The Proofreader's Toolkit: 6 Must-Have Resources for Proofreaders

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I used to think that proofreading was just reading text to find typos, punctuation mistakes, and grammatical errors.

Then I took a course on proofreading and found out I was wrong.

There’s so much more to it than that! Proofreaders need to understand what style guides are, which one is best for them, and understand how to use them. We also need to understand style sheets, dictionaries, and how to research and fact-check. And don’t even get me started on grammar and all those comma rules! 😩

That’s why I put this Proofreader’s Toolkit together for you. It’s a quick guide to the best resources for proofreaders to help you understand what you’ll need to know so you can be the best proofreader for your clients.

The proofreading tools in this proofreader’s toolkit are the same tools I use daily as do most proofreaders I know. They are some of the best resources for proofreaders.

The Proofreader’s Toolkit

1. Style Guides

The first tool in our Proofreader’s Toolkit is style guides. Style guides help maintain consistency across all written materials and provide a uniform approach to language, punctuation, and formatting.

Proofreaders need to know what style guides are and understand how to use them. Different clients may require different style guides, so it’s important to be familiar with the style guide your client uses.

Wikipedia has an extensive list of style guides if you would like to see them all.

The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS)

This is the go-to book for most proofreaders. CMOS focuses on grammar, style, and citation, making it the top style guide for book publishing in American English. You might also hear it referred to as “the editor’s Bible.” A wide range of professionals use this style guide: writers, editors, proofreaders, indexers, copywriters, designers, publishers, and academics. It’s used more for non-fiction works but is helpful for fiction, too.

As a proofreader, you will use it to ensure consistency and clarity in formatting and layout.

Associated Press (AP) Stylebook

The AP Stylebook is mostly used in the journalism and news industries, such as magazines and newspapers. It contains basic rules for grammar and punctuation and includes specific styles for numbers, spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, acronyms, and much more.

The AP Stylebook is used by editors, writers, and more to ensure clarity in websites, white papers, and press releases. Recent updates include new or revised entries for digital wallets, smart devices, and yes, even the coronavirus.

AMA Manual of Style

If you plan to proofread in the medical, health, or life science field, you will need to be familiar with the AMA Manual of Style. It covers everything you need to know to be able to accurately edit medical journals, books, and more. It contains guidelines for grammar, punctuation, and capitalization as well as information citations and references.

American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual

APA Style is used mainly in the behavioral sciences, such as psychology, criminology, and sociology. Proofreaders in the behavioral sciences field will use APA to make sure the language, format, and citations are consistent.

Modern Language Association (MLA) Style

Proofreaders working in the humanities field, such as English studies, literature, and cultural studies, will use the MLA style guide. It covers general formatting, footnotes and endnotes, formatting quotations, abbreviations, and citations.

2. Dictionaries

The next tool in our Proofreader’s Toolkit is dictionaries. They are one of the best resources for proofreaders. The best dictionary to use is one that your client recommends. However, if they don’t have a preference, then it’s up to you.

The main dictionary most proofreaders and editors use is Merriam-Webster. It includes pronunciations, word origins, and a list of synonyms. With its most recent update, it now contains more than 75,000 words!

Other dictionary options include:

3. Grammar and Punctation Guides

Obviously we proofreaders can’t memorize every single grammar rule. I’m including these grammar resources in the Proofreader’s Toolkit because they are ones I use often and trust.

The Best Punctuation Book, Period by June Casagrande
Comma Sense by Ellen Feld
English Grammar for Dummies by Geraldine Woods
Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips by Mignon Fogarty
The Chicago Guide to Grammar, Usage, and Punctuation by Bryan A. Garner
The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr., E.B. White, and R. Angell
Words Into Type by Marjorie E. Skillin and Robert M. Gay

4. Digital Tools

There are a few digital tools we can add to the Proofreader’s Toolkit, but keep in mind that these tools are only there to help, and not replace your expertise! They should only be used last after you’ve already proofread for errors.

Here are the ones I use:

Grammarly

Grammarly is a grammar-checking tool that finds and fixes certain errors depending on which version you use. I have the free version, which checks grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

\There’s also a Pro plan, which is $12/month. It includes consistency, clarity, engagement, suggestions, and a plagiarism detector.

PerfectIt

PerfectIt checks for just about everything including consistency with hyphens, capitalization, and spelling and you can add style preferences as well as check CMOS (as long as you’re a CMOS online subscriber). My favorite feature is the documentation finalization tasks. PerfectIt can detect extra spaces and any notes you’ve left in the text. Which saves you a lot of embarrassment!

There’s a free trial that runs for 14 days so you can see if it’s right for you. If so, you can purchase it for $99 a year. That’s only $8.25 a month, which is far better than Grammarly’s pricing and there’s a lot more included!

5. Subject-Specific Resources

Depending on your niche, you may need specialized references. For example, I work mainly with Christian books, so I refer to The Christian Writer’s Manual of Style at times. Here are some others:

Medical dictionaries
Drug name databases
Legal style guides
Law dictionaries
Technical manuals
Citation style guides
Academic writing manuals
Scientific style manuals
Business writing style guides
Corporate jargon glossaries
Journalism style guides
Fact-checking resources
Thesauruses
SEO keyword tools
Web content style guides
Field-specific glossaries (e.g. finance, engineering, psychology)

6. Time Management Tools

Proofreaders have to meet deadlines and sometimes fast turn-around times. But we also have other tasks that need to be done. Luckily there are tools out there to help us manage our time better. Here are some tools I use to help me in my business:

Trello

Trello can be used to manage projects and collaborate with your team or clients. It uses boards to keep things organized. I use it as more of a content calendar for my blog. However, it can also be used to track your progress on projects. You can also set up workflow templates for recurring projects.

Timer

Some sort of timer is necessary when timing projects, especially if you charge by the hour. I currently proofread for a small Christian publishing company that pays by hour so I have to keep up with my time. Sometimes I prefer to just use the timer on my phone, which works well in most cases.

Buffer

Buffer is a social media management tool that I use to schedule posts to LinkedIn. It automatically posts on the day and time I choose so I don’t have to spend time away from client work to be on social media.

Clockify

Clockify is a time-tracking tool that I found recently and am excited to learn more about. It tracks time spent on different projects or tasks and allows for setting hourly rates so you can easily calculate your earnings. It also generates reports for billing clients or analyzing productivity, although I haven’t used it for that yet.

Conclusion

Building your Proofreader’s Toolkit is an ongoing process. Start with these basics and gradually add resources that are tailored to your specific needs and projects. Remember, the goal is to have reliable references at your fingertips, allowing you to work more accurately and efficiently. These resources for proofreaders are to help you grow your business quickly and efficiently:

Style guides for consistency
Dictionaries for accuracy
Grammar and punctuation guides for precision
Digital tools for efficiency
Subject-specific resources for specialization
Time management tools for productivity

Remember, these tools are meant to improve, not replace, your expertise. As your proofreading business grows, you’ll probably find that you can add more tools to your toolkit. It’s up to you to find the combination that works best for you.