Is 'Poor' proofreading killing your article?

We have all been there. You think of an inspired article or marketing campaign. You write it all down, knowing it's a great idea and that people will be interested.

You click post. You're excited and can't wait for it to be published and successful.

Three days later a colleague takes a look. Said colleague points out a grammatical error and a spelling mistake in the first paragraph. Your heart sinks. It's already had thousands of views.

Were any of those views' potential new clients, existing clients, your boss? Any of whom (instead of enjoying your article) may have stopped reading and judged you to be someone who cannot spell or is not fastidious enough to proofread your work.

Have you indicated that you deliver rushed, inaccurate, or worse, sloppy work? It's impossible to really know. Some may not have noticed, whilst others may be instantly turned off.

Regardless, you haven't given your article a good send-off or the best chance to impress and succeed.

No one produces perfect work all of the time. We all make mistakes, rush and get excited during the creative process. This is why proofreading is so important, each and every time.

Proofreading is not the same as 'normal' reading. In fact, it is rather slow and you should not follow the flow of the text. You have to break the flow and really digest each word in isolation, as well as checking all punctuation and grammar. I have to be honest, proofreading is not much fun. Highly important, but definitely scoring low in the fun stakes. That said, a little pain is definitely worth it before you publish because unfortunately any kind of mistake damages credibility.

​​Proofreading 101:

1. Spell-check your document in word and check its readability.
2. Print out your article.
3. Turn on a powerful light.
4. Grab a 30cm ruler.
5. Place your ruler beneath the first line of text.
6. Using a pen, focusing only on the line of words directly above your ruler, point to each word in turn and proofread. Slowly.
7. Check all links and media.
8. Repeat until finished.

​This is the only method that I trust and is a version of the method suggested by Andy Maslen, published author and copywriter.

You can blame him. It does work though.

Or (if that all sounds a bit much), hire a copywriter. A good copywriter ensures your article is published and viewed in the best possible light, giving it the send-off you deserve and need.

If you would like a quote or any assistance, then I can be reached at:
claire@cpcopywriting.co.uk
​
Happy writing!​
Claire.
​