8 Proofreading Tips for a Perfect Family Cookbook

You want to create the perfect family cookbook, right? But you’re afraid that you’ll overlook some glaring error.

You dread the pain and embarrassment of someone finding a typographical error smack dab in the middle of the family cookbook!

And you just cringe at the thought of those snide comments from folks in the family who think there’s a prize for finding fault (but didn’t help when they had the chance).

Don’t worry, you’re not alone in your fear! Every cookbook author shares this fear. And luckily, it’s not that difficult to overcome.

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

Proofreading Hints for Family Cookbooks – or any document!

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’ll miss something.
3. Relax and read the text aloud to help you spot errors. This exercise helps you catch misspellings and odd-sounding sentences.
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. Go through the book one final time and look at the images. Have you correctly matched the images to the recipes?
7. Pass the family cookbook to a relative or friend who likes to proofread. Give them a few days to accomplish their assignment.
8. 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’re in complete control.

Happy proofreading,

Erin