Are you ready?

You should already know, from a previous course or through experience, what to look out for
when proofreading a text and how to mark corrections clearly on screen and on paper. These
first study notes provide a refresher on how to approach a proofreading task and summarise
the basic principles on which we will build throughout this course.

What do you need to know before you start?

What type of proofreading is required?

Apart from the obvious issues of how long the document is (in number of words or pages),
when the job needs to be completed and what you are being paid, there is the question of
how the proof is to be marked. It is possible that you might be given the choice of reading on
paper or on screen, but usually the decision is made by the client, depending on how the
document is being produced and how the files will be corrected once you have finished
proofreading.

Proofreading on paper

If the proof is to be read on paper, the client will probably want you to use the British
Standards Institution (BSI) symbols, but it is best to check. A business whose primary concern
is not publishing is less likely to be familiar with the BSI marks than a traditional publishing
company. A list of the latest (2005) version of the BSI marks is available in the Resource
centre.

 Unless you are asked to use a particular colour, we recommend that you use red ink for all
corrections.
 Remember that every correction needs two marks: one in the margin and one in the text.
The marginal mark draws attention to the error and shows what kind of correction is
needed; the textual mark shows exactly where the correction should go.

 The marginal mark can go in the left margin or the right – whichever is closer and more
convenient. If there is more than one correction in a line, make sure that the marginal
marks are in the right order and are separated by a solidus (forward slash).

Proofreading on screen

While there is no British Standard for marking corrections on a PDF, an industry preference is
emerging for the use of PDF markup tools. The method explained in this course is one that

1 | © 2021 CIEP Proofreading 2: Headway UNIT 1

Study notes

This document is for the personal use of Peter Shaw (Copyright 2022)
Prepared at 03/02/2022 03:41:13 Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
will be acceptable to most clients, although you should of course adopt any markup system
that your client requires. If you need them, downloadable notes explaining how to approach
marking up with PDF tools are available on the introductory screen for this unit.

Even though most proofs will be supplied in the form of PDFs, some clients still prefer them to
be marked using the BSI symbols. If you do not want to print off the proofs and mark up by
hand, you can use digital versions of the BSI symbols that can be installed in your PDF reading
software. A set of digital stamps, and instructions on how to use them, can be downloaded
from Louise Harnby’s website.

If the client does not state any preferences for markup, it would be as well to check that they
are happy with how you are doing it – send some sample pages, for example.

If you are asked to ‘proofread’ a document in Word, make sure you understand exactly what
the client is expecting. When you are working in Word you have more direct control of the text
than when you are marking a PDF or paper proof for someone else to correct. The job might
amount to much more than a conventional proofread and be more of an edit or a proof-edit.

What if you have the choice?

If you can choose between working on paper or on screen, here are some things that you
might consider.

Advantages of working on paper:

 Many people find that they can spot errors on paper that they would miss on screen.
 Most of us spend a lot of our lives looking at screens. Working on paper can be less tiring.
 You can work where you want, when you want.
 You do not need a computer, special software or a power supply.
 If BSI marks are required, it can be quicker and easier to annotate paper proofs than to
manipulate stamps and tools on a PDF.
 If you are not sure of a correction, it is easy to mark it in pencil and return to it later, or use
sticky notes to flag any pages that contain pending decisions.
 There is no danger of anything being lost through a power cut or sudden software crash.

Advantages of working on a PDF file:

 The computer is your assistant. You can combine the human brain with the computer
software tools, such as Find and Replace, to make your work more efficient and accurate.
 You can zoom in to make the font larger and easier to read, or navigate between pages
with thumbnails (available in the Adobe Reader Navigation pane).
 It is easy to delete or change a correction if you change your mind.
 You can paste new or heavily corrected text into a note or text box, so that the typesetter
does not have to rekey it and the risk of new errors being introduced is reduced.
 You can easily check references or unusual spellings by copying and pasting them into
your browser.

