Proofreading
Why proofreading is important
As readers of words, not only do we get irritated or annoyed when material is not published to a high standard, but when words are wrongly assembled and communicated. Mistakes can affect how those messages are conveyed and even change the meaning of those same messages completely.
It has been estimated that up to a third of web visitors will leave a website if it contains writing errors. Spelling mistakes or writing errors will influence time-poor consumers’ views of a business and – in an increasingly competitive environment – they will never return to your site.
The opinions of prospective companies will be influenced by writing errors and a business will often be eliminated from pitch lists if print or online materials include grammatical, spelling or factual errors.
Fiction readers – especially of e-books – will be put off from buying books if samples or the finished articles exhibit spelling or grammatical errors. In turn, they are unlikely to buy the next in a series of books if such errors have not been highlighted and dealt with.
For non-fiction, consistency and factual accuracy is everything. Writers cannot be expected to be trusted or be seen as authorities in their chosen subject areas if glaring inaccuracies or mistakes are made and not corrected prior to publication
Proofreading background
With a background in online search, I have worked in the media industry for over 30 years, specialising in content writing, indexing and proofreading, as well as searching for information and fact-checking.
I have experience of working with all kinds of documents - from internal communications to company reports; from paper-based books to web copy across a broad range of websites.
Burwell Web Communications began life in 2009 as a web content consultancy. I designed and built websites for clients, optimising words and phrases for search engine effectiveness and advising on social media marketing. I gradually focussed more on the words themselves, sense-checking and usability testing for scanning and scrolling behaviours online.
I am a writer and publisher of fiction and football history books and articles – online and in print. I therefore see football and history as key non-fiction areas, and, as an avid reader myself, all genres of fiction. I also have a great deal of experience of working on business and marketing communications. However, I also read ‘blind’ any form or amount of words to provide you with the same high standards of proofreading, even when having no knowledge of the subject at the outset.
Proofreading process
I will assess your English text for grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, consistency and sense-checking, as well as fact checking.
For websites I can check all copy pre-launch, make sure all of the pages work and flow as they should and make sense to the end user.
I can assess your website or other copy for readability, so that users, customers and readers can understand clear, concise communications written in good English.
