My wife once asked me why I get my blog proofread. Surely, I can spot any mistakes I make?

Well, one would hope so; but having written it and read it a few times, one’s own writing can become familiar and one may not spot things.

I proofread my own blog but there are always one or two little typos in there that I haven’t spotted (or deliberately put there to test my proofreader). A fresh pair of eyes is always worth it.

But it isn’t just errors. It’s tone, meaning, phrasing and format. My proofreader (Janice or Annie) will usually suggest a tweaking of a sentence to help with meaning, querying anything that may not be clear or getting me to justify an awful joke etc. Proofreading, ultimately, is part of the editing process and helps turn the blog into a more professional piece of writing.

I have often worked with texts which are just a stream of consciousness – literally the writer just typing what comes to mind. This may be typed beautifully, with no typos, but would still benefit from another set of eyes before publication.

And lastly, it’s about helping another freelancer out there get their name known. Yes, we’re competitors to an extent, but we have different specialisms. If I can’t take on the work, there’s a chance they can.

And, yes, this was proofread by Janice Gilbert of WordperfectVA