So many times, I have posted an article or blog post, or had one of my many guest posts posted on another site, only to discover after re-reading it a typo or some other error that made it through my proofing process and that of the site owner when applicable, that takes away from the authority of what I have written.
After all, as a content writer and editor, not only of web content but of books and other materials, I should be able to see the errors in my own stuff, or have them proofed, or somehow prevent the mistakes from being published.
It just isn’t that simple, as much as I wish it was. Self-editing is nearly impossible for a number of reasons:
You become word blind. Some of the things you see in others writing you miss in your own. An editor cannot edit their own work for the most part.
Software is inadequate. While there is some great software out there, such as Grammarly and Intelligent Editing, along with proofreading programs, they just don’t work as well as a human looking at word confusion and other issues such programs do not catch.
You tend to read what you think you wrote. This is different than being word blind, and is especially true of blog posts and other short items written quickly. A spell and grammar check does not always catch mistakes cause by dyslexia or other simple errors, and often during the correction of such errors, other mistakes are introduced.
So another set of human eyes, even two or three, is better. Embarrassing mistakes can be avoided before they are broadcast to a wider web audience or to readers of larger works.
Everyone makes typos. It is a part of writing nearly anything. But it does not have to be a part of your website.
Want to know more about content editing? Watch this space, and if you have questions, comment below or sent me an email at info@troylamberrwrites.com.
Troy is an editor, book coach, author of over 32 novels and several works of non-fiction, and the education lead for Plottr. He lives, works, and plays in Boise, Idaho.
Passionate about writing dark psychological thrillers, he is an avid cyclist, skier, hiker, all-around outdoorsman, and a terrible beginning golfer.
