Like the absolutely essential Elements of Style, the Proofreading Handbook is small, compact, and an easy read at just over 160 pages.

No, you’ll probably never need that section of typesetter’s marks, but you never know, and the existence of that section in the book shouldn’t dissuade you from taking advantage of the other solid info in these pages.

This is a serious professional manual. It’s lousy for reading on the subway, but for those who want to transition from writer to editor, it’s a good addition to the old professional library.

You can never have too many editing resources, but that said, this is one you don’t want to miss. Purdue Univeristy has a collection of resources called the OWL (Online Writing Lab) that is just fantastic. Look here for information on proofreading your work.

If you are a writer that doesn’t understand common proofreading symbols, it might be time to learn. Not all editors use them, but if you run into one that does, it can really help if you understand what they are trying to tell you. Check out this resource to learn some of the basics. Whether you are writing a novel or just doing some freelance writing, you never know when you might need to know what these symbols mean.