Few people like checking documents. If something’s been a battle to get finished, you probably just want to see it out the door.
The problem is that things change fast and what was correct a week ago has now changed. It’s not good if you print thousands of brochures telling your customers to go to a web page that doesn’t exist or call the wrong phone number.
Today I’m proofreading a long document which includes lots of web addresses: I’ve found that some of them have changed, especially government ones, which are always changing.
Dates and prices are other details which need to be checked. Getting the right date but the wrong day (or vice versa) is common: always check a calendar. You’ll be glad you did when you get lots of people at your event or wish you had if you didn’t check it.
And, finally, proofreading ensures that your documents make sense. With so much text flying about, I give up if I can’t understand something because of the way it is written; many other people do too.
Even if you can’t wait to see the back of a document, make sure someone checks it before it goes to print or on the web. Apart from achieving your objectives more successfully, you’ll find yourself building a reputation for being a reliable source of information if everything you put out is accurate and up to date.
After yesterday’s blog, are you cutting your text down?
z2zine tomorrow: Too much to handle
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