I’m a big believer in having an extra set of eyes review my copy before I publish it or send it to a client. It’s easy to miss typos when you’re focused on producing a lot of content and meeting tight deadlines.
At the least, a typo is a nuisance. You may receive emails from the grammar police and need to correct mistakes on your blog. At the most, a typo can be highly embarrassing and cost you lots in brand damage, legal fees or lost revenue.
The BBC reported on an e-commerce company that doubled its online revenue after fixing a typo on its website. According to the story, typos may cost companies millions of dollars a year, as customers will question your credibility if they find errors in your copy.
While typos happen to everyone, having a professional proofreader review your copy minimizes your risk and improves your image.
A few people have recently asked me to recommend a proofreader. I work with Prompt Proofing and Proofreadnow.com. Here’s why I like working with them:
- They both offer 24/7/365 proofreading.
- Both companies have editors who can proof for Canadian, U.S. and U.K. English.
- They assign two professional editors to each project. The second editor catches spelling and grammar errors that the first editor misses. They also make sure all your links work.
The main differences between Prompt Proofing and Proofreadnow.com are their prices and turnaround times. Here’s a quick overview:
Prompt Proofing
Prompt Proofing is a Canadian-based company run by the mother and daughter team of Pat and Anna Wootton. Their turnaround times range between 12 and 48 hours. You pay more if you need your documents returned within 12 hours and less if you can wait 48 hours. I use Prompt Proofing if I don’t need a document returned for at least 12 hours and want to save a bit on my proofreading costs.
Proofreadnow.com
I use Proofreadnow.com when I need to have a document proofed fast, as they can return your files in as little as an hour. You pay a premium for faster turnaround and save if you give Proofreadnow.com more time to proof your documents. Proofreadnow.com’s standard turnaround times range between one and 24 hours.
If you don’t want to work with a third-party proofreader, I recommend that you at least have someone on your team review your copy before you publish it.
If you’re going to proof your own work, be sure to read it aloud. Yes, your co-workers might think you’re muttering to yourself, but this is a great way to catch errors and make sure your copy flows smoothly. You should also print your copy before you proof it, as it’s easier to catch typos on a printed page than it is to catch them on your screen.
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