Proofreading Tips
Whether you’re just getting started or are an experienced proofreader, there’s always something new to learn. That’s where our blogs come in! We've got expert advice on spelling, grammar, punctuation, referencing, proofreading different types of writing (from creative to business and academic), and much more!
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Citation Styles: What Is ASA Referencing?
Citation Styles: What Is ASA Referencing?
Published Jan 10, 2021
Last Updated Dec 20, 2024If you proofread academic writing, you may come across a variety of referencing styles. And if you proofread sociology papers in particular, this will likely include ASA referencing. But what is ASA style? And how does it work? In this post, we explain the basics. What Is ASA Referencing? ASA referencing is a citation style […]
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5 New Year’s Resolutions for Proofreaders
5 New Year’s Resolutions for Proofreaders
Published Dec 31, 2020
Last Updated Jun 04, 2024The new year is just around the corner and that means one thing: it’s time to make New Year’s resolutions! But what exactly can a freelance proofreader resolve to do? We have a few suggestions for New Year’s resolutions proofreaders and editors might want to try. 1. Improve Your Time Management Freelancers are usually in […]
Microsoft Word Tips: Track Changes vs. Compare
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The Fourth Wise Man (a Christmas Proofreading Story)
Published Dec 24, 2020
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024We all know the story of the Three Wise Men who came bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus. But did you know that a fourth wise man was left out of the nativity story? This Christmas, we will finally tell the untold part of this tale: the story of Barry the proofreader. Three Kings […]
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Editing Tips: When Are Sentence Fragments Okay?
Published Dec 20, 2020
Last Updated Oct 23, 2024Strictly 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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What to Do with Biased Language
Published Dec 17, 2020
Last Updated Jan 10, 2025When 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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Style Guides for Business Writing
Published Dec 10, 2020
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024Style guides are vital resources for proofreaders and editors. But the best style guide to use may depend on the type of writing at hand. So, which style guides are best for business writing? Here, we’re going to look at some examples, including: The Associated Press Stylebook The Chicago Manual of Style The Business Style […]
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5 Tips for Proofreading Different English Dialects
Published Nov 29, 2020
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024One 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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A Quick Guide to Canadian English
Published Nov 22, 2020
Last Updated Nov 26, 2024Canadian English combines aspects of both American and British English, as well as having its own purely Canadian terminology and usage. We’ve put together a quick guide to Canadian English for proofreaders to highlight general guidelines for working with this dialect. Canadian English Spelling Canadian English usually follows British spelling conventions. For instance: Canadian English: […]
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Plagiarism and Copyright in Creative Writing
Plagiarism and Copyright in Creative Writing
Published Nov 15, 2020
Last Updated Jan 02, 2025Plagiarism 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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5 Easy-to-Miss Quotation Mark Errors
5 Easy-to-Miss Quotation Mark Errors
Published Nov 08, 2020
Last Updated Aug 03, 2023Among other things, a good proofreader will check documents for proper use of quotes and quotation marks. However, there are many easy-to-miss quotation mark errors, including 4. Smart Quotes vs. Straight Quotes In typography, quotation marks come in two styles: Smart (or curly) quote marks – These are standard in most writing now, and most […]
