It’s the set-up man coming out of the bullpen, forever in the shadow of the closer. It’s the music producer, always standing behind the pop star. It’s the ultimate unsung hero of advertising. It’s proofreading, a process that is rarely acknowledged for all the good it does but always blamed when something goes wrong.
But don’t feel bad. As proofreaders we’re accustomed to the lack of recognition, and we’re okay with it because we know that what we do is essential to just about every job undertaken here at Davis. We ensure the spelling and grammatical accuracy of everything that leaves the office, we save our clients from errors in print and we ensure that important messages are understood by consumers.
We also know we’re pretty good at the work of proofreading, even if no one notices. In fact, we know we’re good because no one notices.
Part of what makes us successful at proofreading are the several grammar geeks walking our halls, each of us well versed in grammatical principles. We know the rules, and we know when and where they should be applied. Just as importantly, we hail from diverse employment and educational backgrounds, so that no matter what the format—print ad, press release, billboard, etc.—there is someone here with the appropriate experience. Rules that apply to a news release may not apply to a print ad, and there is always someone here who will know the difference.
For example, two of our regular proofreaders were English majors. One has more than a decade of news and magazine reporting, editing and proofreading experience; a third is a self-described grammar geek and connoisseur of grammar blogs who has an academic and professional background in science.
Now, that’s a proofreading team you can count on. We’re versatile and dedicated, and we take proofreading seriously. In short, we love what we do—even if no one notices.
