Proofreading Tips

An interview with a proofreader that was recently posted on Bad Language http://www.badlanguage.net/?p=290 inspired me to do some thinking about the role of proofreading in translation and my own proofreading process. Translation proofreaders often get a bad rap, but having a separate proofreader is absolutely essential for any external communication project.

Proofreading your own work is never a good idea, especially when working to tight deadlines. You just don't have the distance to look at the work objectively. Any copy that is going to be used outside the company (press releases, shareholder communication, marketing collateral, etc.) really should--no, must--be proofread by someone other than the person who wrote/translated it. Small errors can really damage the credibility of your organization or message. If you are a translation client, make sure you ask your translation provider about his or her proofreading procedure. Sometimes paying a bit more for an additional proofreader is a good investment, especially when you don't have a native speaker of the target language on your in-house communication team. Think about the time and resources that went into developing your press release, brochure, or Web site copy and the potential cost of a poorly-prepared translation damaging your company's image.

Sometimes tight deadlines just don't allow for a separate proofreader, especially when you are working as part of a remote virtual team. The procedure I use when proofreading my own work includes the following strategies:

• Let the translation "rest" for as long as the deadline allows before proofreading (at least overnight)
• Always print out the text and proofread on paper--sorry, but it just isn't possible to proofread on screen and I have serious doubts about anyone who says that they can do it this way and produce clean copy
• Read the text out loud--a great way to catch clunky construction
• Cover the text with a blank sheet of paper or envelope and proofread line-by-line
• Proofread the text "backwards" from bottom to top to catch any typos or punctuation errors
• Have several style manuals on hand and refer to them when in doubt about punctuation, relative clauses, apostrophes, or any other details that tend to trip you up