I’ve always proof read my own posts. For smaller posts I usually read over them once but for 2,000+ blog posts I sometimes look read through them 2 or 3 times as it’s easier for mistakes to slip through. Whilst reading the productivity eBook Blog Wise recently I noticed a comment from travel blogger Matt Kepnes. In the interview Matt noted that he has an editor proof read all his posts before publication.
I was kind of taken aback by this. I know most large blogs review posts submitted by their contributors but I (wrongly) assumed that bloggers who write for their own blogs just proofread their own posts. Very few bloggers I know do this. In fact, many bloggers, such as Jeremy Schoemaker, have acknowledged the fact their posts have spelling mistakes in them and don’t think it’s that important.
For smaller posts I don’t think it’s worth hiring an external editor to proofread posts however I can see value in doing so for longer articles that are more important (and perhaps took you a few days to write).
To get an idea of the extent Matt vets his own posts, take a look at this excerpt from page 20 of Blog Wise:
“Usually I go through writing spurts,” Matt begins. “So I won’t write for a while, and then I’ll get really in the zone, and I’ll bang out seven articles at once. “I usually do a framework for them—I won’t complete them—so I’ll do a frame and a draft and then I’ll add to that maybe two or three times until I get something workable. And then I send it off to my editor to read it. “Then she sends it back to me, and then I rewrite it or add to it after another set of eyes have seen it and after I haven’t seen it for a while. Then it goes back to her, and then it goes up on the blog, and I read it once more before it goes live.”
I don’t think I’ll ever hire anyone to proofread my posts as I enjoy getting my ideas out quickly, though I may do so with future books I write. I could do this with the help of email subscribers. For example, I could ask for the help of 3 subscribers to read a review copy of my book and advise me of any spelling mistakes, grammatical errors or inconsistencies.
What’s your proofreading strategy? Do you just quickly proofread your own posts like me? Would you consider hiring an editor to proofread your posts if it greatly improved the quality of your content?
Thanks for reading,
Kevin
Proofreading has an incredible role in completing a blog or any level of writing. It build your writing content more appealing and free from any grammatical &punctuation errors. I do proofread my own content and I really enjoyed it. Korah of Red-pen-masters.com.
I have noticed a huge drop in standards in many online news publications. The Daily Mail is horrendous. Every single article has basic spelling mistakes, however they are rushing articles out so quickly they do not seem to have the time to even check the articles they are publishing. Sign of the times. It seems it is more important to many websites to simply get the article out there.
I always proofread my blog posts. Sometimes I get my wife to proofread and she will always find spelling or grammatical errors. I have read thousands of posts from some of the top online bloggers and many have errors.
It is a sign of the times. Bloggers tend to write fast and are looking for content asap. I think we all need to slow down, take deep breath, relax and re-read our posts. I am including myself.
Is that your service?
Kevin
I always prefer proofreading for my blogs. Qualified proofreaders are so good in giving a good and attractive look to my blog. After proofreading it appears more impressive and good.
Reference: Docfixers proofreading
Hi Kimberley,
Glad you enjoyed the book.
I agree that if you are promoting a product, badly written copyright looks terribly bad and suggests the product will be sub par too.
Most bloggers let slip a few mistakes from time to time. I don’t think there is anything inherently wrong with that per say. But if it starts happening all the time, it’s probably a good idea to have someone check your posts.
Kevin
I have to respectfully disagree that having spelling or grammatical errors in your blog posts are not important. For example, I received this in my inbox “I have learned that Tapping is a good way to help you feel better or feel good when we will bad! ” The writer is trying to convince me to take time to watch a short video for some product they are promoting but they can’t take the time to proofread their content? Poor spelling and nonsensical sentences scream unprofessional. If you want to be a writer then do what writers do and proof your content. If you don’t want to do your own proofreading then hire someone who will do it in a timely manner. This is just my opinion. Love your site and I really enjoyed “The traits and Habits of Successful Bloggers”.
If you enjoy writing like I do, you want to be sure that your readers can relate to what you are saying to them through your posts. Like you Kevin, I always proof my own content….1. because it’s faster and 2 because I enjoy it.
When reading others content the biggest mistake I find is “YOU” instead of “YOUR”. This is probably one of the most common mistakes… makes me think many don’t proof read their content at all.