The Copy Proofing Conundrum for Copywriters

As the copywriter on your marketing team, you are expected to proofread your own work. After all, you are the writer. So the words are your primary responsibility. As a professional writer, you should always strive to turn in clean, correct copy to the client or editor.

(How to Get Started in Copywriting.)

But the problem, as you may have already discovered, is that it is sometimes difficult to proofread your own work. That’s because, by the time you reach your deadline date, you have already read your copy at least half a dozen times or more. The tedium of repetition causes you to glaze over many of the sentences, making you a distracted and therefore an ineffective proofreader.

Yet, nonetheless, you are expected to do a good job of proofreading. Typos make editors and clients think you do sloppy work, which lowers their opinion of you as a copywriter. Fortunately, there are some ways to proof your own copy more effectively and thoroughly.

Proof it yourself, preferably in a quiet place relatively free of noise and other distractions. Close the door. Let the phone go to voice mail. And concentrate on the proofreading. If you are multitasking, you are more likely to miss typos and other errors.Proof your copy multiple times—and always let it sit overnight, then come to it fresh the morning of the next day.Alternate between proofing your document on the screen and proofing a hard copy.Change where you proofread. For instance, I primarily proofread copy in my office. But I also like to print a fresh copy and proofread it on my back patio, where the fresh air helps sharpen my focus.Read the copy aloud, both for copy editing and proofing.Read it backwards. You will catch typos and spelling errors you otherwise might have missed.Have several other people on your team—e.g. your graphic designer, your marketing manager—also proofread.Hire a freelance proofreader or proofreading service.Put your proofreader on a monthly retainer in exchange for priority service.Cultivate a plain, unadorned writing style with small words, simple language, and short paragraphs—thus making your copy easier to read and proof.

If you are a freelance copywriter, put in your contract that, though you make every effort to proofread thoroughly, the client is ultimately responsible for catching and correcting any errors.

Why is proofreading so vitally important?

To begin with, typos sour the reader on the rest of the copy, even though it may be otherwise flawless and brilliant. Typos serve as unwelcome interruptions in reading. They are jarring. They get noticed and garner attention that distracts the reader.

Worse, typos are mistakes. And when readers find a mistake, it leads them to wonder how carefully you researched and crafted your copy.

Now, as a reader, I am not bothered by the occasional typo. But because so many are, I have to be vigilant about purging them from my copy.

I have written 80,000-word books that have had just a single typo. But people fixate on typos, which breaks the smooth flow of the words as readers work their way through your document. I sometimes get calls and emails from irritated readers who delight in pointing out the one typo that I have made in my book, even though the other 79,999 words are typo-free. Ain’t that something?