The Importance of Proofreading

Much like the emperor who was deceived into thinking he was wearing new clothes when in fact he was not clothed at all, many writers and webmasters unwittingly reveal their naked assumption that they are fully covered in the way of content, design, formatting, artwork and other eye-catching elements, without recognizing that they have neglected to be sure their apparel is free of rips, stains and/or missing buttons before they step out into public view. A sharp editor can make sure your garb is arranged flawlessly, and a keen-eyed proofreader can catch any potentially embarrassing glitches in your work before it’s too late.

Also like the emperor, most of us dislike having our shortcomings pointed out to us, and many of us will unconsciously engage the self-defensive mechanism of denial in order to protect our pride. But no one is perfect—and certainly no one can do everything, and do it all with excellence—so if you detect even a vague feeling of self-defensiveness about criticism of your work, you may need to take a serious look at the consequences of letting those feelings cause you to avoid asking for the help of proofreaders and editors who can see the flaws that you cannot.

Webmasters who do a great job with the technical, artistic and informational aspects of getting a website up and running, but who neglect having their content edited and proofread by a highly skilled language technician, can have their whole enterprise fail for lack of attention to important details. This is like a gourmet cook who opens a restaurant because he has excellent culinary skills, a desirable array of dishes to offer and confidence that he can achieve financial success, but lacks business skills and fails because he neglects to hire a dishwasher or a janitor. Proofreading and editing are like cleaning up the mess and debris that are a natural byproduct of creative writing.

A prudent businessman will investigate and implement the entire range of tools, technicians and artisans needed to make his product or service the best it can be in order to procure the greatest possible return on his investment, including the counsel of those whose expertise represents the perspective of potential clients, before he presents his product to the public. To underestimate the value of a proofreader’s and/or editor’s skills
is short-sighted.

After you’ve invested in your education, the time and expense involved in programming, equipment and associated production, you certainly don’t want any financial losses due to simple textual errors which can negatively affect your company’s image, reputation and sales. In addition to financial losses, however, the embarrassment and possible loss of self-respect from failing to live up to your own standards of excellence can sting as much as anything else. There is a humorous but true maxim in writers’ circles that says “You can’t proofread your own work.” A similar “law” could also be coined as, “Don’t rely on yourself to edit your own writing.”

We can find other colloquial proverbs to reinforce the message we’re presenting here, one of which is, “Two heads are better than one.” Another related idea is, “Don’t be penny wise and pound foolish.” In other words, don’t skimp on the expense of hiring a professional editor and/or proofreader because it may cost you more in the long run.

Many people in our society today are unaware of the grammatical errors in their speech, and many knowledgeable, insightful and even talented writers also often lack the ability to detect not only typographical, spelling, punctuation and other kinds of errors, but also inconsistencies in formatting and other subtle details. When a potential customer, who happens to have the discernment of a proofreader or editor, detects such errors and realizes that the presenter is either ignorant of their errors or neglects correcting them, their esteem and appreciation of the presenter will inevitably decline. These are the customers who are likely to seek elsewhere for what they consider a more credible and trustworthy source of information.

You will need a truly complete team of experts in order to successfully reach and maintain your goal. Protect your financial investment, your reputation and your self-respect by avoiding credibility erosion because of uncorrected errors. Do yourself a favor and ensure that your work has been edited by an expert.


 

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