Why You Need A Professional Proofreader

It is the time I spend reading, not writing, that makes me fully appreciate proofreaders and the magic that we perform. There are many occasions when I've been fully immersed in a fictional world only to be brought sharply back to reality but a typo, a wrong word or a spelling error. Even if it doesn't bother me that much, I find myself wondering how many people missed this mistake, who else has seen it and if they will release another version of the book sans mistake. The effect of the book is broken.

It's why proofreading professionally is so important. When I'm writing, I find myself focusing on the facts. I think about the message I want to get across, how to target my audience, any keywords and phrases, and the best way to inform my reader.

This means I overlook the little, nit-picky details of typos and grammar. We all do it. I've never met a writer that ends up with a perfect piece of content straight away.

So, you need to edit it properly. Professional proofreading services are sometimes overlooked. Many people think editing their own work a few times is enough. What are a few small mistakes after all?

Well, here are just some of the compelling reasons why you should consider hiring a professional.

Ensure Brand Reputation

Whatever your brand, mistakes make you look sloppy, half-hearted and incompetent. Customers lose faith in brands that seem incapable of checking basic copy, so every time you put out a badly worded and mistake-ridden advert, book, brochure or webpage, you lose customers.

By hiring a professional to smooth out any wrinkles and remove apparent errors, you can present yourself and your brand as professional, well-considered and trustworthy.

Save Time

At a fundamental level, hiring a professional editor or proofreader will save you time. We are very skilled at what we do, and we have had a lot of practice. We know what to look out for, which mistakes occur often and what is usually overlooked by writers. The result is that we have an eye for errors and can pick them up much faster.

If you have a tight deadline or want something perfected fast, you need a professional or prepare for clients and customers to spot errors.

Get Feedback

Professional proofreaders have read a LOT of bad writing. We've also read a lot of good writing. We can provide feedback to improve the structure, make the message clearer and point out where you lose track of your audience. As well as spotting basic grammatical mistakes and spelling errors, we can also tell you what makes sense, what is poorly explained and what can be cut.

If you want someone to help improve your copy and spot basic errors, you need a professional editor and proofreader.

Best Results

Hiring a professional with experience means getting the best results possible. Proofreading and editing are a craft and when you employ a professional, you can be sure we are doing the best job possible to shape your words. With so many documents passing through our care, we know how to make your copy perfect and ensure it is the best it can possibly be.

Like any job, the more you hone your skills, the better you get at it. Investing in a professional to edit and improve your work is investing in the work itself to make it better.

Improve your own skills

When you work with a professional, we can also help you learn from your mistakes. We can point out things you frequently do and how to avoid making the same errors in the future. When we highlight things to improve, you can see where you've gone wrong and avoid repeating mistakes. We are as much teachers of good writing as we are editors.

Working with a proofreader, especially over a long period of time, can improve your own writing skills and means that every piece you write is better than the last.

We’re really quite good at spotting mistakes.

 In the end, the quality of your writing can be the difference between a book contract and a rejection letter, a new client and being ignored, or even the difference between getting the job or not. High-quality writing doesn't come easily to everyone, so just as you would hire a professional builder, mechanic or accountant, you need to hire a professional to polish your copy.

If you're still not sure, just get in touch. Many professional proofreaders are also writers, editors and marketing experts, meaning we have a considerable amount of experience creating the perfect copy.