You have carefully proofread your client’s medical suspense fiction novel. You’ve double-checked and triple-checked yourself to make sure everything is perfect before returning it to your client.
You’re pretty proud of yourself because you did an amazing proofreading job.
After a few days, the client gives you feedback: “What is this? You’ve turned my suspense novel into a children’s book!”
Oops.
Maybe something similar has happened to you. It’s not the end of the world, but it may just be the end of your proofreading career. The truth is, there’s a fine line between being a grammar guardian and a voice vampire, sucking the life (and personality) out of an author’s work.
This post will teach you how to maintain the author’s voice while proofreading so you don’t become “that dreaded editor.”
What is Author Voice in Writing and Why Does it Matter?
Sometimes called “literary voice”, author voice is a combination of a writer’s tone, vocabulary, point of view, personality, personal style, and unique expressions. It’s how a writer expresses themselves on the page and how readers recognize an author.
Author voice consists of obvious details, such as the writer’s attitude, thoughts, and feelings. Those details are unique to that author.
The Delicate Balance of Proofreading
Proofreading walks a fine line between two important objectives: making sure the mechanics are flawless and maintaining the author’s voice.
On one hand, you have to pay careful attention to detail, eliminating errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting. You also have to ensure that the writing is clear and professional.
On the other hand, you need to make sure to maintain the author’s voice by not stripping away their personality. A strong author voice is the magical ingredient that breathes life into text, captivating readers and developing an emotional connection. Replacing expressions with formal language might eliminate errors, but it would also strip away the genuineness and feel of the writing.
Imagine a sassy detective novel overflowing with the author’s signature wisecracks and cynical style. You come across a sentence that reads:
“He shuffled outta the joint like a three-legged dog wearin’ a clown suit.”
Technically, “outta” is a contraction, and “wearin'” is informal. Do you rewrite it as:
“He shuffled out of the establishment like a canine with three legs wearing a clown outfit”?
Sure, it’s grammatically sound, but it also kills the sentence of its gritty charm.
How to Maintain the Author’s Voice While Proofreading
Step 1: Identify the author’s voice.
The author’s voice is the unique style of the writer; the way they express themselves. Here’s how to identify the author’s voice:
- Consider word choice. Do they use complex words or simple words?
- Pay attention to sentence structure. Does the author prefer complex sentences or compound sentences?
- Determine point of view. Is it written in first-person or third-person?
- Look for rhetorical tools, such as metaphors, similes, and repetition.
- Determine the tone. Is the writing serious, humorous, factual, casual, or something else?
Step 2: Check for voice consistency.
Voice consistency is how often the author maintains the same style and tone throughout a piece of writing. A consistent voice creates a sense of familiarity and trust with the reader. Also, it helps maintain a clear narrative so readers don’t get confused by sudden shifts in tone.
Scan the text to check for any shifts or variations in the voice that may confuse readers. Also, keep the target audience in mind and make sure that the author’s voice is relatable and appropriate to their target readers.
Step 3: Make sure the author is speaking the correct language.
The author’s voice should match up with the target audience’s expectations. For example, a children’s book will sound a lot different than a business proposal. Also, make sure that the voice supports the purpose of the text (e.g. Is the goal to inform or entertain?). The overall tone should remain the same throughout the text and it should match the genre.
Step 4: Identify the author’s intent.
It’s important to understand the main goal the author is trying to communicate with their text. Here’s how:
- Locate the thesis statement, which is the central idea that the text revolves around.
- Identify the key points that support the thesis.
- Determine how the author ends the text. Does it summarize, persuade, or leave a lasting impression?
The author’s intent should also match up with the voice and tone. For example, if the voice is humourous, it should match a goal to entertain.
Sometimes, the author’s intent is hidden and woven into the text through their choice of words, the way they structure their arguments, and the overall tone they create.
Step 5: Ensure the message clearly reflects the author’s intent.
