Early this morning my September e-newsletter was delivered to email inboxes across the land. Unfortunately, even with three or so proofreadings by yours truly, I discovered an omitted word. It happens.
Mistakes are one of the pitfalls of being a solo professional. Everyone needs another set of eyes. The other set of eyes for my e-newsletter (which would have caught the omitted word) is my ex-neighbor in Seattle. I’ll call him Michael because that’s his name.
Michael is a brilliant mathematician and computer guy, as well as a copy fanatic and strict grammarian. That’s exactly what you want in a proofreader. (He also has a warped sense of humor, which I enjoy.)
I’ve been grateful to have Michael pick my copy apart until the other day when he said I would have to work without a net. He’s even more busy than usual. It’s my loss.
“I’m a little worried that you’re going to eliminate my position,” he wrote me in an email this morning.
“Not a chance,” I wrote back.
As I again learned this morning, I need that extra set of eyes whenever it’s available.
Neil Sagebiel 