent.