In Spellchecker We Trust… Right?
This article could have easily been titled “We Don’t Need a Proofreader…right?” Businesses today are transforming printed text into computer-based documents and, well, all you have to do is run the computer’s spellchecker to make sure there aren’t any mistakes…right?
Spellcheckers are wonderful things, but the truth is that if the document that you just received and/or are about to send out to your client was checked only by a computer spellchecker, then it could contain some very embarrassing errors. The truth is that spellcheckers and grammar checkers are a good start. Very often a typo will be a properly spelled word and will not be flagged as an error.
After spell checking you still need to proofread your document. The best solution is to have someone else proofread your documents, but if that’s not available, read through it, then file it away and forget about it. At the very minimum and if you’re facing a deadline go back after taking a break. After a long break. Eat something, do something different. The best time to proofread your own work is to wait a few days after you’ve finished it.
The problem with proofreading your own work, especially right after you finished writing it, is that your brain knows what it’s supposed to say and may skip over any mistakes assuming what you thought you wrote is actually what’s on the paper. Yes, on paper. Screen proofreading may be fine for some, but if it’s something really important I will print it out and sit away from the computer and any other distractions and mark it up like a sixth grade English teacher.
Back to your brain… If you’re reading your own writing, your brain sees what you wrote and since it already knows what the next word is, it will assume it’s right. If you must proofread your own work righ away, be sure and make the effort and read every single word. Not just look or scan or glance through it. Stop and read every word. You’ve got to force yourself to read every word, otherwise your brain will allow you to read over mistakes.[ad#htmllinks-1]
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yes, I am interested in working as a freelance spellchecker.
Please let me know how I can apply for this job.
As a published author (by a legit publishing house, not self-published), I copyedited and proofread my own manuscript and was published AS IS, which they have admittedly never done before. I am available for freelance copyediting jobs for a reasonable price.
And you are correct in this article by stating that it is best to put the work away for a day or two — especially if it is your own work — and come back fresh in order to give it a final once-ver. Writers do tend to make their work “their baby”; they become so close to it that it is difficult to see errors. I don’t know why/how I was able to overcome this, but I am good at what I do. You won’t be disappointed. Email me!
I am amazed at the number of errors I see in written material where it is glaringly obvious people haven’t even bothered to use spell checker, let alone visually check it as well.
I check mine first using spell checker, then I read it out loud. Then I read it silently. Then I spell check again and then read it to myself again.
That is my bare minimum for proofreading and I would love to obtain more work as a couple of clients have now finished their work.