5 simple ways to proofread your copy

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Mistakes. All writers make them. They are inevitable. (Heck, I might have even missed a mistake or two in this piece, but I doubt it.) But just because they're common doesn't make mistakes or typos any less damaging to your copy, your business, or your hard-earned reputation.

If it is serious enough, one tiny mistake can ruin a business or brand. Just ask former Vice President Dan Quayle. Copy errors make you look amateurish and unprofessional. That's why it is imperative you use tried-and-true proofreading and copy editing methods to ensure your copy is as clean as possible.

Thankfully, you don't have to be an editing expert to catch errors in your copy. Here are five simple ways writers can find mistakes — and you can use therm right away.

1 🔊 'Listen' to your copy

We've all heard the advice to read your copy out loud, but not like this. Sure, read your copy to yourself. Everyone should. Take it a step further, however, and "listen" to your copy. It just might tell you something. How?

1. Have someone read it to you. Reading your copy aloud yourself is great, but since you wrote it, you know what it's supposed to say. Your brain can trick you into reading over mistakes. If you have someone else read it to you, you are more likely to hear mistakes or problematic copy that just doesn't "work." As a bonus, the reader will spot errors too. They might not even laugh at you.
2. Use your program's "read aloud" option. If you're in an office or around other people, reading your copy aloud might be impossible — or at least make you look like a weirdo. Put in your earbuds and try your writing program's "read aloud" option. In Word, "read aloud" is under the review tab. I always use the voice of "samantha." She's nice to me. If you use Google Docs, the process is more complicated. Do a Google search for "google doc read aloud" to find your options.
3. Record yourself reading it. Most computers and smartphones have an option to record. Voice memos, voice notes, etc. Read your copy out loud as you record, then listen to it. Yes, your voice always sounds like that. But try to ignore how much that bothers you and listen to your words. This will expose areas of your copy that "don't sound right."

2 📰 Read each sentence backward, from the bottom up

This is my favorite. Our brains have been trained to read from left to right, top to bottom since the time we were infants. We are so accustomed to reading this way, our brains fill in missing letters and even whole words. Flip the script on your ol' noggin.

When you read this way, you are forced to really think about what you're seeing, hearing, and reading. Your brain is not wired to consume text like this, so you will have to concentrate and focus intensely.

With your mind fixated on each letter and word, you'll effortlessly find mistakes and omissions. Congratulations, you tricked yourself into being an editor.

3 📅 Read your copy a day later

I know how you feel when you finish writing. You just want to polish it up and move on to the next thing. If you're like me, the writing project you just completed had dominated your mind for quite a while. You want to be rid of it. Sorry, but you should slow down.

Step away from your writing for a day or two. Go back to it and look at it with fresh eyes. You'll be surprised how a little distance from your work can change how you perceive it. Things you were proud of at the time you wrote them might sound trite or cliche 24 hours later. Don't be trite or cliche.

4 🖨️ Print it out and reread it

Remember those things called printers? Here's your chance to use one again.

Print out what you wrote on this thing called a piece of paper. Then, grab a red pen like your teachers used to do, read your piece with disgust, and just let that red marker bleed all over the paper.

But seriously, when you see words printed, when you can "touch" them, your brain treats them differently. You are completely focused on your work. You are not distracted by the next tab you have open. You won't be tempted to answer that email. You'll direct all your mind power to what you're reading at the moment.

What do you do if you uncover problems? Write around any problematic text. If something doesn't sound quite right or you don't know if you're following a rule correctly, just reword your phrase, clause, or sentence.

5 🚨 Hire a copy editor

If you're writing something important for a client or job, one minor error can ruin the impression you're trying to make. Can you afford that? 💰 If not, you can afford a copy editor like me: brianmichaelmoore4123@gmail.com

A note about AI writing assistants

A lot of people like to use Grammarly. I can understand that. It's easy. But beware. Grammarly doesn't know everything. It doesn't know, for example, if you have broken a grammar rule on purpose to achieve a specific goal. It might not keep up with style changes adopted by the Associated Press or Chicago Manual of Style. It certainly doesn't know your client's preferred style. All you have to do is search for "Grammarly horror stories" to see how it can go terribly wrong. Don't rely on AI. Didn't we learning anything from "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"?

 #GrumpyGrammarGuru #Copywritingtips

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