Three Sets of Eyes

First, I'd like to offer an apology for no blogging last week. I was off getting married to the editor of our local paper. Now I'll really have to watch my writing! Come to think of it, that brings up a really good point. This is absolutely key to submitting your written work anywhere: NEVER PROOF YOUR OWN WRITING!

To clarify, that doesn't mean you shouldn't review it or do your absolute best, it just means you need to have at least one other person and two if possible, proofread the piece before it goes to a publisher, agent, the company newsletter etc. Why? Because no matter who you are you will never catch all your own mistakes. Writers are notoriously their own worst proof readers because they will read what they meant to write, not what's actually on the page. If you happen to work with someone else on a project, or even bounce a story off someone in great depth, they most likely will not be good proof readers for you either. You've most likely discussed the topic with them enough that they also know what you mean to say, not necessarily what you've written.  It's also important to note that while proof reading software catches some mistakes, it is a far cry from human eyes. I liken it to spell check, helpful but by no means the final say.

When I was the executive editor of a publishing company, we had a rule: three sets of eyes on any page that goes to press. Even still, we sometimes had mistakes. Those mistakes were very costly to fix once our blue line proofs came back, to the tune of several thousand dollars. Likewise, if you're writing a book, you'll want your three sets of eyes on the manuscript before it hits the press or you too could face very costly mistakes. For self publishers correction cost upwards of $20 per page, while those trying to secure a deal with a publishing house may just get passed over because of it.

So how do you find that third set of eyes? Unless you have a friend who's an English major or teacher, you might strongly consider hiring someone. Do not enlist the help of friends or family members for this extremely important service. First, because many will be in awe of the very fact that you wrote something. In the early days, I tried out a couple of friends as my proofers, and more than once met with comments such as, " It was so good, I forgot to proof." While flattery is nice, this is not the place for it. I don't care if my proofer is the meanest person on the planet as long as they catch 99.9 percent of my mistakes. Go ahead and share your work with your friends if you want, but don't count on them to do a thorough job. Second, having friends and family proof often invites trouble you can do without. If they don't do a good job, they could potentially cost you a good job. If they do do a good job--there's the risk that they'll go proof crazy. Proof crazy is when an otherwise normal down to earth person gets drunk with proofing power. Instead of just catching errors, they start to make little snide comments, or they correct everything you write from emails to texts just to prove they know what they're doing. Either way, it can become seriously annoying and is very difficult to disentangle yourself from once you've set the precedent.

Where do you find a good proofer? The quick answer is the Internet. There are many agencies out there that specialize in proof reading. You just need to do a little research. But my go-to places are www.elance.com or www.guru.com. Both are freelancing websites where you can post projects and ask for bids. Then simply look through the bids and select your favorite. You can narrow your selection by checking the bidders' qualifications. Both sites have standardized tests bidders can take to prove their proofing skills, the results will be listed on the bidders' profile pages. You can also ask potential proofers to do a small sample proof. Make sure to keep the test proof to a page or less. You don't want to take up too much of their time if you're not going to compensate them for a test run. It's important to remember that while you want to make a good business deal, the lowest bid  or the person who promises to return the project quickest may not be your best choice. See what kind of guarantee the proofer offers. Will they make additional corrections if needed? You'll be glad you asked and your proofer will be worth every penny.