I just made this comment on a Mashable article (sure, it was clickbait, but Mashable is a more reputable source than some, and I expect more from them):
Please hire a proofreader.
I find myself saying this in my head a lot lately. I don’t usually post any comments about it (posting comments online is perhaps one of the biggest wastes of time and energy one could indulge in), but this morning I had a weak moment. But Mashable isn’t alone. Companies and organizations that present themselves as professional no longer seem to have editorial oversight or any sort of quality assurance.
Here are a couple of local examples: Boston.com and Bostonology. Boston.com has turned into an editor’s nightmare. The writing is poor and the site is rife with typos. (The layout and overall user experience are not a picnic either.) I used to read the site regularly, but now I cringe whenever I look at it. I had recently subscribed to Bostonology‘s emails and eventually unsubscribed because every single email I read had multiple typos and the content was often poorly written and structured. As a Bostonian, I love the concept of this email subscription, but I was so distracted by the lack of quality that I couldn’t read it anymore.
The Mashable article I read today had at least two typos in the introduction (one in the first sentence) and a duplicate screenshot in the body copy. People will say I am a stickler (and I am), but there are three main reasons (other than having pride in your work product) why typos, missing words, and poorly structured content matter:
Please hire a proofreader. Readers and customers everywhere will thank you.