To Proofread or Not To Proofread?

Do people really care about your spelling and punctuation mistakes?

As an editor for a prominent Medium publication, I read at least a dozen stories a day and make the decision to publish or send the story back to the writer with suggestions.

Honestly, I almost always publish stories with numerous grammatical and spelling mistakes. Only in the most extreme cases will I return the work with suggestions.

My primary function as an editor for Medium is not proofreading; it’s to make sure all images are properly credited and there is no hate speech involved.

I wish I could send more articles back for corrections, but with the volume of articles we edit, it’s just not possible. And we’re all unpaid volunteer editors who also submit articles on Medium for publication, just like you.

Also, considering that 99% of the writers on Medium are not professional writers, I don’t think it would be fair or kind to send a writer’s work back because they made an error using an apostrophe or comma or because their title was improperly capitalized.

So, back to my original question: should you proofread your stories before publishing them yourself or submitting them for publication?

My answer: yes and no.

Yes, proofread your work if you are writing to build a following and earn money. If your writing is full of punctuation and spelling errors, serious readers are not going to follow you.

No, don’t worry about proofreading before publishing if your sole purpose for writing on Medium is self-expression. A minimal number of typos does add a touch of credibility and personality to writing that is primarily for the benefit of the writer, not the reader.

Many people ask, “What is the difference between proofreading and editing?” Here’s the short answer:

An editor will make suggestions concerning the writing style, voice, and tone of the author as they read the content.

A proofreader is the last set of eyes to see the content before it is submitted for publishing. Proofreaders must slowly and carefully read the content to find spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors.

My final suggestion: don’t sweat the small stuff. If you use “it’s” when you should have used “its” or “you’re” when you should have used “your,” don’t be too hard on yourself.

If you’re a perfectionist, there are many online courses that can help you tighten up your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

What’s most important is that you do your best to provide content that benefits your readers. If they find your article interesting and helpful, they’re not going to be bothered by a few typos.