Tip for the week: When you’ve finished proofreading your manuscript, consider formatting it for your e-reader and uploading it for one last pass. [I use onlineconvert.com]
I’m doing this with my novella series and I’m shocked and amazed at how many errors I’m finding in work I’ve read over and over again on the PC. I think just seeing the story in a different format with a lot less words on each page is allowing me to zero in on each sentence and really see what I’ve written as opposed to what my brain thinks I’ve written.
I’m going to do this with all my manuscripts now, for the peace of mind, it’s priceless. I’ve never been happier to come across typos in my life.
5 comments:
That's an interesting tip! The equivalent of printing it out, I'd guess. Thanks!
Sounds like a great idea. I know right now if I need to get a different perspective on my manuscripts, I change the font to something other than TNR. It sounds simple, but it really shakes my brain out of its complacency.
(I can't claim credit for that tip, but right now I can't remember who offered the advice to me.)
Cool! Thanks for the tip!
Reading it on my Kindle actually lets me see big picture stuff better--I find I read it more like a "real" book, so I see where there are questions left unanswered, characters that genuinely serve no purpose to the story arc, etc.
I just send my Word document or PDF to my free kindle address with the word "convert" in the subject, and it does a decent job with formatting.
JB, I usually print out a first draft – I think that helps with major edits, and it also serves as a last ditch backup. In the event of an electronic catastrophe, I’ll still have a hard copy.
B.E., changing the font does help. I’m convinced our brains are wired by the first draft of the story, and we see what we think we wrote, so a new view disrupts that hard wiring.
Lindsay, thanks, I wish I had more!
Angelica, I never tried converting that way. It sounds easier than my way, I’ll have to give it a try.
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