Easy Proofreading Quiz

Can you find five mistakes in this short paragraph? In the digitel age, many are turning to self-publishing, and due to the instant nature of this format, mistakes can be easy to overlook. Sometimes all you need is a second pare of eyes! And of course, the longer the document; the more likely that your going to have mistakes. Click too learn if you found them all!

For Your Information

At Portland Proof, we recognize that many are trying to break into the world of publishing, and people are, more and more, turning to self-publishing as a way of getting started. With millions of documents being submitted to publishers every year, it seems as though it would be a miracle to have a book noticed by a publisher. Accordingly, people are taking the route they know will get their works in print.

Unfortunately, many of these people, working on shoestring budgets, bypass some of the most basic steps, such as proofreading, advertising, and graphic design.

Don't make the same mistakes that thousands of self-publishers make every year. Even if you're on a shoestring budget, we have ways to help you out. If your book is worth publishing, then it's worth the money spent to do it right!

Contact us to get some help with your proofreading project!

The Answers

Did you find all the mistakes? If you did, congratulations...but don't feel too smug; we deliberately made this quiz easy. Finding mistakes in writing (especially your own!) is much harder than this. If you're in need of some proofreading, contact us for some help!

Can you find five mistakes in this short paragraph? In the digitel age, many are turning to self-publishing, and due to the instant nature of this format, mistakes can be easy to overlook. Sometimes all you need is a second pare of eyes! And of course, the longer the document; the more likely that your going to have mistakes. Click too learn if you found them all!

digitel - The word is properly spelled digital.
pare - Don't be fooled into thinking your spell checker will find all your mistakes for you; pare is a word, but it's not the correct one. The correct word is pair.
semicolon - Many people get confused about when to use semicolons, and in this case there should be no semicolon between document and the; it should be a comma.
your - They're, their, and there; its and it's; your and you're - these are all confusing homonymns that many writers mix up. In this context, the word means "you are," so the contraction you're is appropriate.
too - Another easy mistake! Too many people use too when they meant to use to!

Advice for Self-Publishers

Beware of Vanity Publishing
How to Advertise Your Book
Book Covers and Graphic Design
E-Publishing for Kindle or Nook
A Fun Quiz: Find the Mistakes!

Laura Twitchell of Portland Proof

Satisfied Clients

"As a writer and author, I have long valued the services of a good proofreader. It is enough to research and compose without worrying about crossing every t and dotting every i!

"In my latest project, I found the services of Portland Proof to be invaluable in creating a quality work that is both readable and accurate. Laura gets an A+ for her attention to detail and ability to polish a sentence or a paragraph."

~Bob Briggs, author of Around Hallowell

"As the administrator and moderator of a popular creative writing website (Fifteen Minutes of Fiction) I knew that when the time came to publish our first anthology of stories and poems, proofreading would be a daunting task. Many styles of writing, combined with many ability levels (both adults and children had writings included in the anthology) required a sharp eye and a keen understanding of grammar, punctuation and style. Laura was more than equal to the task, and helped us produce what is undoubtedly one of the finest anthologies of amateur creative writing in print. The project would have been impossible without her."

~Douglas Twitchell, FMOF Administrator