Unproofed!

Here’s the first bit of an email I got last week from a well-known media company.

Happy Halloween Alumni!

Are you afraid to wander outside on the scariest night of the year? Then spend a night in with one of our upcoming online courses. One of our most popular social media boot camps is coming up!

What’s the rub?

How could I have stayed inside and watched an upcoming course?

I couldn’t have. The pitch didn’t make sense.

I double-checked to make sure the company wasn’t offering a Halloween night special.

It wasn’t.

Nobody proofed the copy. Don’t let that happen to your hard work. After you edit your document, make sure you proof what you’ve written. Or have somebody else do it.

Here are all the things you’re proofing for:

  • Accurate spelling, punctuation, and word choice
  • Adherence to the style your company follows (e.g., A.P. style)
  • Appearance (Does your text have room to breathe?)
  • Good grammar
  • Accurate information, which includes good sense (P.S.: I think the Halloween tie-in was a stretch.)
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