When you finish this lesson, you should be able to
proofread letters, e-mails, and other business documents for format
proofread published materials for format
Demonstration of Competence
You will demonstrate your competence in Diagnostic Test 6.
Assignments
Read Orr, Daniels, and Henson, pages 69-88.
Read Troyka, pages 561-571 (8th edition).
Practice:
Practice proofreading the text in Orr, Daniels, and Henson on pages 89-95.
Use the checklist that follows to ensure that the book is formatted perfectly.
Proofreading Checklist for Published Materials
Cover
Check every word on the cover again, even though you've checked it a dozen times. An error on the cover is the worst error a book can have. Make sure the title is spelled right and positioned properly so you aren't losing some of the image over the edges. Check the ISBN number and price to make sure they're correct. Proofread the back cover text again.
Hardcover Book Jacket
Proofread the book jacket as you did the cover.
Spine
Make sure the spine text is centered and everything is spelled correctly. Make sure the publisher's name is on the spine.
Margins and Fonts
Check the margins and fonts in the proof to be sure they agree with the margins in your specifications and that they are consistent throughout.
Headers and Footers
It's very easy to miss an error in the headers and footers. Check them all. That means going through every page and keeping your focus. It will be tedious, so you must be vigilant.
Chapter Titles
Look at each chapter title page to be sure the titles are correct. Check the chapter numbers. You will do this again when you're checking the table of contents.
Table of Contents
Go through the book manually and check the wording of the contents in the table of contents and the page numbers.
Tables
Check the sequence of table numbers. If you have a table of tables at the beginning, check the page numbers in the table of tables. Proofread the captions separately.
Index
Checking every page in the index is tedious, but necessary. Nothing frustrates a reader like having an inaccurate index.
Picture Placement and Captions
Make sure that your pictures all appear in the right places. Proofread the captions to make sure they're the right ones for the pictures and that they contain no errors.
Names in Acknowledgements
Check the list of names you have for the acknowledgements to be sure they're spelled correctly.
Proof in Final Form
After you have proofread the text and all the book components listed on this page, read through the book using a proofreading mind set one last time. In the proofreading mind set, you are focusing on proofreading, not reading for content.