Why is it that typos are so obvious once the print job is complete?  We don’t know but we have seen rather a lot of embarrassing or just plain daft printing blunders in our time at Solopress.  As the author we do appreciate that mistakes can be particularly difficult to spot so here are a few simple tricks of the trade to ensure all errors are quickly identified and corrected.

To begin, use the computer spell checker to eliminate simple typos. Remember to check that the computer has the correct language selected i.e. UK vs. US.  Computers do not always get it right though so having a printed dictionary to hand is also useful.

Each subsequent reading of the document should be focused on a different aspect. First, read the document to see if it is complete with all the information needed, this could mean dates and times for an event on a flyer or thorough explanations of services in a brochure, either way make sure it is all there.

Next, read the document to see how it sounds. Listen to the sound of the voice in your head or read out loud to see if the sentences make sense as a whole. The tone and flow of a document are important to ensure the audience remains interested and receives the right impression of the company or promotion.

A third reading can be used to identify other spelling and punctuation mistakes. Before this reading is undertaken it can be helpful to read something else in between to enable the mind to return fresher. A top tip is to read the document backwards when checking for spelling mistakes.

Finally, check all content outside of the main body of the text or that which is formatted differently such as headers and footers. Often this ‘outside’ text is additional information such as telephone numbers, dates, company names etc. and these items can be easily overlooked.

At least one of these readings should be done in hard copy as mistakes can be missed on a computer screen.

Here is a list of the most common typographical mistakes:

- Homophones – these are words which sound the same but have a different spelling and meaning. Right and write, deer and dear.
- Leaving out silent letters – Febuary and February, lisen and listen.
- Adding an Ending – mistakes can be made when changing the tense of a word by adding an ending. Hopeing and Hoping or Submiting and Submitting.
- Missing words – most commonly with smaller words, to, it, is, of, a, etc. Or sometimes these words are used incorrectly in exchange for one another.
- Ordering of letters – the most common of typos is for letters to be the wrong way round.
- Punctuation – apostrophes are the most common punctuation mistake. They should be used in two ways, for the possessive e.g. Peter’s ball, and to replace missing letters e.g. it’s or don’t.
- Amalgamating words – some words should be separate ‘a lot’ rather than ‘alot’
- Verbs – adapt the verb to a singular or plural subject for example ‘I was’ and ‘we were’ not ‘I were’ and ‘we was’.
- Should of/should have – the latter is correct.

Once the document has become free of all its mistakes and is as correct as it can possibly be it is ready to go to print. All you need now is a high quality printing company to match your high quality proofreading…

(… in London…)
If you are in a band that is trying to make it in London, you have some stiff competition, as in London there are a lot of existing bands and many more forming every day, as the nearly 10,000 ads on Gumtree prove. This high density and competition has created a very lively gigging scene, especially in the areas in and around Shoreditch, Camden and Islington. Firstly, to make it in this environment you have to genuinely be good and stand out.

Once you have reached the level where you can play a few songs, you should get out there and make some noise, play as many gigs as possible and build up a fan base. Most signed and unsigned bands have an active MySpace site, which allows them to post songs online without having to worry about illegal downloads and interact with their friends and fans – in addition MySpace is free. Some, especially bigger bands have a stand-alone official band website. Further you could try and get your songs onto iTunes so people will actually pay for downloads! These are great ways of spreading the word as links get passed on, but another approach is to have something handy to give to your fans when they come to see you at your gig.

You could start off with some inexpensive flyers. If they have seen you and liked you, but you were in one of many bands on stage that night, likely after one or two beers they will forget your band name. You can find inexpensive leaflet design and flyer printing services online, but maybe if you are of a creative nature (likely, as you are in a band!) you can take care of the design yourself and just submit the completed artwork to your printer.

Many bands/musicians carry demo-cds on them wherever they go. These are not just handy in case there is a music-exec in the crowd – and you never know who you might bump into – many times you will talk to an enthusiastic new fan after your gig. If you can hand him a cd with your music, you can help him spread the word for you. If you have a clever printer you can even print a customised cover for these, but it depends on how many you hand out how much time you want to spend on customising these.

Another idea is to invest in some band posters. You could ask venues where you are going to play to put these up a couple of weeks before the gig. Many pubs and smaller venues will welcome some well-designed and attractive wall deco as it makes them look good too. This will make folks recognise your band name, which is half the way to making a fan – now they just have to like your music! Have a look – large format poster printing is a lot cheaper than you might think.

Another good idea is to take part in as many competitions as possible. For example Glastonbury Festival this year offered unsigned bands the opportunity to play on one of the smaller stages at the festival this summer. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t be shy. Imagine how proud your mum will be when you tell her that you are playing at Glastonbury!