One of the greatest fears of cookbook authors, and one of the easiest fears to overcome, is the fear of not having a perfect family cookbook.

Oh, the pain and embarrassment of having a typographical error smack dab in the middle of the family cookbook! You just cringe at the thought of hearing snide comments from those folks in the family who think there’s a prize for finding fault (but didn’t help when they had the chance).

Here are some ways to boost confidence and help you create a family cookbook to be proud of:

1. Print a draft copy to proofread. Don’t try to do proofreading on your computer screen.

2. Find a spot at a table where you can sit down comfortably for at least one hour uninterrupted. Allow yourself enough time to read the recipes and text. If you hurry you will miss something.

3. Try to relax and read each part of the family cookbook as if you’ve never seen it before. This exercise is to catch misspellings and odd sentences. (Reading short sentences backward, last to first, is a good way to see the words and not the context). Also, reading the text aloud can help you spot errors.

4. Go back and read the recipes and family stories again as if you don’t know anything about them (as if you are a stranger). This approach gives you better perspective on whether the recipes are complete, and what further explanations may need to be added to the recipe or family story.

5. Mark all your changes or corrections in red ink. Don’t be afraid to write notes or ideas on the margins. This is your chance to think some more about the family cookbook and what you want to achieve by producing one.

6. Give the family cookbook to a friend or other relative who likes to proofread. Give them a few days to accomplish their assignment. Some cities have freelance writers listed in the phone book who specialize in proofreading for a nominal fee.

7. Treat your proofreading like a treasure hunt. You know the jewels are hidden on the desert island; you just have to figure out a strategy of finding where they are buried.

Finally, don’t feel bad if some typos show up in the family cookbook. Nobody’s perfect, and I bet most of them will be overlooked entirely.  The best part is that you can fix any typos in your files right away and issue new pages to any family members who have a copy of the family cookbook. That’s the great thing about creating a cookbook on your own computer; you are in complete control.

Happy proofreading,

Matilda

Making a recipe book? Check out all the recipe software and cookbook binding supplies we have at CookbookPeople.com.

If you enjoyed this article, you might check out:
• Top 10 Reasons to Make a Cookbook
• The Top 3 Family Cookbook Mistakes
• Printing Your Family Cookbook Away from Home

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