Proofing Your Work

Ebooks and online publications have made being published easier than ever, but you still need to ensure quality to be successful. Proofing is the main way to ensure you do that. So what does proofing cover? 
  
Well, first, there is the ever popular spell check. This is a must. However, it is not enough all by itself. There is a poem call Ode to a Spell Checker. If you give it a read, you can see how easily mistakes can slip through. 
  
The next step is a grammar checker. These vary a great deal in usefulness, but one I have found that is a free online tool is http://www.spellchecker.net/grammar/ 
 
Next is reading the work over. I recommend reading aloud as it helps you spot phrases that do not really flow. They are often correct, just not “right”. 
 
Last of all, arrange a proofing buddy. This is someone that reads over your work and checks it for readability. This is something only another human can really do, though there are online readability tools http://www.addedbytes.com/code/readability-score is one.