Introduction

In any document, material may be moved, deleted, updated, or otherwise changed around. It's the proofreader's task to make sure that all related material has been updated appropriately.

Let's take a closer look at some of the things you'll need to watch out for.

Body Copy

Let's start things out with a couple of definitions. First up is the term copy. Copy is simply the material that will be printed. Everything that you receive in a manuscript is considered part of the copy. Next up is body copy. Body copy is the text of the document excluding headings, subheadings, captions, callouts, and pull quotes (we'll explain these last two in a second). You can think of it as the "meat" of the document. If you look at the title of this lesson you'll see that we're specifically looking at agreement between the body copy and anything to which the body copy refers.

While we didn't mention headings and subheadings, the body copy will obviously have to agree with these as well. After all, readers might get a little confused if a section's heading is "Types of North American Honeybees" and the body copy goes on to talk about honeybee mating habits. These kinds of errors are prominent enough that proofreaders rarely have to point them out. But keep your eyes open anyway. You never know what may turn up.

Callouts

Callouts are labels used in illustrations to point out specific features to the reader. Typically, a small bit of text will accompany an arrow or line pointing to these important features. Look at the following de-classified image from spy photos taken during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

The text boxes in this photograph point to all the necessary components that the viewers needed to know about in order to assess whether Cuba was building a nuclear arsenal. Without those callouts, it would have been difficult for the average viewer to discern what they were indeed looking at.

You don't need to be a member of the CIA to put callouts to good use. Any image that contains material that may not be clear to the average reader (and maybe even a reader "in the know") should make use of callouts. You'll often see callouts in images used in medical journals. Images of bacteria, cellular processes, and other incredibly small objects and processes should include callouts.

When proofreading, you'll want to make sure that, during the editing process, these callouts remained static and that the formatting process didn't alter the position of any of these helpful textual guides. And you'll also want to make sure that the text doesn't refer to callouts that aren't there. There's nothing more frustrating for a reader than to be told to look at something that doesn't exist.

Pull Quotes

Pull quotes are quotes that accompany a document. They are often used to fill extra space when a document is formatted for printing, but they serve a functional purpose as well. They act as teasers to the content of a document and also highlight important points.

There are several things to keep in mind when proofreading pull quotes. The first, and perhaps most important, thing to check is that the pull quote actually exists in the text. Have you ever watched the trailer for a film and then gone and seen the film and felt something was missing? Perhaps you noticed that a particular scene you were looking forward to based on the trailer never appeared in the final cut of the film. Somewhere, somehow, some editor made a major mistake. A pull quote that never appears in the text will have the same effect.

The next thing to check is that, if there are multiple pull quotes in a text, all the pull quotes are formatted consistently. Like we've said many times before, and we will say many times again, consistency is key. Quotation marks are not necessary in pull quotes, but if you use them once, use them every time. Make sure that font sizes and the fonts themselves are consistent as well.

Figures: Images, Tables, and Charts

As new information becomes available before press time, an author might update his or her images, tables, and charts . . . but then forget to update the main text. For example, the main text might suggest that the interest rate was 4.5 percent in 1982, but the chart might say that it was 5.6 percent in 1982. This needs to be noted and corrected.

Also be on the lookout for blatant errors for which the cause cannot be identified. People sometimes write or type very different things than they mean to, and when working with a document with a lot of numbers, these kinds of errors can be pervasive.

In-Text References

A manuscript may contain a number of references to other parts of the text. For example, the body copy might point the reader to Table 3.4 for more information. An explanation might cross-reference another chapter by telling the reader "See Chapter Eight for more on the subject of dogs."

The proofreader needs to double-check all these references. First, the proofreader needs to check that the destination exists (what if there isn't a Table 3.4?) and then needs to check it's the correct destination (what if Chapter Eight is about cats?).

Number Sequences

One other very important issue a proofreader must be alert to is number sequences in the text. There are a number of potential sequences to watch for:

• Headings and subheadings: Are these numbered correctly (1.0, 1.1, 1.2...), or has one been missed (1.0, 1.3, 1.4...)?

• Page numbers: Most word processing programs and desktop publishing programs number automatically, but things like section breaks and page breaks can mess things up. Make sure the page numbering is correct.

• Images, tables, and figures: Sometimes these skip as well. Ensure that everything is as it should be.

• Table of contents: Most word processing programs can do a table of contents update with the click of a button, but quite often this is forgotten. Double-check that it has been updated to reflect any changes in the text, either by using the automatic functionality or doing it manually.

• Index: It may or may not be within the scope of your assignment to double-check the index; the index is also something that can be done automatically. If this is part of your job, ensure that it has been reviewed.

Added Copy Errors

The final thing we need to talk about is the addition of errors to the copy by proofreaders. The author and editor (or editors in some cases) spend a large amount of time ensuring that as many errors as possible are taken care of before the copy gets to the proofreading stage. Nobody wants to be the one that introduces errors to an almost-perfect piece of writing.

After your final regular proofreading pass, it's important to check just one more time for any errors you may have introduced. If you have introduced any errors, chances are they will be one of a few different types.

1. Doubling of letters or words: When making small corrections, it's extremely easy to add an extra letter, especially if you are using the Track Changes function in Word.

2. Extra or missing punctuation: Look at the ends of sentences. Is there final punctuation for each and every sentence? Are there any missing or extra quotation marks or parentheses? Are all the ellipses in order?

3. Missing words: Did you delete any words that shouldn't have been deleted? Better check to make sure.

4. Marking errors: Double-check all the errors you have marked and the comments you have made. While you should do this as you are working, doing it after you've finished your proofread can't hurt one bit.

Summary

The main concern here is consistency between elements in the text. Just as words need to be spelled the correct way every single time they are used, numbers referring to the same figure need to be correct every single time they are used. Captions and callouts need to be consistently worded and consistently applied. The proofreader should also verify that the formatting of the document is as correct as possible (in the event that queries need to be made to the author or editor, there may be a few things proofreaders cannot correct).

Last Updated: 09/09/2022