Why it pays to proofread

By nature, we read our own text too quickly, which means our eyes see what we think they should see. This is why it is so difficult to pick up the errors we’ve made.

There is a noticeable difference between a well copy‐edited and proofread article, and a hastily written one that’s only had a quick ‘skim’. You could spend hundreds or thousands on amazing design and print, only to find, when your beautiful new brochure is delivered, there’s an error on the cover! How did that get through the writer, the designer and the printer?!

The reason is that proofreading is an acquired skill and proofreaders are specifically trained and experienced at finding errors in text. The writer thought about word count and content, the designer used the words to create an attractive design, and the printer checked quality, layout and colours. They might have picked up a few things, but, ultimately, the poor quality of your copy will detract from the overall good quality of your brochure.

By not getting your copy independently and professionally proofread, you run a high risk of publishing something that at best is inconsistent and difficult to comprehend, and at worst damages your company’s reputation. When customers read errors in text, they become distracted by it and eventually switch off — for the sake of a few hours of expert checking, the outcome could be so much different.

The fact that proofreading is so affordable makes it even easier to include it in your budget. The service of a professional proofreader costs a fraction of the amount spent on all the other processes involved in publishing the copy, such as design, print or website creation.

So, perhaps the question is not should you get a proofreader to look at your text — it’s can you afford not to?