Editing Tips
Advice on the skills you need as a freelance proofreader and editor. Check out our editing tips and advice to develop your abilities and impress your clients.
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5 Errors New Proofreaders Often Miss
5 Errors New Proofreaders Often Miss
Jan 14, 2021
Proofreaders need to be careful not to overlook mistakes in text while they work. Here, for instance, we’re going to look at five errors that new proofreaders often miss in documents: Mix-ups involving unfamiliar homophones. Multiple independent clauses combined in a comma splice. Inconsistencies in a document that don’t involve explicit errors. Misplaced or missing […]
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Editing Tips: Chronological, Functional and Combination Resumes and CVs
Editing Tips: Chronological, Functional and Combination Resumes and CVs
Jan 07, 2021
As a freelance proofreader, you may be asked to check many resumes and CVs. But these documents come in many types, so it is worth knowing how they work so you can edit them effectively. Here, then, we’re going to look at the three most common types of resume: Chronological – A resume that focuses […]
Microsoft Word Tips: Track Changes vs. Compare
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Editing Tips: When Are Sentence Fragments Okay?
Dec 20, 2020
Strictly speaking, sentence fragments – incomplete sentences that don’t express a complete thought – are ungrammatical. And, as a proofreader, you would usually correct ungrammatical text in a document. But is a sentence fragment always an error? The short answer is Many writers use sentence fragments deliberately, especially in creative writing and commercial copy. In […]
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Editing Tips: What to Do with Biased Language
Dec 17, 2020
When editing a document, you might notice language that some might find offensive. But what should you do about biased language as a proofreader? In this post, we offer a few tips about what to look out for and how to handle biased language if you encounter it. What Counts as Biased Language? As with […]
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5 Tips for Proofreading Different English Dialects
Nov 29, 2020
One benefit of freelance proofreading is that you can work with clients all around the world. But this may mean you encounter English dialects that differ from the one you know best. And while this can pose challenges for proofreaders, we have a few tips that can help: Set the language preferences in your word […]
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Proofreading Tips: Plagiarism and Copyright in Creative Writing
Nov 15, 2020
Plagiarism in creative writing is harder to identify than, say, academic plagiarism. Despite this, proofreaders may want to look out for potential plagiarism and copyright issues in creative writing. To help you navigate these muddy waters, we’ve prepared a quick guide to the basics. What Is Plagiarism in Creative Writing? It is hard to define […]
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Editing Tips: Stacks and Ladders Explained
Oct 18, 2020
Previously, we’ve looked at widows and orphans, which thankfully did not involve any husbands or parents dying. Today, we look at stacks and ladders, which will not involve any literal piling or climbing. What are these metaphorical stacks and ladders, then? And what do they have to do with proofreading? Check out our simple guide […]
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5 Tips for Keeping Your Critical Distance While Proofreading
Oct 15, 2020
It can be hard to focus on proofreading if you’re too involved in a text, or if you’ve made several passes already and you’re now too familiar with it to easily spot errors. But there are things you can do to maintain critical distance when proofreading, including: Change your perspective on the document by proofreading […]
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Editing Tips: Checking Your Sources Online
Editing Tips: Checking Your Sources Online
Oct 04, 2020
As a proofreader, you may need to look up information online, such as reference formats or jargon, when working on a document. And this makes the internet an invaluable resource. But the internet is also full of very dumb things. So, how can you be sure the information you’ve found is trustworthy? And what should […]
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Editing Tips: Widows and Orphans Explained
Editing Tips: Widows and Orphans Explained
Sep 20, 2020
As a proofreader, if you work with a publisher, they might ask you to look out for widows and orphans in a typeset text. But this can be tricky, as not everyone uses these words in the same way! In this post, then, we’ll explain the basics, includingRead on below to find out what to […]