Word Styles are a means of applying specific formatting to different parts of your document, like the headings, weblinks, bullets and numbers, etc., but why should you use them?
What are Styles?
You’ve probably noticed a block of Styles in your ribbon in Word, and you may very well have ignored them, or you may have wondered what they are, and why they are there.
Styles are a means of applying specific formatting to different parts of your document, like the headings, weblinks, bullets and numbers, etc.
Word has a range of default styles, but styles are fully customisable. Here are some of the things you can set using styles:
Font type and size
Font style (bold, italic, underlined)
Indents
Line and paragraph spacing
Proofing language
Bullet or numbering formats for lists
Text effects (including strikethrough, super- or subscript, small capitals or all capitals)
Shortcut key for that specific style
Why use styles?
But why bother with styles? It’s easy enough to format a document perfectly well without them. This is true, but here are some reasons why Styles can be useful:
Format a document consistently
You may want all your first level subheadings indented, capitalised and in bold. You could do this by hitting tab, and using CapsLock and Ctrl-B. If your document is short, or you only have main headings and one level of subheading, then applying this consistently is usually fairly easy. If, however, you’re working on page 50 out of 80 and you have 3 levels of subheading, applying a style is much quicker than referring to your formatting notes, or scrolling back to your previous first level subheading.
Change your document format quickly
When you review your document, you may decide you want subheadings in small capitals instead of all capitals. If you’ve styled each subheading manually, you’ll have to remember to change each individually too. Instead, if you’ve applied styles, you simply need to update that style, and each instance will update across the document.
Style multiple documents consistently
It is a good idea to have and use a consistent corporate style. Using styles (and templates) can be a great way to make sure multiple documents use the same style.
Create a table of contents automatically
If you’re working on a long business report, thesis or dissertation you may need a table of contents. You could draw this up manually, but then you need to remember to update the headings and page numbers if you make any changes. Alternatively, if you use heading styles, you can get Word to create and update you table of contents (watch out for a blog explaining how to do this!).
What else?
There are a few other useful things you can do with Styles:
Move around your document easily using the navigation pane.
Collapse sections without deleting them (though do remember to reopen the sections if you want them to print).
Work in outline view so you can demote or promote headings.
I thought it was time for a short fun post for the start of the year, so here are my 5 favourites books read in 2020. What did you read? What did you enjoyed? Do you have any great recommendations for my reading list for 2021? Please let me know!
I never knew that – Bill Bryson, The Body
As an adventurous traveller, I’ve read (and giggled at) all Bill Bryson’s travel books. However, he’s not just a travel writer, and I really do wish I’d had a teacher like him at school as he can make the most mundane interesting. Not that the workings of the human body are mundane.
The Body made an absolutely fascinating and informative read, with plenty of moments when I needed someone to turn to and say ‘did you know…?’ The section on the transmission of viruses (which was written long before Covid-19!) was particularly interesting.
Work inspiration – Michael Breus, PhD, The Power of When
If you look online, or in most self-help books, most recommendations are to get up an hour earlier, and/or to do your most focused work first thing in the morning. I’m a night owl, and always have been. There’s no point trying ‘reset my body clock’ by going to bed too early as I’ll just wake up shortly after midnight and not get back to sleep. Nor is there any point in trying to force my brain to focus first thing.
The Power of When was, thus, a fascinating read about the best time of day to do almost anything, dependent on whether you’re a lion, bear, wolf or dolphin. (I’m a wolf!)
A fascinating history – Helen Rappaport, Caught in the Revolution: Petrograd, 1917
Maybe because I grew up when the Iron Curtain was firmly in place; maybe because I spent my teen years reading every Robert Ludlum and Len Deighton spy story I could lay my hands on, I’ve always been curious about the history of Russia. Two visits to the country haven’t reduced that fascination, so I’m always on the lookout for books about, particularly twentieth-century, Russian history.
This book looks at the Revolution through the eyes of British and American journalists, nurses, business men and embassy staff, based on letters and diary entries. It is extensively researched and very thought-provoking. Did you know that Emmeline Pankhurst went to Russia in June 1917, in the middle of the revolution, to campaign against Russia pursuing peace with Germany?
An old favourite – Bernard Cornwell, The Flame Bearer
I started reading Cornwell when I was first introduced to sailing and found a few of his sailing stories. After all, a thriller involving boats – what’s not to like?
