Proofreading & Editing Techniques for Executives & Managers

It’s hard to spoil high-quality content… or not? When it comes to content marketing and the creation of different types of writing content, proofreading and editing is just as crucial as the research and writing itself.

Why? Because when you offer writing content to the audience, you have to make sure that it looks flawless. Errors and typos that might slip into your writing can ruin this impression as well as damage your reputation. They basically tell the audience either that you weren’t attentive enough and didn’t put many efforts into content creation or that you have some problems with grammar and punctuation, which means that you aren’t a good writer you claim to be.

Either reaction is bad. It’s obvious that if you want to avoid it, you have to invest time and efforts into high-quality proofreading and editing. However, what exactly does this mean? What do you have to do in order to make your writing really polished and feel proofread?

1. Use various services.
The first and the simplest thing to do is to proofread your writing using some online service (for example, Grammarly). Such services check your grammar and punctuation and some of them even give you some stylistic tips.

However, if you want to make the most out of it, don’t settle for one service only. Choose a couple of other ones too and run your writing through them to ensure that all the errors were spotted.

2. Avoid distraction.
Sure, online proofreading tools offer a nice initial check – but they still aren’t enough. Just like any other tools, they are automatized and so unable to spot all the mistakes. That’s why you should combine such check with manual proofreading.
Manual proofreading is all about paying attention to the smallest details. Therefore, you need to concentrate as hard as possible, avoiding distractions at all costs. To do so, turn off the all the notifications in your browser and smartphone, close the tabs in your browser that you don’t need, and turn off the music.

3. Put your writing away for some time.
Even if we need to concentrate, this doesn’t always mean that we can do this effectively enough. Our perception of the text can become blurred if we’ve been working on it for too long. That’s why you should consider putting your writing away for some time if you have such opportunity. Don’t look at it for a couple of days and then return and re-read it. Maybe you’ll be able to spot mistakes you failed to spot before.

4. Remember that not only grammar matters.
Sometimes we are so focused on grammar checks that we forget that other things have to be checked too. Sure, you’ve probably checked all the facts two or three times before you even started writing, but this still doesn’t mean that you didn’t make any mistakes during the writing process – for example, accidentally typed an extra zero in a certain number. Be sure to check these things too.

5. Ask someone else’s help.
The best way to understand what impression your writing creates is to ask someone else to read and evaluate it. No matter how hard we work on our proofreading, we still might miss something – and it would be easier for another person to spot it. For example, you can ask a friend to do so or order proofreading of your papers from a certain proofreading service or from a freelance platform.

Proofreading isn’t always an easy task, especially when you don’t have much time. However, various proofreading tools and services can make your life easier, offer quick and high-quality initial proofreading or add a nice polishing touch to your content. The rest is up to you.

And if you really want to make the most out of your proofreading, consider not settling with your current level of skills. There are so many courses, lectures, and other educational things that can help you become more experienced in the area and to proofread your writing even more effectively. So don’t miss the opportunity.

Maybe you already know some valuable proofreading tips and techniques you would like to share with us? In that case, please do so in the comment section below. We will be glad to hear your opinion.