The Power of Proofreading: Tips for Catching Errors in All Types of Projects

The Power of
Proofreading

Sherrie Voss Matthews, The University of Texas at San Antonio
Sherri Hildebrandt, Consultant
John Braun, Vanguard Group

Thursday, April 12, 12

What is proofreading?
It is not editing. It is more detail-oriented. You should
give every aspect of a project a closer look, including:

• Designspace
• Spelling
White
• Punctuation
• All nitpicky details
•


Beyond print


Beyond print
Many of us are responsible for multiple projects


Beyond print

Web: Do the links work?


Beyond print


Promotional materials: Does the pen write?


Beyond print



Maps: Does this make sense? Are geographical references correct?


Beyond print




Scripts: Does the text make sense to those outside of the
organization?


Beyond print




organization?

Video: Are transitions even? Does the transcript match the script?


Beyond print




organization?

Video: Are transitions even? Does the transcript match the script?

Books: Do the chapters match the table of contents? What about the
index?


Watch for grammar
I want TWO!

Watch for
common
grammatical
mistakes by
nonwriters.


Apostrophes confuse nonwriters


Also, commas


Also, homonyms


Know your location


Know your location

Where it
really is.


Are your eyes playing tricks on you?


Find a style and use it


Save the date


Watch for
creative art
design
Even if the earth tilted
on its axis, the Tower of
the Americas wouldn’t
be located on top of
the Alamodome. But
that’s where the art
director placed it.


Watch bad juxtapositions


Or just watch the design


Check ﬁnal proofs for hard
returns or text ﬂowing improperly


Use logic while prooﬁng


Duh.


Invasion of weird crops


Do the math

• Math intimidates editors — but chances are it
already intimidated the writer.
• Learn a little about the math involved in your job.
• Everybody: Percentages.

•standings.
Sports: Baseball magic numbers, games back in the

• Business: Compound interest.


Do the math
Compound interest at a glance
The formula looks complicated …

Future value = Present value times (1 + interest
rate) raised to the power of the number of
years
or FV = PV(1 + i)n

... But really there are just two scenarios to
worry about: changing the investment and
changing time.


Do the math
If you change the amount you invest:

FV = PV(1 + i)n

… then (1 + i)n is just a number. So we have
FV = PV (some number)


Do the math
FV = PV (some number)

These two numbers move together. For
example, if one doubles, the other
doubles too.


Do the math
If you change the time you invest …

FV = PV(1 + i) n

… then future value changes exponentially.
If you double the length of time you
invest, future value more than doubles.


Do the math

It boils down to:

Am I changing the money?
The yield increases proportionally.

Am I changing time?
The yield increases more than proportionally.


Sometimes we get it right
Compounding can make a difference when you save over
the long term. For example, a $1,000 investment, growing
at an average rate of 8% per year, could compound to
$1,469 in ﬁve years and $2,159 in ten years!

Lots of numbers, but what are we changing?

… could compound to $1,469 in ﬁve years and $2,159 in ten
years!


Compounding can make a difference when you save over
the long term. For example, a $1,000 investment, growing
at an average rate of 8% per year, could compound to
$1,469 in ﬁve years and $2,159 in ten years!

Lots of numbers, but what are we changing?

Time!
… could compound to $1,469 in ﬁve years and $2,159 in ten
years!


Compounding can make a difference when you save over the
long term. For example, a $1,000 investment, growing at an
average rate of 8% per year, could compound to $1,469 in
five years and $2,159 in ten years!

• Change in first five years: $1,469 - $1,000 = $469.
• Change in next five years: $2,159 - $1,469 = $690.

Time makes things grow faster than you’d expect.
Double the time and the amount more than doubles.


Sometimes we get it wrong
Let’s look at Jim and Joe, both of whom earn $25,000.
• Jim contributes 3% to the plan and receives a company
contribution of 2% for a total contribution of 5%. Over 20
years Jim would accumulate close to $100,000.
• Joe contributes 6% to the plan and receives a company
contribution of 3.5% for a total contribution of 9.5%. Over
20 years Joe would accumulate about $150,000.

This hypothetical example assumes a return of 8% and does
not represent the return on any particular investment.

What changes? The contribution.



Joe’s contributing almost twice as much as Jim, but
ends up with only 50% more money. No fair!



Joe’s contributing almost twice as much as Jim, but
ends up with only 50% more money. No fair!

The real numbers should be $60,000 and $110,000.


And now, the bonus round
Chris, age 30, earns $40,000 a year and hopes to retire at age 65. He is
contributing 4% and has a balance of $50,000 in his plan account. He is
invested conservatively, so his portfolio earns about 5% a year.
Saving 4%, plus getting a 4% match from his employer, Chris will have about
$259,300 total, or $10,370 a year to spend in retirement. Not quite what
he needs.
Chris decides to increase his contribution rate by two percentage points for a
total of 6% to get the full company match of 6%. With this boost, he will
have $870,100 total, or $34,810 annually for his retirement expenses.
That’s $610,800 more when he retires, and $24,440 a year more to
spend.