I then got drawn into the Warlord Chronicles (King Arthur) and the Grail Quest Series as I love ancient English myths and legends. Many years ago I picked up The Burning Land while hunting for something to read at an airport or train station. I thought I’d found a standalone Cornwell (I really should have known better), but unfortunately got hooked, so had to buy books 1 through 4, and so on to the rest of the series. Looking for something to read during lockdown I realised my to read pile contained both The Flame Bearer and War of The Wolf, so The Flame Bearer was a great weekend escape from lockdown madness. (Though can I make a quick plea to Bernard Cornwell – I’m running out of bookshelf space for this series, so please can the story truly end with War Lord!)
Twisted minds and a good body count – Val McDermid, Splinter the Silence
A friend once described my favourite escapist reading as ‘if there isn’t a good body count by page 30, you’re probably not interested’, so this was another escapism session. I love McDermid’s mix of ‘whodunnit’ and criminal psychology, and particularly enjoy any book with, the somewhat awkward, Tony Hill.
This week’s post is the second in an occasional ‘How to’ series for getting the best out of Microsoft Word. This document will look at Word’s AutoCorrect (there will be more about AutoFormat options to follow). Microsoft’s autocorrect functions can be very useful, BUT I would advise checking your settings before you allow Word to dictate to you how you should spell and format your work. At the very least, checking settings might save you swearing at your computer, but setting Word up to work with you can also help you to avoid introducing unintentional errors into your work.
Before I look at some of the settings, do remember: If Word does change something automatically that you didn’t want changed, hitting Ctrl–Z (or Undo) will undo it.
If you have encountered any specific problems using this feature, or other aspects of Word, and you’d like me to explain how to solve them in a future blog, please get in touch.
This week’s post is the first in an occasional ‘How to’ series for getting the best out of Microsoft Word. Here’s a document which gives you detailed instructions for setting the language in your document.
Here’s a checklist for you to work through to help you improve your writing.
As promised last time, this is a checklist that you can use to improve your writing.
Checklist
Work through this list only when your document is close to the final draft otherwise you’ll just have to repeat your checks.
Consistent spelling
Make sure you’re using the most appropriate spelling for your document, and that you are using it consistently.
Are you using UK or US English (e.g. harbour or harbor)?
Are you using -ise or -ize spellings (e.g., organise or organize)?
Spelling and grammar check
Run a spelling and grammar check. (I will explain how to tame Word’s spelling and grammar checker in a future post.)
Spacing
Search for any double spaces and replace them with single spaces.
Check for unnecessary spaces around punctuation.
Check that your headings are spaced consistently throughout your document.
Table of contents
If you have created a table of contents manually, have you used the correct chapter names?
Are they in the right order in the table of contents?
Do they have the right page numbers?
Tables, figures, maps or illustrations
Have you given each table or illustration a number (if relevant) and caption?
Have you referred to them correctly in the text?
Are they listed correctly in the appropriate illustration list (where you’re using one)?
Lists
Have you used bulleted or numbered lists?
Have you used the same style of numbers, letters or bullets throughout your document?
Have you been consistent in how you’ve introduced and punctuated them?
Acronyms and abbreviations
Will your audience understand any acronyms or abbreviations you’ve used?
If not, have you either explained what they are at first use, or included them in a glossary?
Citations and references
If you have citations, is each included in your reference list?
Are both the citations and reference list formatted consistently?
Is the reference list/bibliography in the correct order?
Footnotes and end notes
If you’ve used notes, are the cues positioned correctly and consistently in the text?
Do you have the right text in each note?
Is the text in the notes easy to read?
And finally…
Take a break!
After you’ve finished your cuppa (or, even better, after a good night’s sleep), reread your document, out loud if possible. This should help you spot any clumsy sentences, and it might highlight things you’ve missed out.
Do you have any other hints for checking your own work? If so, I’d love to hear from you.
I’ve worked through your checks. Do I still need a proofreader?
The checklist is here to help you tidy up a short document, when you’re working to a tight deadline, or to help you to reduce the cost of proofreading if you’re working to a budget. They are not, however, a substitute for using a professional.
Whether or not you’ve worked through this checklist, if you’d like to discuss your proofreading requirements, or would like a free no-obligation quote, please do get in touch.
Have you ever found a garment which claims ‘one size fits all’ that actually fits you? I thought not!
That is exactly the same for editing and proofreading. One size does not fit all so, instead of giving you a price which includes extras you don’t need, I will always tailor your quote to fit you.
The definition of editing or proofreading differs from person to person. I will look at various levels of editing in more detail in a future post, but for the purpose of this article I am assuming you are not a publisher, and you are looking for a single comprehensive edit.
