Think about it this way: if you're going to send something to a publisher, you're basically going to an informal, long-distance interview. You may have the best of intentions, and ingenious ideas, but writers, by definition, are expected to write well, and this means catching and correcting errors. Hospitals don't hire surgeons who can't suture properly, welding companies don't hire workers can't use a torch, and editors don't give contracts to writers who can't produce clean, accurate copy.
That being said, it's sometimes difficult to edit and proofread our own work. By the time we're ready to send something out, we've seen it so many times that we're too close to it to be objective. Here are a few suggestions:
- Get other people to read it for you, preferably people who know how to write. If you can afford to hire a professional editor, great! If not, have at least a few other pairs of eyes look over your work.
- When reading your own work, try to break it down into smaller pieces. Checking one hundred pages in one sitting may make your eyes cross, but doing ten or twenty pages per day is be more manageable.
- Invest in a dictionary and a thesaurus. Spell-check on a computer will catch a few things here and there, but it's no substitute for your own judgment and a reliable reference book.
- Don't try to correct every type of error at once. Go through once for spelling, then a second time for sentence structure, then a third time for something else.
- If you can, put the manuscript aside for a week or two. Coming back to it later will allow you to reboot your brain, and evaluate the work from a fresh perspective.
- Editing and proofreading is picky, technical work. It isn't the sort of thing that should be done with the television blaring, or with people buzzing around you. Try to find a quiet spot where you can focus.
- Choose a format that works for you. Some people do fine with reading from a computer screen, while others need to print things out in order to really do a good job. If you do opt to stay on the computer, see if you can get hold of a bigger monitor, so that you won't strain your eyes.
- Never assume that editing and proofreading end when you submit a manuscript. If it comes back with a rejection, take it as an opportunity to polish up the work even more before sending it out again.
