Article by Malika Gandhi
We all like to write and produce something worthwhile for
our readers to appreciate. A document or a novel without correct punctuation or
spelling will be confusing and even jarring to read, therefore the writer must
make sure that his/her work is proofread.
What is the difference
between a proofreader and a copy-editor? Doesn’t a copy-editor do what a
proofreader does, in which case why would I need to hire a proofreader?
The difference between proofreading and copy-editing is practically
a hairline difference but which can make your work stand out. A proofreader
looks at common errors such as typos and grammatical slip ups in a work piece.
It is a final read-through before being published as a novel, periodical,
magazine or a piece for the World Wide Web.
A copy-editor looks at all these things as a whole and
corrects not only the spelling, punctuation and spacing but also fills in any
gaps which the writer may have missed in terms of plot, paragraph structure,
repetition etc. After many drafts or rewrites whilst working with the
copy-editor, having a proofreader look at the final draft is not a bad idea.
“But I can proofread myself, why should I hire a
proofreader?”
This is a good question and a sound one at that. Our own
writing is too close to us, which makes us see words as correct when they are
not. Our mind overrides misspelt words and we work on, oblivious to any
mistakes. A proofreader will be able to ‘see’ these errors when we, as writers,
will probably not.
If you are a novelist, it is even more important to get your
work perfect in grammar and punctuation. The majority of first-time novelists
try and publish their works through a traditional route – through traditional
publishers and agents. To avoid rejection from an agent or publisher, it is ten
times more important to that first-time novelist to make sure there are no
errors in his/her novel.
English is a complex language which is not only spoken
differently but also written differently. Some countries follow the UK version
when some follow the US version. Bearing this in mind, the proofreader will
look at the work subjectively and work towards it in the correct frame of mind.
A little something to
think about, of a certain little punctuation...
Let me tell you something about the Apostrophe. We all get
confused with this little squiggly punctuation. We are constantly questioning
ourselves – where and how do we use it? Let me explain. The apostrophe is used
when letters are missed out in a word, such as “did not” becomes “didn’t” and “
he is” becomes “he’s”. It is also used to show possession, like a boy’s toy car
or Mrs Rich’s expensive handbag.
The only time it is not used is when we are talking of something, for example, dinners.
The apostrophe is such a punctuation that even the most
qualified and experienced, can get wrong. Like the apostrophe, there is also
the comma, the speech marks, the semi-colon...and the list goes on. Is the
writer expected to remember where and when each one is used? Maybe so, but this
is where hiring a proofreader can become useful.
