Thursday, December 1, 2011

Proofreading, Just One More Service I Provide

I think there is a huge market out there that should be looking to me to help them and I’m offering those services starting today. That market is, specifically, the people who post content online but clearly have no clue how to re-read, review, or proofread their own work for mistakes. Or perhaps they are just too lazy and don’t care.

Can someone please explain to me how these people maintain a readership and sell thousands of self-published books every year? Perhaps they would have an even bigger following and sell even more if they were able to make the best possible use of the English language. I am here to help them get there.

In the many years I’ve been online I’ve started to notice a trend where people post things they clearly never read through a second time (let alone a third or more) and mistakes are blindingly evident. One of the first places I saw it occurring on a regular basis was Monster.com job postings.

Nothing made me want to scream more than reading through a job posting that was asking someone to be “detail orientated”. After a while I started applying for jobs by editing their job posting and emailing the revised version back to them with a copy of my resume.

It made me feel great knowing I was helping them even if they never took advantage of the changes I had suggested (I never really went back to look). I felt I was the detail oriented candidate they were allegedly looking for so it naturally surprised me when I didn’t land a single one of those jobs. Go figure.

Now, the writers of online content have upped the ante. Yes, I said Writers. I’m starting to question if perhaps what I should have been doing back then was posting my resume to include all those website links that I proofread and edited for spelling and grammar because not only is it still happening in places like Monster, but Writers are doing it too. Again, yes, I said Writers.

Writers not knowing how to spell? Writers not proofing their own blog post at least once before it goes out on the internet? Writers that are selling thousands of copies of their book on Amazon, have people complimenting their posts and all the while they can’t format a complete structured sentence???

Yes I’m on a soapbox. Yes I totally hold myself to a higher standard in my own writing. Yes I also acknowledge the fact that I definitely write in a conversational tone on my blog and uber literary types probably cringe at my work sometimes. But at least I flipping know how to spell definitely.

So that’s it. I’ve had it with reading articles every morning that alleged Writers have posted, just to become frustrated; popping a vein because it reads like a third grader’s paper.

YOU ARE A WRITER, YOU REALLY NEED TO START ACTING LIKE ONE ALL THE TIME!

And no I’m not sorry for shouting, this shit is serious.

I’m saying it out loud, here and now, that I am available for hire. I truly want to help you to be better. Please, for the love of WORDS, just send me your work before you put it out on the internet. I will do my best to make it read professionally. I’m not even going to charge a lot, just get me at my fiverr listing and I'll start working to proof and edit your 2000 word piece. My turn time will be quick. I’ll pull a contract together and all that happy crap. You can just send me money through PayPal.

This is a service I’m willing to provide for the following types of content:
• Blog posts
• School papers (15 pages or less, over 15 let’s talk)
• Articles
• Interviews you’ve done
• Merchandise listings
• Other stuff just email me

Please, please, PLEASE help me clean up the internet’s bulk of information to read more smoothly. In this world of acronyms we can’t let the placement of them in sentences, or the spelling of words around them, to exhibit lessened intelligence.

Hire me today.

randomlunacy11 at yahoo dot com

10 comments:

Suldog said...

I'll be the first person brave enough to post a comment...

I, also, am amazed by the stuff that people put their names to without doing a simple re-read for correct spelling, duplications, and other obvious errors. I was an actual paid proofreader, for a few months many years ago, so I am particularly sensitive to such crap. When I see something like that show up in a piece I've already published (which does happen, I'll admit) I cringe, and I edit it out as soon as possible and then re-post.

Best of luck, but I assume that those who truly need your services just don't give a damn.

Karen Goltz said...

Go for it, Jenn! These kinds of errors bug me too! As for uber literary types cringing at your writing style, well, there's a HUGE difference between 'conversational' and 'incoherent.'

Anonymous said...

Editing their job posting and emailing the revised version back to them....love it.
Hope you had a great time back on the east coast. :)

Linda Myers said...

I hear you! I recently downloaded an ebook for a blogger I know, and the use -- or misuse -- of commas bothered me so much I stopped reading it. I thought about letting her know, but the book was already published. I'm a coward.

Good luck to you on success in your new service offering!

#1Nana said...

Of course other people's errors bother me much more than my own! I always review my writing before posting, but, God knows, I make my share of errors. I'm thinking I should block you from my blog so you can't see how bad I am!!!

Unknown said...

I like this post. I got a company informatics Outsourcing from Google search. They are a providing Proofreading service for Medical students,Journals,Ph.D Research scholars Worldwide with affordable price.

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

Oh my goodness Jann don't ever say that again! I make my fair share of mistakes (Lord knows, in spades sometimes!) all I'm saying is the people who whip something together & post it online as if it was a FB status (Read: not a lot of thought behind how it will read but 16 billion people still 'Like' it because they're friends) drives me insane. Your posts are always great, readers & writers on my blog roll tend to exhibit that level of caring where they're putting something out there for potentially the whole world to read and they know it matters. I'm not talking about one or 2 errors in grammar here or there, we're talking paragraphs of nonsensical writing. I love all of your blogs because you care!!!

Jenn Flynn-Shon said...

Nonsensical?? See, I'm not even sure that's an actual word but I'm breaking my own rule & using it anyway, so there!

I do enjoy using my own made up words - like recoculous :-)

Rosebud Collection said...

Came here yesterday, didn't leave a comment..but after your wrote me again..I don't want you to think I forgot about you..I wanted to read over your blog, before I commented..I understand your pain..but you are a perfectionist..right? So this would pain you very much..Just think how happy they would be hiring you to check out their work. A job well done.

I laughed at you being on Fiverr..me too..kind of a crazy place.
So happy you were home for Thanksgiving..you like AZ very much and I am happy for you. For some reason I can't get out of Maine. You know Jenn, when I was young, my dad drove an 18 Wheeler and took me to Maine..I vowed then, I would never move to Maine..how did this happen? I think it is my penance..haha..Oh well, you make the best of a bad situation, could always be worse.
Are you still in school? I see you are still on Etsy too..didn't do much there, but keeps me busy..it isn't the way it use to be. They have a lot of hacking going on, I noticed..
Well, have a wonderful holiday season..will be with you in spirit..Sending you love and blessings..Carolyn

The Nature Nut said...

I couldn't have said it better myself. Love your blog!