This week we got a reminder of the importance of proofreading, when Australia announced it printed $1.6 billion of currency with a typo. Eek! While most of us operate in a less public forum, we can still empathize with that oh-sh*t moment of realizing something went out the door with a big fat error.
Who cares?
Fortunately, the person who cares most is you (and maybe the other copyeditors who noticed it). Customers are usually pretty forgiving and overlook a typo here and there, understanding that we're all human and mistakes happen.
Nonetheless, frequent errors in your work can set a shoddy tone. Your customers might assume:
you rush through things, and might not give their project the attention it deserves;
you're careless or distracted;
you're unprofessional; and
you're unqualified.
How does this happen?
We simply overlook them. Typos are more likely to happen when we're rushing, stressed or have competing priorities.
We thought tools had our backs. Many of us rely on tools like auto-correct or a spell-checker throughout the day, whether we're on our phones or computers. These tools work great most of the time, but can still miss subtle errors. Also, we may get so used to these tools that they act like a crutch, and we forget to amp up our writing game when we're writing solo or online.
Our tools failed. Or more likely, we failed to properly set up our tools. I see this often with clients using Microsoft Word. Did you know there's a setting where Word will ignore words in uppercase? Yes, that means spell-check could miss typos in your headings. Yikes!
The text was in art, graphics or websites. Many design programs—and a few web apps—do not have real-time spell-checkers. Instead, you have to remember to launch and run the spell-checker manually. Additionally, your graphic designer is focused on the design, not necessarily the text. It's important to always give graphics a thorough review.
Tips and Tricks
Know your tools - Research any spelling or grammar tools you're using and understand all the settings. In particular, you should understand what is being reviewed and what isn't.
Develop a checklist - Science has shown the best way to avoid errors when we have a high cognitive load is to step through a checklist. This is also a great way to incorporate checks that are specific to your business. For example, if you have a word or acronym that you often type wrong, you can add a quick search to check for this. Checklists are also helpful when you need to delegate the review to another colleague.
Hire a professional - If you're in a business where mistakes can be costly, it might be worth your time and money to hire a professional copyeditor or proofreader. Just understand that there are many levels of review possible—a good editor will discuss this up-front and set clear expectations.