14 techniques for more thorough proofreading

Typos, misaligned days and dates, and links that send you to an error page (or worse) can sink your best pitch or undermine an entire campaign. Try these tricks for picking every last nit.

Ragan Insider Premium Content
Ragan Insider Content

More than a few PR agencies and departments have faced angry executives, suffered public ridicule and lost revenue due to proofreading oversights such as misspelled names in headlines, incorrect prices and wrong dates for company events.

The following advice can help writers and editors improve their proofreading and catch errors:

1. Wait. Allow a few hours or a couple of days to pass after you finish writing before you start proofreading. “If you’re familiar with the story, your eye will glide right by the error. If you take a break, however, you’re far more likely to catch the problem,” advises Daphne Gray-Grant, principal of The Publication Coach.

2. Re-examine the large type. Review logos, company names, headlines and, especially, subheads. Large, important items can become invisible.

To read the full story, log in.
Become a Ragan Insider member to read this article and all other archived content.
Sign up today

Already a member? Log in here.
Learn more about Ragan Insider.