Intent clarity is the level of detail that the author provides to communicate the goal to the reader. The writing itself should reflect the author’s intent. Here’s what to look for:
- The flow and structure of the text should guide readers logically through the author’s ideas. The text should have a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- Paragraphs should be well-developed and focused and support the overall message. There should be a smooth transition between paragraphs.
- Sentences should be strong, clear, concise, and varied. They need to communicate the author’s voice and intent effectively.
Step 6: Make sure the message resonates with readers.
The author’s message should resonate with readers. Here’s what to look for:
- the writing has hit its intended goal and it connects the target audience in the way the author meant to
- the evidence is relevant and reliable
- the text has logical and emotional effects
Strategies for Maintaining Author Voice While Proofreading
- Read like a fan. Carefully read over the work as if you were a fan of the author’s books, not a proofreader. This will allow you to identify quirks, such as metaphors and the types of sentences they prefer writing (e.g. short and punchy).
- Understand genre standards. Understanding the genre will help you tell the difference between stylistic choices and areas that need to be corrected. For example, a sci-fi novel will sound different than a romance novel.
- Respect the author’s goal. Sometimes, an author will use an awkward sentence to emphasize character development. It’s best to respect the author’s stylistic choice to maintain their voice instead of following a style guide. (Sometimes it’s okay to break the rules!)
- Know the target audience. The way an author expresses themselves needs to resonate with the reader they’re trying to attract.
- Read aloud and listen. One of the best ways to proofread creative writing to maintain the author’s voice is to read the text aloud and listen to how it sounds. Reading aloud can help you catch mistakes that you might miss while silently reading, such as unclear or awkward sentences and missing or repeated words. Listening helps you determine the rhythm, flow, and tone of the content as well as the emotions, intentions, and personality of the author.
Respectful Suggestions
- Highlight, don’t rewrite. Proofreading is not the same as editing. It focuses on correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting errors. Editing focuses on revising the content, structure, and flow of the text. Proofreaders shouldn’t rewrite, reorganize, or rephrase the text. If you feel that something doesn’t make sense, leave a suggestion in the comments or simply ask if it was meant to be that way.
- Offer options. Instead of changing a sentence that doesn’t seem right to you, offer options or suggestions for alternative phrasing that aligns with the author’s style. It’s their choice whether or not to accept your advice or ignore it if it doesn’t fit with their style.
- Focus on clarity, not conformity. A good proofreader will be able to focus on correcting technical mistakes (grammatical errors, typos, punctuation mistakes, and inconsistencies in formatting and spelling) that make the writing unclear and hard to understand. However, changing some phrases to be grammatically correct may change the author’s voice.
Communication is Key
Communication is extremely important, especially in proofreading. By discussing voice upfront, a proofreader will be able to maintain an author’s voice throughout the project. Knowing the author’s desired tone and style will help you avoid unnecessary edits that might change the author’s voice.
When discussing voice, make sure you understand the author’s target audience and their desired tone. Ask if they have a style sheet that lists their stylistic preferences.
Encourage the author to express their concerns and ask questions. Having an open and honest conversation about their writing style helps in maintaining the author’s voice. This builds trust and you both become a team working toward one goal: a clean and clear text that gets the author’s message across to their targeted audience in their own unique voice.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintaining the author’s voice while proofreading is very important. Authors have their own unique voice, which is the heart of their personality, style, and perspective. Voice matters because it’s what distinguishes one writer from another, creating a bond with readers and stirring up their emotions.
Maintaining the author’s voice while proofreading is a delicate balancing act that requires meticulous attention to detail while keeping the authenticity of the original text. By respecting their voice you’re not only ensuring grammatical accuracy but also protecting the honesty of the writer’s expression.
Effective communication is also important because it builds trust between you and the author, which is crucial during collaboration. You and the author need to be partners working toward the same goal.
What are some ways you maintain the author’s voice while proofreading?
Bonus Resources
- What is the Writer’s Voice? How to Find Your Writing Voice (blog post)
- What is Voice in Writing? Character and Author Perspectives (blog post)
- Finding Your Writer’s Voice: A Guide to Creative Fiction (book) *Amazon affiliate link