Lots of numbers again, but what’s changing here?



$259,300 total, or $10,370 a year to spend in retirement. Not quite what he
needs.

That’s $610,800 more when he retires, and $24,440 a year more to spend.



needs.

That’s $610,800 more when he retires, and $24,440 a year more to spend.

The contribution rate
from 4% + 4% = 8% to 6% + 6% = 12%.


needs.
Chris decides to increase his contribution rate by two percentage points for a total
of 6% to get the full company match of 6%. With this boost, he will have
$870,100 total, or $34,810 annually for his retirement expenses. That’s
$610,800 more when he retires, and $24,440 a year more to spend.


needs.
Chris decides to increase his contribution rate by two percentage points for a total
of 6% to get the full company match of 6%. With this boost, he will have
$870,100 total, or $34,810 annually for his retirement expenses. That’s
$610,800 more when he retires, and $24,440 a year more to spend.

Putting in 12% of his pay instead of 8% should raise his
output by 50%. Instead he’s more than tripled his money!


Beware the rush


Beware the dummy text


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Beware prooﬁng in a hurry

Beware the typo


Beware
prooﬁng
in a hurry


Beware prooﬁng in a hurry


Know what is in the document
“A designer handling sports pages one night last week
caught a big problem on A1 when the papers came up:
“A designertwo flag keys, a big oneone night 70 week
One of the handling sports pages covering last
caught of the width of the page, touted a story in
percenta big problem on A1 when the papers came up:
Sportsthe twothe removal of trees from the outfield at
One of about flag keys, a big one covering 70
Target Field.
percent of the width of the page, touted a story in
Sports about the removal of trees from the outfield at
Target Field.
“Problem was: Sports didn't have room for the
story and didn't run it.
“Problem was: Sports didn't have room for the story
and didn't run it. caught the error in the slotting and
“We should have
proofing, but going 100 mph we missed it.”
“We should have caught the error in the slotting and
proofing, but going -100 mph we missed it.” Star Tribune
Ben Welter, copy desk chief,

- Ben Welter, copy desk chief, Star Tribune


Great advice


Beware being overly clever


Triple-check. Everything.


Think like a 12-year-old boy



Which of
these is not like the
others? Which of
these does not
belong?



Healthy Foods,
The interdisciplinary
arena of food, nutrition,

Healthy Lives and health research
and outreach is a key
initiative at the University of Minnesota. With six key components
on one campus—agriculture, human nutrition, medicine, pubic
health, exercise science, and veterinary medicine—interdisciplinary
cooperation can translate quality science to sound public policy.

Berries
Thursday, April 12, 12 and at the Horticultural Research Center near

Is this what music has come to?

Indie folk singer Haley
Bonar already has recorded
songs for her next album,
“Golder,” but needs money to
cover the cost of touring as she
promotes tit.


AP? CMS? APA? What’s your style?

Luverne
CHIT CHAT’S FAMILY RESTAURANT
920 South Kniss Ave.
Luverne, Minnesota 56156
507-283-4458
Located one-half blocks north of Interstate Highway
90 in Luverne


Find a style; be consistent
Luverne
CHIT CHAT’S FAMILY RESTAURANT
920 S. Kniss Avenue
Luverne, MN 56156
507-283-4458
Half a block north of Interstate 90
in Luverne


Time-honored tips
 Take nothing for granted
 Designers and writers can miss the obvious as
well as the subtle
 Don’t trust Word’s spellcheck and grammar
functions. Ever.
 Pay attention when referring to all
of your document
 Don’t embarrass your publication (or your
sources)
 Have a sense of style


Time-honored tips
 Pressroom guys & coworkers have eyes - use
them as resources
 Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty
 Read in reverse
 Know your weaknesses - ﬁnd your personal
experts
 Listen to that little voice in your head
 The devil really is in the details


Save your sanity

ApostropheAbuse.com or Like them on Facebook

For Every Time You Misuse an Apostrophe, I’m Going to Remove a
Finger - Like them on Facebook


Many thanks to our proofing peeps
Special thanks to Charles Apple, James Benavides,
John Braun, Kirsten Efird, Lynn Gosnell, Sherri
Hildebrandt, Laura Johnson, Gina Lamb, Greg
Matthews, Lesley McCreedy, Melody Sanders,
Sherrie Voss Matthews, Gawker Media and The
Huffington Post for their sharp eyes and blooper
contributions.


The Power of Proofreading: Tips for Catching Errors in All Types of Projects

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The Power of Proofreading: Tips for Catching Errors in All Types of Projects