Let’s look at what affects how much you will pay for proofreading:
If you’re in a rush and want a free, no-obligation quote, please send me a small sample of your work, let me know your deadline, and give me an estimate of how many words need proofreading. Otherwise, please read on.
What have you written?
There are certain checks that need to be carried out no matter what you’ve written, but the type of document will dictate what additional work is needed. Here are some examples of what checks might be necessary for each type of writing.
Weekly blogs in a conversational tone
You probably won’t need more than checks for consistency, typos and other errors. You may need a style sheet drawn up or applied to help your regular blogs to look professional.
Marketing material for print or online
Your English usage will probably be more formal, and the cost of errors may be higher as there may be production costs involved. As well as checking for consistency, typos and other errors, you may want the layout checked, including positioning of any artwork.
A board report
As well as the previous checks, headings and subheadings will need to be formatted consistently. There will possibly be a table of contents that needs checking. You may have tables, charts and calculations. If so, their titles and any references to them will need to be checked for accuracy and consistency. You may also want calculations checked.
A multi-author training manual or proposal
With multiple authors, the likelihood of inconsistent spelling, formatting and use of abbreviations is much higher. You’ll need a style sheet (if you don’t already have one), and much more focus on consistency is also necessary. You might need help combining multiple documents into a single coherent whole, or want help sorting out layout inconsistencies created by combining multiple documents.
A business journal submission or PhD thesis
All the earlier mentioned checks will still be needed, but you will have citations and may have cross-references. These need to be verified, and formatted to obey a recognised style. There are, however, some limits to the amount of intervention allowed in student submissions.
How long is your document?
Are you writing a single short document, a single long document or multiple separate articles?
As I charge per word, the overall price will obviously be dictated by the document length, but the rate per word might be higher for a one-off document than if you book in a number of separate articles over a period of time.
For instance, there are a number of checks that I carry out on each new job, no matter how long it is. As these will take a greater proportion of the time spent proofreading a short document, you will find the rate per word is higher for 500 words than for 5,000 words. However, if you book in regular short blogs in advance, the cost per word will also be lower than for a single piece. This is because I get to know you, your style and your quirks, which makes it much easier to work on subsequent documents (for instance, I have a client who often types ‘form’ instead of ‘from’ so I now check this before I start proofreading their work).
What is your writing style?
Do you use common words, or their more complex synonyms?
Do you use short sentences or do you average 3 sentences per page?
Is your writing full of jargon? If so, have you properly defined each of the terms at first use?
Using complex words, long sentences and a lot of jargon is not necessarily wrong, so long as your writing is appropriate to your audience, and your meaning is clear. However, the more complex your writing style, the more likely you are to make mistakes. It may also make it more difficult for your editor to understand your work, so you will pay more.
Do remember that one great advantage of using a proofreader is that they will make sure your writing makes sense to an impartial outsider!
Is your writing in a Word document or a PDF, on PowerPoint slides or on your WordPress site? Do you want to send your editor a hard copy, or is there some other format you are using? There are pros and cons to each, but the most important consideration for you is what format suits your end use. Do, however, let your editor know what format you’ll be sending over. As a bit of an IT geek, I work most efficiently on screen (particularly on Word files, PDFs or WordPress sites), but each editor will have a preferred format, and this may impact your final price.
When is your deadline?
Your editing deadline and document length are closely connected. The tighter your deadline, the more you will pay, however, if you can help your proofreader to plan their schedule in advance, rather than expecting them to drop everything to fit your work in, then you will probably pay less.
Please also remember to allow enough time for your document to be proofread and for you to work through the resulting comments and amendments. As a rough guide I always advise clients to allow around 1 working day per 7,000 words for the proofreading itself. Longer documents, booked in advance, can often be completed more quickly, but proofreading 80,000 words for tomorrow is simply not possible.
Remember, your proofreader can’t work through your document at the same speed at which you might be able to read a novel.
This doesn’t mean that short deadlines can never be catered for – please do ask as it may be possible to fit you in – but expect to pay a premium for the service.
Conclusion
As you can see, proofreading and editing really is better customised to your exact needs. This is why you won’t find a price published on my website. If you would like to find out more, or want to know how much it would cost to proofread or edit your work (whether a one-off piece or a series of blogs and articles) I’d love to hear from you, so get in touch.
In my next post I will give you a few simple checks you can carry out yourself to improve your writing and reduce the cost of proofreading.
Rene Nel - Proofreader 