BEAM: the 5 stages of proofreading

I don’t proofread your content like your readers read your content. That’s reading. You’re not paying for just reading.

So I don’t proofread your content by just reading it through start to finish. That’s risky. You’re not paying for risky either.

Working on reports, papers and dossiers that have word counts in their thousands, I don’t want to feel all at sea. I need to know that the mix of 1.2 billion, 1.2B, 1,200,000,000 and 1.2 B are consistent. Or if they use them differently in the main text than in graphics, making sure those all match up. And how does the client want the ‘(see Fig 1)’ on p17, ‘see Figure 3’ on p121 and the part-bold ‘refer to Fig. 3’ on p243 to be standardised when there isn’t a style guide to refer to?

In content written by top writers and researchers, it’s rarely about spelling mistakes or accidental typos. There could be different capitalisation in brand and product names, a duplicated word-for-word paragraph or a handful of missing accents over é in a name. Maybe a mix of how job titles are included (and if it’s repeated after their introduction) or URLs that link to incorrect pages and 404 error messages too.

If I was reading it like a reader, pootling through each page, trying to keep all that from leaking out of my head, scribbled down alongside the many other client editorial requirements, then your content would be a nightmare of a mind tangle for me. And it’d be a poorly done proofreading service for you.

Purposeful precision

To make proofreading easily manageable and more efficient, I’ve developed my 5-stage BEAM process to navigate your content. Each proofreading pass shines a light on different elements of the text.

These targeted sweeps reveal issues in stages, so decisions can be made effectively. By the time I’m ready for the full readthrough, around 75% of the issues have already been cleared, queried and clarified.

The BEAM checklist has over 150 common issues to work through to give me structured focus. (Plus any excuse to create order in a spreadsheet. I need no excuse to fill the BEAM heading rows in a shade of hot #ff26b9 pink.)

By reviewing your content in stages, my time is used effectively and there are no redundant revisions.

The 5-stage BEAM process

Here’s how my BEAM proofreading process is split to allow me to deliver my highest quality service.

► BEAM 1. The clean-up.

This pass is about sweeping through the basics using Find & Replace and nifty tools like wildcards (special characters that search out potential issues) and macros (little computer programs that automate repetitive tasks). I search out the double spaces, place missing full stops where they’re meant to be, remove spaces hanging out at the start of paragraphs, switch straight quote marks to their curly counterparts, and check if any non-breaking spaces are lurking (and if they’re even needed).

These changes aren’t tracked. If they were, you’d be working through what could be a hundred or so extra amends that don’t need your approval. Anything that might need clarification and isn’t resolved in a later stage is run past you later in the process.

Removing these distractions early on means I can get to work on the nitty gritty without my own focus interrupted by the extra white space or the shape of a paragraph missing a full stop.

► BEAM 2. Your project-specific requirements.

You’ve already got the gist about inconsistencies. They’re the primary issue I find in large-scale reports, scientific reviews and tech papers – especially those compiled by several authors.

Your document, your rules. If an editorial style guide or dossier template with specific requirements was used to create the content, I’ll refer to it when these queries crop up. That way I can quickly and correctly smooth over the discrepancies without your involvement. If a style guide wasn’t used, I’ll gather up the queries for after the third pass.

► BEAM 3. Consistency continued and duplications deleted.

Once all the client-specific elements have been worked through, it’s over to the rest of the text: hyphens and dashes, numbering, abbreviations, UK/US spelling muddles, and duplicated words, sentences and paragraphs.

No more jarring shifts in bullet point styles, mixed figure legends, scattered ™ ® symbols or wondering why something sounds familiar. We need to keep your audience in the reading flow. A receptive reading flow. (Securing millions of pounds of income or investment could be riding on this.)

Now I’ve worked through all the common issues in the first three BEAM passes, there’ll be overarching queries that need clarifying for anomalies and inconsistencies that can’t be resolved by the style guide if one was used. I’ll email these queries to you in as few batches as possible (usually just the one) so you and your team can decide how to move forward.

► BEAM 4. Top-to-toe readthrough for clarity and understanding.

While you’re deciding how you’d like me to approach the earlier queries, I get to work reading your document in full. Here’s where I follow the message and check for clear comprehension to further keep your audience in that reading flow state.

As I’m now reading through the text methodically from the start, I can easily stop at the end of a section. Once your response comes through for how to action the batch of queries, I can stop reading at the most appropriate point to make those amends with no impact on my focus. It’s a great stage to discuss any options and make any tweaks if needed as my attention isn’t solely zoned in on the small details.

If I spot anything that needs clarifying during the readthrough, I’ll flag it as a query in the comments. There’s usually more than one possible meaning to what’s been written and it’s not for me to make an assumption. I’ll offer the different options as to what may be being said. (A missing or misplaced comma is usually the culprit.) You can review the possible meanings against the original text and make the necessary changes so it means exactly what you need it to say.

Any notes explaining why amends have been made, flagging potential changes to be made depending on a decision accepted/declined earlier in the content, specific queries or the rare suggestion will all be added as comments too.

► BEAM 5. A final clean-up.

(Because you never know.)

Everything on my BEAM checklist has been reviewed. Amends have been made as appropriate. The decisions you made have been updated. The document has been read in full. And comments for your attention have been added accordingly.

You’d think that’d be the end. It ain’t.

We both know I’m here to create a seamless reading experience for your audience and so your content presents a top impression. But… it’s important to consider the other impact of using a proofreader.

Writers, editors and anyone else involved in getting their tappy typey hands on the document to update the text can cause a typo, accidentally delete something or not notice that a word autocorrected to a similarly spelt word with a different meaning. Involving an additional person in the content (yep, even a proofreader) means that person may also accidentally introduce a new oversight or two. Proofreaders are working with the same word processing software with the same potential for little issues to occur.

To make sure there are no knock-on effects from being part of the content creation process, I repeat an appropriate selection of checks from the first three BEAM passes. It’s only then that I’m happy to sign it off and return the document back to you.

I’ve said this so many times before because it’s the truth: the safe side is my fave side.

A bright idea

When first impressions, brand image and the ROI of financial investment matter more than ever, it’s not just about fixing mistakes.

Knowing your document has been through a rigorous, multi-stage review? Peace of mind. Confidence in your content. Assuredness of having been included in the decision-making process. A service that values your time as much as your trust.

Whether you’re close to publishing a five-yearly research review, groundbreaking white paper or detailed industry guide, this 5-pass BEAM proofreading process elevates your content to its full potential.

Proofreading the content yourself? These common inconsistencies, regularly confused words and UK/US spelling differences will help you out. Or if you need a structure to follow with check boxes to keep you on track (and no mention of wildcards or macros), check out the resources below.