NATIONAL PROOFREADING DAY
Every year on March 8th, National Proofreading Day highlights the importance of proofreading our written work. The day also allows those who enjoy proofreading to gently correct others. However, constructive criticism is usually welcome if invited to proofread another’s work!
#NationalProofreadingDay
The day promotes mistake-free writing. Carefully review all your letters and documents to make a positive and professional impression. It sometimes helps to have a few tips handy to catch overlooked mistakes when proofreading. Use several of them and mix them up from time to time for the most effective proofreading.
- Walk away – Proofread after an article, important email, or chapter has time to set, and you’re reading it with fresh eyes.
- Do not disturb – Remove all distractions, including phones, other deadlines, traffic, noise, and interruptions.
- Learn your habits – Keep a list of your routine errors and look for those first.
- Turn off the autocorrect – When used strictly as a tool, autocorrect may be helpful. However, over time we become reliant upon it. In texts and emails, it can overcorrect our messages, creating havoc. When we’re uncertain of the spelling or a word, there are many more reliable and efficient tools.
- Read it aloud – We catch different errors when we read aloud than when we read by sight alone.
- Read it backward – A fresh perspective allows us to find new errors. Start with the last sentence and work your way to the beginning.
- Fresh eyes – When the second set of eyes reads something completely new, it’s amazing what they find!
- Print it – And use a different font. Once again, our eyes see the document differently when it is printed on paper, and we find errors we didn’t see the first few times.
HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL PROOFREADING DAY
- Share your tips and tricks for proofreading.
- Take a course on proofreading.
- Challenge yourself to accept constructive criticism.
- If you usually catch other people’s errors, maybe this is the holiday to let them slide.
- Be sure to proofread anything you write and use #NationalProofreadingDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL PROOFREADING DAY HISTORY
Corporate Trainer Judy Beaver created National Proofreading Day. She chose March 8th, her mother’s birthday, to honor her mother and her love of correcting people.
Proofreading FAQ
Q. Is it wrong to correct someone’s grammar?
A. If someone has asked you to proofread their material, they should expect you to correct their grammar. However, if someone sends you a kind letter, put down the red pen.
Q. Is it possible to get a job as a proofreader?
A. Yes. Many companies and individuals hire proofreaders to review manuscripts, websites, print material, advertisements, and more.
