Proofreading Checklist for Authors (Free Printable)

Proofreading is the last check before your book goes on sale, and it’s easy to miss things when you know the text by heart. This checklist is built for self-publishing authors: it covers the Word file, the formatted proof and the ebook, in the order you’ll meet them. Tick it off on screen or print it. If you’d rather hand the final check to someone else, our proofreading is priced by genre and word count.

When to use the checklist

Proofread at each stage where errors can creep in. Not every group applies at every stage.

Fixing errors in the Word file is easier than after layout, when each change means a new interior file and, once the book is live, another round of KDP review. Our guide to editing vs proofreading explains the Word file and printed proof choice in more detail.

The proofreading checklist

Tick each item as you check it. Your ticks aren’t saved, so print the list or download the PDF if you’re working over several days.

Need dialogue rules for group 2? See dialogue punctuation. For which errors a copy editor fixes earlier, see copy editing vs proofreading.

Six ways to catch more errors

You know your book so well that your eyes fill in what should be there. These habits make the text look new again.

1. Wait before you start. A few days away from the book helps you see what’s on the page, not what you meant.
2. Change how it looks. A different font, size or a PDF breaks the familiar shape of each page.
3. Read it aloud, or let Word’s Read Aloud read it to you, highlighting each word as it goes. Missing and doubled words are easier to hear than to see.
4. Print it. Some errors are easier to spot on paper, and a printed proof shows layout problems a screen hides.
5. Check one thing per pass. Spelling on one read, punctuation on the next, layout on the last.
6. Recheck every fix. A correction can add a new error, or move a line onto the next page.

For your own revision passes before this stage, see how to self-edit your manuscript. For the deeper edit, see what a book editor does.

Send corrections as a list

Once the book is laid out, don’t send a new Word file. Send a list of corrections, so your formatter changes exactly what you mean and nothing else.

Count lines from the top of the text, not counting the running head, and quote enough words that the formatter can find the spot. The download includes a blank corrections log. If you’re working with a formatter on interior formatting, ask how they’d like corrections sent; some accept notes on the PDF too.

When to hire a proofreader

Your own passes catch a lot, but a fresh reader catches what familiarity hides. At AuthorWings fiction rates:

• Proofreading: $160 for the first 10,000 words, then $0.016 a word; $1,120 for a 70,000-word novel. 3 to 7 business days.
• Not sure your book is ready for a proofread? A $49 sample edit of up to 1,000 words tells you which level it needs.

One lead editor handles the edit, with a fresh proofreader for the final check.

Frequently asked questions

How many times should you proofread a book?

At least twice: once on the Word file before formatting and once on the formatted proof. After that, check every page you change. Order a printed proof copy too, because errors that hid on screen can show on paper. A professional proofread after your own passes catches what familiarity hides.

Is it better to proofread on paper or on screen?

Use both if you can. Paper, or simply a different format from the one you wrote in, makes the text look new, and you notice more. A screen is better for searching, such as checking every spelling of a name. For a print book, always read a printed proof before you publish.

What should you check on a KDP proof copy?

Start with the cover: spine text (if your page count allows it) centered and readable, nothing important too close to the edges, and the barcode area clear. Then check the interior: margins and the inner gutter, page numbers, chapter openings, image quality and front matter. List your corrections, upload the fixed files, then check the new preview or order another proof before you publish.

Can you proofread your own book?

Yes, and you should, but you’ll miss things. You know what the text is supposed to say, so your eyes fill in missing words and skim familiar sentences. Using a checklist, changing the format and reading aloud all help. For a book you’re selling, a fresh proofreader after your own passes is worth it.

Related reading

• Editing vs proofreading: what’s the difference?
• Copy editing vs proofreading: which does your book need?
• Standard manuscript format (novel and non-fiction)