The short answer: Absolutely! We all need proofreaders. Whether you hire us, another proofreader, or simply have a friend or colleague look over your copy, it’s always wise to have an extra set of eyes—or two. Bonus points if your friend or colleague is a stickler for grammar and has some writing or editing chops.
If you must proofread your own work, here are a few tips:
- Do not rely solely on spellcheck or grammar check.
- Walk away from your desk for a few minutes, hours or days before you sit down and reread what you wrote.
- Unsure about spelling? Use a dictionary!
- Repeating the same words too many times? Use a Thesaurus!
- Walk away once again before rereading for a second time. This time, read it aloud as you go along.
- Have a grammar question? Get yourself a grammar book or visit the Grammar Girl site.
- Walk away one last time before your final pass.
We all make mistakes, and it’s okay if that happens on occasion. But there is no excuse to write copy that is regularly riddled with errors—missing letters, misspelled words, extra punctuation, hard-to-digest sentences, etc. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Rush drummer and author Neil Peart said it best in Ghost Rider:
“…and though so far it’s a good tale well-told, the copy editor should be shot. There are so many typos in this book it’s positively alarming, starting right on the first god-damned page! As you know, such solecisms leap off the page and hit me like a smack in the face and set my brain vibrating in outrage and confusion; it’s such a disservice to any reader to have to stop and figure out what it’s supposed to say.”