Writers used to be able to rely on squadrons of copy editors and fact-checkers to catch errors. Today’s staff reductions and 24/7 content-creation cycle make such safety nets rare. Don’t expect anyone to have your back. A few precautions can help you keep mistakes out of print or off the web.
Spell check. Every time.
Don’t blindly trust spell check. It can be wrong or confused. And scan your copy for land mines like the complement/compliment goof that a spell-checker likely won’t catch.
Do the math. Confirm every percentage and if you promise “11 Hot Tips” count them to make sure you didn’t list nine.
Don’t guess. Google is more reliable than your memory, and a search will save you from the horror of saying Jane Austen wrote “Dracula,” as someone working for The New York Times did.
Double-check. Like Santa, you need to check some things twice. We recommend doing so with names, dates, addresses, phone numbers and links.
Look again. To avoid reading over mistakes, look at what you've written in a different format. For instance, print what you've written, go over the printout and check off each fact with a pen as you reconfirm it.
It’s your name on that copy, so check, please!
Editing is our specialty. See more at MHarris.com.