Proofreading. It’s an odd profession, isn’t it? Spending your days scouring someone else’s documents for spelling errors and grammatical imperfections? It’s no surprise that proof readers are perceived as strange little creatures: hunched as we are over our proofs, red pen in hand, obsessing over the tiniest details. We need quiet. We can’t be doing with distractions. We seem like an antisocial bunch. But we’re just getting on with our work. We’re just doing our bit. And we’re proud of our contribution, aren’t we?
Aren’t we? Well, not always. In fact, not often. Too frequently, we regard ourselves as the interfering busybodies of the publishing world, the nosy neighbour with the perpetually-twitching net curtain. We don’t create anything. We don’t produce anything. Whatever we work on, we can’t genuinely lay claim to the end product.
Well, maybe that’s true. Maybe we can’t lay claim to a document in its entirety, but we do make a very legitimate and substantial contribution to the health and wellbeing of a document and, by extension, the business or organisation said document promotes or represents.
Errors cost money. Errors incur bad publicity. Errors can take the shine off an otherwise pristine reputation.
The work we do is not only important, it’s vital.
And we should be proud.
Which is why we’ve produced a range of handsome-looking merchandise over at our store. Let’s celebrate our status as proof readers. Let’s tell the world what it is we do and how hopelessly devoid of quality the published word would be without us.
Say after me, “I’m proud to be a proof reader!”
Aren’t we? Well, not always. In fact, not often. Too frequently, we regard ourselves as the interfering busybodies of the publishing world, the nosy neighbour with the perpetually-twitching net curtain. We don’t create anything. We don’t produce anything. Whatever we work on, we can’t genuinely lay claim to the end product.
Well, maybe that’s true. Maybe we can’t lay claim to a document in its entirety, but we do make a very legitimate and substantial contribution to the health and wellbeing of a document and, by extension, the business or organisation said document promotes or represents.
Errors cost money. Errors incur bad publicity. Errors can take the shine off an otherwise pristine reputation.
The work we do is not only important, it’s vital.
And we should be proud.
Which is why we’ve produced a range of handsome-looking merchandise over at our store. Let’s celebrate our status as proof readers. Let’s tell the world what it is we do and how hopelessly devoid of quality the published word would be without us.
Say after me, “I’m proud to be a proof reader!”
One of our 'Proof Readers Go Boldly Where No Man Has Gone Before' mugs
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