5 Tips for Perfect Proofreading. Take the Challenge to See if You're a Proofreading Pro!

For those of you who think you’re the Emily Post of proofreading, feel free to skip to the bottom for the PR proofreading challenge, but if you think you might need a little refresher, read on…

Depending on your line of work, level of fear for your middle school English teacher, or personality type, your experience with and commitment to proofreading and proper grammar may vary. I fall under the first category; I credit my first manager, who was by nature, a perfectionist (some would say sadist…not me, but some) when it came to reviewing documents. She would scan the first page, see a typo and hand it back saying, “This isn’t ready for me to look at.” I cursed her silently many times, but she was right.

Fast forward and here I am, finding myself spurting out “kids these days” every time I receive an email that even spell check can’t clarify or that requires a Google search to understand. Some of you might read this and tell me to relax, that it’s no big deal. Some will say that the rules of grammar have changed or that I sound like their cruel English teacher from sixth grade, but these people likely don’t work in PR.

It’s actually pretty simple: clients pay PR people to frequently communicate on their behalf. If I were to continually respond to their emails, or even worse, send out documents riddled with typos, I’d be willing to bet they wouldn’t “LOL” about it.

I’m not saying I’m a grammar guru, but the point is – I try. In an increasingly multi-tasking world where content is being developed at a rapid rate, maybe we need to put our smartphones down, push away from the computer and take a step back to consider (and proof) what we share with the world.

If you agree, before you take on the following proofreading challenge, brush up on your skills with these simple but important tips:

1. Stop, Relax and Revisit: This may seem glaringly obvious, but try stepping back, doing something else and coming back to re-read with fresh eyes. Trust me, I know that’s hard to do, especially when working to meet deadlines, but consider the consequences of pressing send before proofing. Even 140 characters are worth a second look.
2. Backtrack: A mentor once suggested that I proof a document by reading it backward. In all honesty, I thought I would never have enough patience to do that, until colleagues pointed out errors I had missed time and time again. So, I tried it, and guess what? It works.
3. The Buddy System: At InkHouse, we do what some might call an old-fashioned process: we have at least one non-team member read our work before we send it. When someone is not familiar with the subject matter, they can more easily flag errors and inconsistencies. We also often read aloud with our “buddies” to make sure the text flows smoothly.
4. Play Dumb: As a primarily tech-focused PR person, I find myself assuming that everyone understands all the acronyms I can recite by memory. This is a huge mistake. Write it out.
5. Get Some Standards: Since some people can disagree on grammar rules, choose a standard and stick with it. We use AP style which is pretty standard in the industry. For those looking to brush up, check out Twelve Common Mistakes of AP Style from our resident Associated Press (AP) expert @savittorioso.

Bottom line: Proofreading is a skill. It can be learned and it’s important.

Now on to the challenge. There are more than 50 grammatical errors in this post – blatant crimes committed against the English language (according to AP style guide). How many can you find?