I know handing over a manuscript that you’ve spent months or, even years, working on can be daunting. With that in mind, I thought it could be helpful for authors to see what a beta reader and proofreader looks for when working on a manuscript. I use a checklist.

If I’m beta reading:

• Have I noted any inconsistencies or anything I’m confused by?

• Have I explained why I find something particularly effective?

• If I reference a scene earlier in the manuscript, have I stated the page number and explained why I’m referencing it?

If I’m proofreading:

• Are all the character and place names spelt correctly and consistently?

• Have I double-checked regional spellings and homophones?

• Is the capitalisation consistent?

• Is there a change in tense in a sentence for no reason?

• Has a plural verb been used, mistakenly, with a singular noun or vice versa?

• Are any ellipses spaced consistently?

• Is any punctuation missing?

• If a character is speaking over multiple paragraphs, are the closing speech marks placed only at the end of the last paragraph of dialogue?

This list is not exhaustive, but is a general check of the manuscript.

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