Always order a physical book to proof. Many errors that were not obvious on screen will suddenly leap off the page, such as:
- Misalignments
- Wrong fonts
- Abnormal spacing
- Typographical errors
- Page and Section breaks
How to Review Your Book Proof
Read the Book – If at all possible, read the entire book checking for typographical errors and inconsistencies.
Be aware of the following:
- Fonts – Are they used consistently throughout the book?
- Inch vs. quote marks – Good typography uses proper curled quotation marks, not the straight inch marks. Check the ones in your book.
- Hyphens, ems and ens – Each type of dash has a different use. For instance, numbers or dates in a range are separated by an en dash, not a hyphen.
- Line spacing – Is it consistent in every paragraph throughout the book?
- Word spacing – Do you have some lines that are much looser or much tighter than the others? Watch out for forced line breaks that might be left in the file.
Look at the Book – Ignore the text and instead concentrate on everything else. Here are the things you’ll typically be looking for, and some tips on how to find them.
- Orphans/widows -Single lines at the bottom of a page or parts of lines at the top of a page.
- Running headers need to be consistent and have the proper information, like section titles or chapter titles.
- Chapter openers should also be consistent and all should start in the same place on the page and contain the same elements in the same order
- Review Page Numbers. Blank pages should have nothing on them, and also check that your pagination is accurate with all odd-numbered pages on the right.
- Make sure any page references are accurate.
- Paragraph indents ought to be consistent throughout, no matter what style you’re using.
- Subhead spacing and alignment can be controlled by styles in your software, but you should check them anyway to make sure they are uniform.
Hold the edge of the book in one hand and allow the pages to flip quickly through your fingers. You’ll spot misalignments because they “pop” out compared to the other pages.
Proof the Cover
The front and back covers of your book are the most important two pages in terms of book sales. Here are elements of your cover to check on the proof:
- Is the overall design and the colors what you expected?
- Is your title clearly visible?
- Is the type on your spine clear and straight?
- Make sure no important elements are too close to the trimmed edges of the book.
- If you have a barcode, or if you’ve printed the ISBN on the back cover, make sure they match the ISBN on your copyright page.
- If you included a category and price, are they correct?
- Don’t forget to proofread the copy on the back cover.
Proof, Revise, Upload, Publish!
Upload revised versions of both your interior and cover and start the review process again.