Proofread to Avoid Subject Line Errors

Can you identify with this quotation by Grammar Girl in an interview she had in Failure Magazine? “A great story, message, or work history can easily be overlooked if the reader is distracted by errors.”

I agree with Grammar Girl (A.K.A. Mignon Fogarty); many people get distracted by errors.

@LBelle1 tweeted: “When reading some e-mails, I become so distracted by my proofreading that I miss the message altogether.” How true—often the distraction causes you to miss the message! And kudos to @LBelle1 for using the correct altogether. Click here to see the difference between altogether and all together.

Errors will destroy your marketing efforts if the reader doesn’t open your e-mail because the subject line has a typo. Carelessness is costly.

Be sure to read subject lines because errors are easily overlooked, especially if the incorrect word is a word. Spell check may not flag it as an error.

Some e-mails I’ve received with subject line typos include the following:

• Grief Assitance and Support
• A Role Model or All of Us!

What about you? Will you open an e-mail if the subject line has a typo?

Judy Beaver

Founder of National Proofreading Day