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Proofreading is something that is often not given the priority it deserves. It’s easy to leave it to the last minute, and then be forced into doing it quickly. But proofreading is important and should be seen as a crucial step in the writing process that requires a good block of time. ⌛

There’s nothing worse than creating a really interesting blog post, only to realize once it’s gone up that you’ve missed some mistakes. Proofreading doesn’t have to be difficult, it just requires time and a few good strategies. Here are some good ways to proofread your WordPress blog.

1. Proofread in the Morning

Okay, so not everyone is a morning person. Regardless of what your schedule is like, do your proofreading early in the day. Doing your proofreading at the start of your workday means you’re going to be more alert and wide awake. Don’t proofread if you’re tired, you’re a lot more likely to miss something or make a mistake. A lot of people find themselves getting drowsy in the afternoon as their caffeine begins to wear off.

Bottom line: whenever it is that you’re most awake, that is the time to proofread.

2. Take a Break and Come Back to It

As Madeline Jones, proofreader at Academized writes:

Once you’ve finished writing and feel like you are ready to start editing, it’s a good idea to walk away for a little while. Right now your brain is way too accustomed to what you’ve been writing to do a proper editing job.

You’ll be highly likely to miss some mistakes because you’ve been looking at this piece of writing for a while. Come back with fresh eyes a few hours later, or even a few days later, if you have the luxury. Editing with fresh eyes allows you to actually look at the words with a sense of detachment, reading what is there, instead of what you meant to write.

This is especially important on those super long 10,000+ word content pieces! ?

3. Pay Special Attention to Punctuation

Bad punctuation just looks bad. Watch out for misplaced apostrophes and periods. Semicolons are also one thing that a lot of people seem to struggle with. Remember that a semicolon is used to link two closely related independent clauses in a single sentence.

Here’s an example:

I have a massive blog post due tomorrow; I can’t play Xbox tonight.

The two clauses above are separated by a semicolon, but could work as their own sentences if you put a period between them instead:

I have a massive blog post due tomorrow. I can’t play Xbox tonight.

If you find them confusing, it’s best just to avoid them. You can write a perfectly good blog post without using a single semicolon.

Another one bloggers sometimes struggle with is which words to capitalize in a title or header. There are four main title capitalization styles: Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style. There’s no right or wrong selection but choose one and stick with it so your writing all feels the same. You can always double check your work in a free online tool like Capitalize My Title. Bookmark this in your browser for when you’re writing.

Correct use of punctuation makes all the difference in a piece of writing.

4. Follow Along with Your Finger or Mouse

One of the most important things involved in effective proofreading is to read slowly. A lot of people struggle with that, but there are ways to slow things down. One way is to point at each word with your index finger as you read. Another popular habit some writers use is to highlight the words with their mouse as they go. By doing this, you’ll be able to focus on each word.

The natural impulse is to breeze through your document as you proofread. You feel like you’re almost done and you just need to quickly go over your work before you submit it. Slow things down, you’ll thank yourself later. ?

5. Get Rid of Distractions and Stay Focused

Yolanda Fite, editor at AustralianHelp suggests the following:

Do your proofreading in a quiet place that is free of distractions. Turn off your cell phone, pull yourself away from social media, and turn off the TV. Place yourself in an environment where you are unlikely to be interrupted.

Sometimes that might even mean disconnecting from the internet altogether, printing off your document, closing the laptop, and editing with a pen. It’s also a good idea to have a clearly defined editing time, as opposed to editing on the go. If you edit as you go, you’re going to be constantly switching modes back and forth from writing to editing. Switching modes like that can be distracting and lead to things getting missed.

It’s also easy to drift off and not completely focus while you’re proofreading. If you find your mind wandering off as you’re editing, then you need to find a way to get yourself refocused. You can’t proofread well if you’re only partially paying attention. Proofreading is one time when you need to be sharp because it’s very easy to miss an error. Monitor yourself, and if you find yourself drifting away, it’s important to go back and re-examine the section you were proofreading.

Try tapping your foot or hand as you read each word to stay focused. Sometimes you just need to get up and stretch, get some fresh air, and come back a few minutes later. It’s often tempting to want to just push on until you’re finished, but the quality of your post will suffer if you’re proofreading it while tired or distracted.

Sometimes it helps to take notes as you write, so that you remain in writing mode and don’t become distracted and lose your flow or train of thought. It’s a lot easier to just come back later, look at the notes, and then make your corrections.

6. Be Sure You Have Permission to Use the Material

Your blog can really benefit from including material from other people whose knowledge and opinions you respect. Just be sure it’s okay before using it to enhance your blog post. It should go without saying, but plagiarism is not okay. If you’re going to use someone else’s material you need to cite them as the original author or ask their permission if you’re unsure.

7. Figure out What Your Weaknesses Are

Find out what your most frequent errors are. Even experienced writers will tell you that they have specific errors they tend towards. Maybe you have problems mixing up “two,” “too,” and “to,” or you have a bad habit of placing the apostrophe incorrectly. Whatever your weaknesses are, the most important thing is that you identify them so you can pay special attention to watching out for them as you proofread.

Start working on a list of your common mistakes, and keep it with you as you proofread as a reminder. Having the list handy will also save you the trouble of looking it up online. Google Keep and Evernote are great for