Ah, Typos: The Life of a Freelance Proofreader

Resume Blunders

2007-08-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

So, I haven't updated in a few days. I've been busy starting a new job! I'm working in the HR department of a 4,500-employee company, so getting acclimated has been exhausting.

Never fear -- not only will I not stop posting, I'll probably be posting more once I get settled. I have a lot of resumes coming across my desk that are filled with errors in grammar, spelling, formatting, word choice, etc.

Of course, I can't post items in their entirety, but I can give snippets that don't identify applicants.

My favorite one this week:

Why did you leave this position (application question)?
Answer: "Took care of my father till he died."

It just cracked me up because 1) the person shortened "until" in a professional document and 2) s/he didn't even shorten it correctly!

Don't Drink & Spell

2007-08-12T09:03:00.000-07:00

I went to pick up some friends who had been drinking and needed a ride home last night. When I went inside to tell them I had arrived, this is what I saw:

"$1 Shots. Endoresd by Nurse Goodbody."

Yes, endoresd. Even my intoxicated friend noticed the error!

Sue Gilad on ABC News

2007-08-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Sue Gilad, author of Copyediting and Proofreading for Dummies, was on ABC News this week talking about making money by proofreading books. Check out the clip by going to abcnews.go.com. On the right side, there is a video clip and below it, it says "Get Paid to Read." Click on that and the video will play. Congrats, Sue!

Spelling Pet Peeve

2007-08-08T13:20:00.001-07:00

I have to mention that I hate when people spell "whipped cream" as "whip cream." To me, whip cream would be some kind of salve that a dominatrix keeps in her dungeon to soften up her leather whip from time to time, not a sugary treat that perfectly tops a hot fudge sundae!

Spot the Error Tuesday: Can YOU Spot the Error?

2007-08-07T06:23:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday, I'm going to post a piece of text or a photo with an error in it. Some are really obvious and others may take a few minutes to find. Today's is courtesy of a Yahoo! advertiser.

Do you think this was an accidental error, or a deliberate attempt to use a keyword in an advertisement? If it was a keyword, why would they use it in an ad graphic? Don't the search engine robots only see text and links? Either way, I wouldn't hire a company that has an ad with such an obvious error to write something as important as a business plan for me. Am I being too picky?

Grammar and Punctuation Lessons

2007-08-06T00:13:00.001-07:00

I must confess I haven't always loved discussing grammar issues and marking errors with a red pencil. In third grade, I would stick my head in my desk every time my teacher told my class to take out our English workbooks. They were purple books by Houghton Mifflin (see how much I hated them?) and I just couldn't stand doing the boring exercises. As I've gotten older and started enjoying grammar, I realize that I don't remember learning about many of the grammar issues I've encountered in life. I remember learning punctuation thoroughly (we were taught to use the serial comma in second grade), having the differences between their/they're/there and you're/your hammered into my head, and learning all about contractions. However, I just figured out the difference between who's/whose a few years ago and I remember being astounded to learn that "10 Items or Less" is gramatically incorrect!

After sixth grade, I never heard another word about grammar and punctuation from teachers (except when papers were being corrected). In seventh grade, we read excerpts from The Odyssey. In eighth grade, we read The Outsiders and The Diary of Anne Frank. Ninth grade was spent reading Shakespeare and Greek tragedies. Tenth grade was the worst - our English book was all poems and works from the 1700s and 1800s. English was completely boring to me at the time! Eleventh grade was only slightly better than tenth; I must say I hate The Canterbury Tales with a passion after hearing it read aloud in class. Twelfth grade English was great -- I had a wonderful (very talented) student teacher and I discovered Ethan Frome that year.

Are we doing students (and the world) a disservice by cutting off these lessons in fifth or sixth grade? To me, the way grammar and punctuation were taught (at least in my district) says, "this stuff's not all that important, so we won't be talking about it anymore once you hit junior high." That attitude seems pervasive these days -- many people I talk to don't understand that these errors reduce their credibility and make their communications confusing or ambiguous.

What do you think? Did you learn about grammar/usage in junior high and high school, or did all of your grammar lessons end with your transition from elementary/middle school to an upper level?

Working Out Tech Issues

2007-08-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

I'm working out a few kinks in the blog to make sure it works perfectly, so please be patient, as posts will be sparse these first few days so I can concentrate on adding more links, working on the accompanying newsletter, and customizing my blog template. I look forward to posting regularly and hearing what you have to say!

Finally, my proofreading blog is here!

2007-08-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

I've wanted to start a proofreading blog for quite a while, but with client work, marketing other business centers, and doing a million other things, it's always been on the back burner. I'm happy to report that I just finished my three-year business plan and proofreading is going to take a more important role for me. I love to write when I'm doing researching, learning new things, and crafting pieces that will entertain or educate someone. I got tired of cranking out keyword articles -- I wrote nearly 300 articles on the exact same topic for one client. The only difference was that there were different keywords involved. It was boring and it made me want to jump out my window.

I love proofreading and editing and doing them exposes me to work in so many genres and topic areas that it is a lot harder to get bored. I'm going to be starting a proofreading/editing service just for college students (no, I won't be writing their papers!) as well as one for small businesses. I'll continue to apply for freelance openings at both large and small presses as well.

With my new focus comes this blog, which I plan to fill with posts on grammar issues, the craft of proofreading, freelance proofreading job announcements, interviews with professional proofreaders, editors, and writers, and all of my grammar and spelling pet peeves. I'll also be writing the Red Pencil Gazette, a weekly newsletter with proofreading/editing job listings, articles on proofreading and editing, and lists of tips and tricks.

Please join me as I journey through the proofreading world. I'd love to have you along for the ride!