2 | © 2021 CIEP Proofreading 2: Headway UNIT 1

Study notes

This document is for the personal use of Peter Shaw (Copyright 2022)
Prepared at 03/02/2022 03:41:13 Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
 Working with a palette of stamps gets quicker and easier with practice and the stamps are
neat and clear. No corrections will be misinterpreted through poor handwriting!
 It is easy to keep a copy of your work and there is no danger of the proofs being lost or
delayed in the post.
 You can deliver your work with a click rather than booking a courier or going to the post
office. That might give you an extra day or two to complete the job to your satisfaction!

Style and procedure

You might be fortunate enough to be given a detailed brief, but sometimes you need to piece
together your own brief by asking questions. For example:

 Are UK or US spelling and punctuation to be used?

 Does the client have a preferred dictionary?
 Is there a house style guide or a copyeditor’s style sheet for you to follow?
 Are there any special requirements or particular issues that you should look out for?
 How should you deal with any queries for the author?
» Make a separate list for the client?
» Flag them up clearly on the PDF or write concise queries, circled, in the margins of a
paper proof?
» Correspond directly with the author?

Planning your work

As soon as the job arrives, check that everything is complete (including tables, figures,
footnotes, etc, if needed) and seems to conform to the brief. It is worth doing this even if you
do not plan to start detailed work for a few days. If the brief you received is vague or there is
no house style guide, skim through a few pages to get an idea of the style and to check the
level of work required. If more tidying up seems to be needed than you expected, discuss this
with the client straight away. You could send the client a few pages showing what work you
think is needed.

A methodical approach

An important part of proofreading is cross-checking for consistency. If there are lots of

different elements to check (such as complex layout, illustrations and tables, cross-checking of
lists), break the job down into discrete tasks and deal with them one at a time. Take time to
stand back and look at the layout to check paragraph style, fonts, headings and other
designed elements. You may not always have time to read the whole text through for sense
more than once, but looking at the various design elements in a text in isolation is the best
way to spot any inconsistencies.

If you have not been given a house style to follow, it is a good idea to compile your own style
sheet as you go along. It will save your time and sanity if, when you get to page 20, you have a

3 | © 2021 CIEP Proofreading 2: Headway UNIT 1

Study notes

This document is for the personal use of Peter Shaw (Copyright 2022)
Prepared at 03/02/2022 03:41:13 Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading
record of whether you hyphenated a particular word when you last came across it on page 2!
If you have been given the copyeditor’s style sheet, you might find yourself adding to it.

Whether you are working on screen or on paper, remember to distinguish between queries
for the author or client and editorial corrections and instructions for the typesetter or
designer. When using PDF markup tools, we recommend that you highlight any section of the
text requiring a query and type the query in the attached comment box. Use a different
colour highlight to that used for instructions to the typesetter so that your queries stand out
and are not missed. If you are proofreading on paper, instructions and queries should be
written concisely in the margin, and circled (circling conventionally means ‘do not set’). Again,
use a different colour ink for queries to that used for the rest of your markup. If there are
quite a few queries when working on paper, you might consider making a separate numbered
list and indicating the part of the text the query refers to by writing only the query number in
a circle on the proof.

Passing the job on

If time permits, it is worth putting the work aside for a day or so once you have finished
proofreading, and then returning to it with a fresh eye and looking through to make sure that
you have done all that is required.

 Re-read the brief to check that you have not forgotten anything.
 Make a decision on any corrections or style issues that you were not sure about in your
first read through, and delete any pencil queries, highlighting or sticky notes that you
made as reminders to yourself.

 Check that any queries for the author or client are clearly flagged or separately listed. All
documentation, such as style sheets or lists of queries, should be labelled with the
author’s name and/or the job title.

 Check that anything that needs to be attended to before the proofs are returned to the
typesetter, such as missing items, is clearly flagged or listed for the client to deal with.

 Double-check that you have left everything clearly marked and explained for whoever will
be dealing with the proofs next.

4 | © 2021 CIEP Proofreading 2: Headway UNIT 1

Study notes

This document is for the personal use of Peter Shaw (Copyright 2022)
Prepared at 03/02/2022 03:41:13 Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading