Proofreading is an important activity as it provides the very last chance for errors to be found and then fixed prior to a document being presented to readers. It is effective in eliminating mistakes in capitalization, formatting, spelling, punctuation, and grammar in order to enable writers to communicate their message both effectively and accurately. Some of the main reasons why proofreading is so important are listed below.
It allows readers to focus on the message rather than on mistakes
Errors and mistakes can be distracting when reading a piece of text. It is not good for a reader to be constantly tripping over typos etc. while trying to take in and digest what it is that they are reading at the time. This is why a seamless reading experience without any mistakes or errors is so important.
It allows a good impression to be made
If the writing in a piece of text is refined and polished, the reader is also more likely to see the author as refined and polished also. Written words are often the very first way that an author makes an impression on their audience. And we all know how important first impressions are.
It protects reputation and enhances authority
A piece of text that is littered with errors can negatively impact on the author’s credibility. After all, if they have not gone to the effort of checking for mistakes, how can that person be trusted to have got all the details right of what they are writing about. Producing a document that is well written helps to boost authority and protect reputation as someone that is knowledgeable about a particular subject matter.
It shields from embarrassment
A mistake or mistakes in a document can range from being mildly uncomfortable to downright embarrassing depending on exactly what it is. No one wants readers to witness their mistake(s), which is why proofreading can be so helpful.
It potential saves money
Whilst most typos that occur do not result in monetary misfortune, in some instances they can be very costly. In fact, there have been some high profile cases where writing errors have resulted in millions of dollars worth of losses – the biggest being $225 million.
It enables content to be ranked higher on search engines
Google, along with other search engine providers like Bing explicitly state that sloppy text that is littered with grammatical and spelling errors will not rank very well. And it really does make sense, why would search engines rank a page high when it is full of mistakes when there are likely to be many others with the same content that do not have arrows on them. By proofreading, it eliminates these errors and ensures that a page is well ranked.
It allows the author to say what they want
Elements of writing such as punctuation have the power to completely change the meaning of a phrase or sentence. For instance, the following sentence can be construed in different ways depending on where punctuation is used – “A woman: without her, man is nothing” or “A woman, without her man, is nothing. Whilst these sentences include the same words, because of how the punctuation is used, their meaning is completely different.
It shows a care for the work
People put time and effort into the things that they care about. So when an author cares about what it is they have written, they will focus a lot of attention on it being perfect and this includes making sure that it has no grammatical or spelling mistakes in it.
It increases the chance of publication
Author services reject anywhere between 30 percent and 50 percent of all articles that are submitted before they even reach the peer review stage and that is because of grammatical and spelling mistakes. Because reputable scholarly journals receive many more submissions than what they can ever publish, errors in the writing provides editors with an easy excuse to overlook a document.
It helps to improve academic grades
No matter if it is a paper, essay, quiz, test, or any kind of written assignment, it should always be proofread by a student in order to ascertain improved grades. Using grammar and the mechanics of writing correctly enables a student to put together a cohesive and clear message in their academic work, thus helping them to achieve a better grade.
It helps to keep patients safe
Healthcare professionals such as doctors do lots of writing each and everyday on their job. Often they are writing important documents that relate to an individual’s personal health status. However, given the working environment within a hospital or medical clinic (i.e. it being loud and busy) it is easily possible for mistakes to happen, which can potentially have life changing impacts. This is why it is important for these types of documents to be regularly proofread.
It can improve the earning potential of a business
Customers would rightly not want to buy a product or a service from a company if their website or any literature that they put out has lots of spelling and grammatical errors in it. Seeing these things diminishes trust and so put off customers from potentially buying their products or using their services. Business owners can increase their earnings by ensuring that any writing they produce is accurate and reads well.
It increases the chances of getting a job
When writing a curriculum vitae (CV) or filling out a job application form, it does not look good if it is full of errors and mistakes and will probably mean that the application is unsuccessful. The vast majority of hiring managers will refuse to interview a candidate where their application is full of mistakes.
The takeaway
Proofreading will get rid of any blunders that there may be and that may inhibit the reading of a document. This is why it pays to hire a professional proofreader. The top proofreaders in San Diego can be found on the link.
