>I'm curious about how members of the list handle proofing of your >files. I find that when I do this, my mind really beings to wander >about 20 minutes into doing this. I typically check files at least >four times, and I still find mistakes.
I second all the recommendations Jef made. It's been a few years since I've done any large jobs, but when I did, I always proofed every song on hard copy, and I always proofed them at a desk in different room from where I did the Finale work. As much as possible, I'd separate the proofing work from the Finale work. When the deadline was tight it wasn't always possible to take breaks before proofreading, but I would at least stagger the work so that I would do Finale work on the next song before going back to proofread the previous song, so that at least I'd never be proofing the same song I had just worked on. It should be noted that proofreading really isn't for everyone. It requires a high tolerance for tedium, a trait that doesn't correlate highly with artistic creativity. I also requires an ability to stay focused on details while still being aware of the big picture (as does my current day job, tax accounting). If this particular combination of skills is not one you possess, you should seriously consider subbing your proofreading out to someone else. Incidentally, professional proofreading is a serious business. I used to do freelance proofreading at a firm where the rule was that every draft of every piece had to be proofed by three different people, at least one of whom had to be a professional proofreader. What sort of firm actually pays for this much proofreading? A publishing house? A newspaper? Sorry to say, but no. The place where I worked specialized in high-end direct-mail marketing. Call it sad, call it funny, but the commercial reality is that the junk mail you dump directly into your recycle bin has been proofread more carefully than the best-selling novel you're reading. mdl _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [email protected] http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
