Pudding.

The proof is in the... pudding.

Proofreading

Why do we proofread? Why is it important? Most of you are probably like me and -really- don't like to do it -- and yet it's practically forced upon us.

Why?

Well, that's what I'm here to tell you.

1. Proofreading makes us better writers

I try to teach my editing clients to proofread while they're writing, because it makes them better typists, makes it easier on me when we get to the editing stage, and makes it easier on them when they go in and make changes during the writing/prewriting phases.

Essentially, the more you write, the more you should be proofreading. If you don't do it, you'll likely end up with more typographical errors in your final copy than anyone should ever have. 

2. Proofreading makes us better editors

Now, maybe we don't all want to be editors, but we do all want to make our writing shine -- and that requires some level of editing. So if you want to write, you're going to have to edit, and while you're editing, you'll be glad that you proofread while you were writing in the first place.

3. Proofreading makes our editors less annoyed with us

And we all know how terrible it is to annoy our editors. Don't do it. Just don't. If you haven't experienced this, take my word for it. Annoying the editor should be avoided at almost any cost.

Unless you're pulling a prank, then it might be okay at the end. Maybe.


Now, I'm not saying that you should be catching every single typo that comes up on the screen while you're writing, but I suggest that you do your very best to get to the point where you're catching between 75-85% of your typos while you're writing. That way, you'll only have that 15-25% to catch later on down the line.

Trust me, that's a lot easier to deal with.

[lvoe] *wink*

[Rani D.}