Do I really need a proofreader? You’ve probably never asked yourself this question. Maybe it’s time you do.
The world goes up in flames without proofreaders
Ok. That’s a little dramatic. But imagine this.
You’re relaxing at home, spending the precious amount of free time you have reading a new book. The story has reeled you in, but you notice a typo on page 23. Then a sentence on the next page doesn’t seem to make sense. Is a comma missing? You reread it several times before deciding to just move on. A few pages later you find another typo. What is happening?? Frustration starts to build, and you say to yourself (or maybe out loud), “This might be more work than it’s worth. One more typo and I’m calling it quits.”
Or, you’re reading a blog on the website of a local business you’ve been considering buying products from. You know blogs are a great tool for learning about the people behind the business. You notice a few typos in the most recent blog post, so you click to the home page. Ah, another typo.
What goes through your mind at this point? Doubt, that’s what. If this business isn’t detailed enough to make sure their website is error free, how much care have they put into their product? Does professionalism mean nothing??
It should. This is why having your writing proofread is crucial. Whether you’re writing a novel, copy for a website, or a brochure for your business, your work should be mistake free and clearly written. If you can do that, your readers will be less likely to put your book down or click over to your competitor’s website.
Proofreaders make you look like a professional
I know what you’re thinking, “I better be more careful and reread my writing more closely!”
While that’s a good first step, none of us can proofread our own writing very well. That’s right, not even me. I had two different people proofread this entire website—one of them a professional proofreader.
As humans, we tend to love what we write. We’re close to it. We know what we meant to say. And, we’re sure we said it in the best way possible. But when we read it over and over, our brains read what we THINK we wrote instead of what we ACTUALLY wrote. So, we miss the sentence with the word “from” twice in a row. We don’t notice a word is missing in the second paragraph because our brain knew it was supposed to be there and “sees” it there anyway.
Proofreaders catch these mistakes. They comb through your writing to fix grammar and punctuation issues and make sure everything makes sense. In short, they make you and your business look more professional.
A clean document helps your readers understand your information or story and be able to connect with it. Do those two things, and you’ll also have a better chance of getting them to do anything else you want—whether that’s buying your product, recommending your book, hiring you to perform a service, or giving your nonprofit money.
Don’t get caught with your pants down
That’s right. Don’t get caught looking sloppy. Don’t let your readers down. They are reading what you wrote because they’re interested. It’s hard enough to get people to read what you offer. Don’t send them away disappointed.
Follow this blog for more tips
Follow my blog to learn more about writing, editing and proofreading and how they can help your business thrive. I’ll do my best to show you how to make the most of your writing (without wasting your time).