Spell-Checking Your E-Book Carefully

However good your spelling is, always check for misspelled words. Everyone makes these occasional typos, and they aren’t always obvious at a glance.

Your first step is to run an automatic spell checker. Your word processing software should come with one built in, and it may well underline words in red automatically. (While I was working on an early draft of my novel Lycopolis in Microsoft Word, a pop-up message alerted me that spelling mistakes would no longer be shown because I’d made so many. Don’t reach that point!)

If a word is underlined in red (or green for a grammar correction), check the suggestion first. Don’t blindly accept it — spell checkers are far from infallible. If you realize that the correction is indeed correct, accept it. If you’re not sure, consult a dictionary, or ask a writer friend.

After you’ve fixed any typos and mistakes picked up by your spell checker, read the manuscript yourself. Many mistakes won’t be spotted because you may have typed a legitimate word or phrase, even if it isn’t what you intended. And as anyone who has ever accidentally typed the word public without the l can tell you, certain undetected spelling mistakes can be embarrassing!