The document discusses proofreading and copy editing. It explains that proofreaders check for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, style and clarity. They ensure consistency and logical flow. The document emphasizes that writing quality matters for credibility and search engine optimization. While spellcheck tools can help, they have limitations so proofreading by an expert is recommended to avoid costly mistakes. Tips are provided for self-proofreading like taking breaks and checking different error types separately.

1. The proof is in the reading! 1

2. The proof is in the reading!
JANICE GILBERT
aka:
grammar geek
punctuation pedant
spelling specialist
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3. The proof is in the reading!
! What is a proofreader or copy-editor?
! Why does your writing matter?
! Should you use a spell/grammar
check tool?
! Some DIY tips
! Should you use an expert?
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4. The proof is in the reading!
What is a proofreader or copy-editor?
Someone who reads material already written by
another person, not only the basics like spelling,
punctuation and grammar, also they help with:
! sense and style
! clarity and ease of reading
! tone of voice appropriate for audience
! over-long sentences
! repetition or missing words
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5. The proof is in the reading!
What is a proofreader or copy-editor?
They will check for:
! consistency – eg: numbers written as digits or words
! American English spellings
! obscure or foreign words
! the correct choice of there, their or they’re
! correct choice of where, wear, or we’re
! innuendos or double-entendres
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6. The proof is in the reading!
What is a proofreader or copy-editor?
They look for clunky phrasing, eg:
“non-working braking system”
might be better as
“faulty brakes”
They also query doubtful facts, inconsistencies and plot holes, and
check that the article holds together logically from start to finish.
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7. The proof is in the reading!
Why does your writing matter?
! Your website is your shop window. Its presentation is a
reflection of you and your business.
! It should say to the viewer:
“This is a high quality product or service”
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8. The proof is in the reading!
For example...
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9. The proof is in the reading!
Why does your writing matter?
! SEO! Will your website keywords help the
Google bots find your site? If they are misspelt,
they won’t be able to!
! REPUTATION AND CREDIBILITY can be
enhanced or destroyed by what goes down in
print.
! ATTENTION TO DETAIL MATTERS!
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10. The proof is in the reading! 10

11. The proof is in the reading! 11

12. The proof is in the reading! 12

13. The proof is in the reading! 13

14. The proof is in the reading!
Restaurant Menus
Restaurants are among the worst culprits for not
proofreading their menus (Zizzi not included!)
Here’s an example a client shared with me when his
restaurant offered:
“… fragrant salads of guinea ‘foul’ and new
season lamb, hand ‘calved’ at the table!”
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15. The proof is in the reading!
Restaurant Menus
“Potato skins – four skins with cheese”
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16. The proof is in the reading! 16

17. The proof is in the reading! 17

18. The proof is in the reading! 18

19. The proof is in the reading!
Should you use a spell / grammar check
tool?
! It has its uses, but NEVER rely on it!
! It doesn’t have a brain!
! It can cause you EMBARRASSMENT ...
! It can cost you MONEY!
Sometimes there is nothing a spell or grammar check can do
to prevent you dropping the worst kind of clanger. It can be
embarrassing at best, expensive at worst – just remember
that the spell check tool doesn’t have a brain!
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20. The proof is in the reading!
Should you use a spell / grammar check
tool?
Penguin Group Australia had $12,000 of additional costs
to pay due to a single word in one of its cookery books.
They had to destroy and reprint 7,000 copies of The Pasta
Bible when they instructed people to:
"add salt and freshly ground black people....”
to a pasta recipe. The spell check would not have helped out
here!
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21. The proof is in the reading!
E-mails and texting
A message was sent to a businessman asking for the go-
ahead to purchase some goods at a cost of £200,000.
The following response was received:
“NO PRICE TOO HIGH”
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22. The proof is in the reading!
E-mails and texting
It should have read:
“NO. PRICE TOO HIGH”
For the sake of a missing punctuation mark, this was a
very expensive typo!
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23. The proof is in the reading!
Take care with people’s names!
On US TV, both Fox News and CNN announced the
headline:
“Obama Bin Laden dead..."
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24. The proof is in the reading!
The Telegraph website’s headline about the world's
largest high-energy particle accelerator told us:
"Large Hardon Collider breaks
energy record.”
It was later corrected and changed to "Hadron".
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Newspaper headlines

25. The proof is in the reading!
Invitations and other notices
A personal experience last year after my stepfather died...
“Eulogy”
“Urology”
... the study of disorders of the urinary system!
Be warned – printers do not use proofreaders – the onus is
on the client to produce accurate information, not the printer.
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26. The proof is in the reading!
Should you use an expert?
Investment in a professional proofreader or copy-editor
will help to ensure:
! your business maintains its reputation and credibility
! you are not sued for libel or misrepresentation
! you are not presented with huge bills for re-prints
! your website gets found easily by search engines
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27. The proof is in the reading!
Some DIY tips for proofreading your own
article:
! Just like bread or pizza dough, leave your draft for a
couple of hours, or overnight before publishing.
! Looking at it with a fresh eye will reveal errors you’d
overlooked before.
! The secret of punctuation? Breathing.
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28. The proof is in the reading!
Some DIY tips for proofreading your own
article:
! If you know there is a word you consistently misspell, use
the tool in Word’s edit menu to find and replace. Each case
of that misspelling is corrected in one hit.
! Proofread from a hard copy. Errors are harder to spot on
the computer screen.
! Proofread backwards to check spelling and punctuation as
the words are then seen outside the context of the sentence.
Start at the end of your article and work back.
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29. The proof is in the reading!
Some DIY tips for proofreading your own
article:
! Check for one type of error at a time: a once-over for
spelling and punctuation, then another for grammatical
errors.
! Do a consistency and fact check.
! Make sure any links work.
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30. The proof is in the reading!
Should you use an expert to help you in
your writing?
! What goes down in print now can make or break your
future business
! It’s up to you, but don’t let the past make your decisions
for today
! Remember - first impressions count... and last... and
last...
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31. The proof is in the reading! 31