Proofreading is often underestimated, and it can seriously impact the credibility of the author/brand. Know the difference between editing and proofreading and how to proofread copy quickly and efficiently.
How many times did you write “your” when you really meant “you’re”? No judgment, we’ve all been there, even the most professional writers. Here comes the importance of revision after writing any copy, whether it’s an ad, a blog, or a 1 sentence caption. Before having your copy published, you have one last chance to avoid any embarrassment and correct your errors before a client, manager, or any reader recognizes it. This last chance is called: Proofreading.
What is Proofreading?
Proofreading is the last step of the editing process, and it’s a fundamental skill of writing. It’s the last bullet to correct your last-minute errors (typos, punctuation, or spelling mistakes), in addition to consistency and formatting issues.
Proofreading is not the same as editing.
While many of you may mistake proofreading for the same as editing, they are separate but inseparable steps of the revision process. Editing is the step just before proofreading. You can compare copy-editing to designing a wedding dress for a bride. The designer has to ensure the dress is equivalent to the bride’s request for material, design, color, size, and other details. But the dress is never ready before the final fitting before the wedding, where it’s only possible to make minor changes, this is proofreading. It’s the final touch to ensure the end result is in perfect condition before it’s released. Any major changes should have taken place during the editing process. Although underestimated and neglected by many, taking a closer look and proofreading our work can help us pick out many mistakes taken for granted.
Writing and publishing are essential ingredients in most professional and academic life. Whether you are a copywriter, a social media manager, or a student, your work is to pass by proofreading before submission. Technically, even our moms need to proofread their text messages before sending them over to us (a lot of typos in there, but can’t complain)!
What to watch out for when proofreading?
- Spelling mistakes and correct word choice: Homophones (etc. their, they’re), definite and indefinite articles (etc. the, a, an), and prepositions (etc. on, in, at).
- Punctuation errors: Commas, apostrophes, and hyphenσ.
- Style and language: UK and US use of English and wrong capitalization of words.
- Syntax / Flow: Sentence structure, usually including word order. Does it sound natural?
- Brand Voice: Is the copy synonymous with the brand voice? It has to sound aligned with the rest of the content on the business website and other copies.
This review stage demands time and attention to detail, but it’s worth the investment. As a copywriter submitting publish-ready copy to your clients, you’re boosting your credibility. However, when you don’t proofread your work, you risk losing customers. The same goes for business owners who publish their own copy. At this stage, we can certainly guess what’s happening in your head. Yes. online grammar tools and spellcheckers are helpful, BUT they can’t detect all the errors. In other words, you can’t run away from proofreading, someone got to do it. That’s why we highly advise business owners to hire professional copywriters that can take the hassle of writing, editing, and proofreading away. Proofreading is a demanding job/task, and neither your friend that used to take an A+ in writing nor a computer program (until today, at least) could do it for you. An experienced professional is trained to identify and eliminate the errors in your copy because they understand writing conventions. It’s their job!
Wright is a copywriting agency that hires experienced copywriters dedicated to publishing error-free and SEO-optimized copy to its clients. We guess that’s the only way companies or individuals can avoid proofreading. Until you make that decision, Wright got you covered with five proofreading hacks for quick and efficient proofreading.
Before we dive into these 5 hacks, remember that whether you’re an experienced copywriter or an individual/company, we all make typos and may forget punctuation. And when someone highlights your errors, don’t take them personally. Thank them for allowing you to fix it. The key is to learn from your mistakes and move forward.
Change the visual of your copy
While others recommend printout your copy for better proofreading, we recommend you first try adjusting your softcopy (save the planet! #recycle). Simple changes that you can undo later on are:
- Changing the font type, size, or color
- Making the margins narrower
- Highlighting different sections
- Copying it into a different type of document (e.g., PowerPoint or Excel)
This will change the way words are viewed by tricking your eyes. When we stare for hours and sometimes days at the same copy, it becomes harder to detect errors. These changes can make mistakes more recognizable by changing how you interact with the text. This is a great alternative for printing and proofreading physical copy, especially when your copy is too long or you have no printer at your reach.
Proofread your copy backward
While this hack may sound awkward, it’s perfect when you’re short on time. Start reading from the last sentence to the first. This step helps you view your copy with fresh eyes because it puts the copy out of context. Remember that it’s challenging to proofread your own work as you may mix between what is actually written and what you intend to write in your head. This hack allows you to isolate the sentences and their grammatical issues.
Read your copy out loud
This hack is a personal favorite. My tip here is to make it a bit fun by imagining your reading in front of an audience (make it a bit extra and imagine the audience clapping for you) and what embarrassing mistakes you’d want to avoid in front of a crowd. On a more serious note, reading your copy out loud slowly and with emphasis is a great way to evaluate the flow and interact with the text. It can help you detect missing words, typos, redundancy, and awkward sentences.
Tip! When possible, read out loud to another person. This helps you detect different errors, especially when the copy is too long or complex. You better choose a patient listener for that task.
Tip! Try the “read aloud” tool in Word. It reads words exactly as it sees them. Free and easy to use. Click on “Review” then “Read Aloud” in the Word toolbox.
Note your weaknesses
What’s your bad writing habit? It may be repeating certain words, misusing homophones, or run-on sentences. Whatever your bad habit is, recognizing it and keeping a reminder of it can help you focus on avoiding it or detecting it easily while proofreading. For instance, if you tend to use the same word too much in your copy, which ruins the flow of the text, you can search your copy for that word and replace it with appropriate synonyms. When you’re uncertain about anything in your copy, look it up and double-check. Once you’re aware of your mistakes, make it an opportunity to learn from them and improve your writing skills.
Use the help of digital tools
Whether you expected this or not, we all need a hand as copywriters when it comes to proofreading. Digital tools are a great help in the proofreading stage as a first step only. However, we can’t solely rely on them to detect ALL the errors. They surely help save time as they detect high-level errors. Besides the Editing or Suggesting mode in whichever document provider you use (Google docs, Microsoft Word, etc.), there are other FREE and practical apps that you can make use of. One of the most famous grammar tools is Grammarly. Digital tools can point out mistakes you didn’t even know were mistakes.
Every writing intended for publication must clearly communicate its message. Proofreading helps you publish copy free of grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors and ensures consistency in language to reflect your credibility.
Never skip or underestimate proofreading!
Wright agency is a growing leading company for Copywriting and Translation!Check out our website https://wright-me.com/ for more details about our services! If you find this content useful, you’ll love our Instagram account @wright.agency, where we share tips, advice, and much more!
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