Costs
It was once said that an engineer can do for a dollar what any fool can do for three.
The point of the saying is that competency has a very high value. However, the cost of lost visitors to a website, due to errors and omissions in writing, is far greater than the cost of a proofreader.
A proofreader is like a forensic engineer, in that writing is looked at, analyzed and then corrections are recommended to rectify or ameliorate errors and omissions.
Most architects and engineers carry errors and omissions insurance, knowing that such things are possible in the real world.
The precision of writing in the professional design fields is paramount. A misspelled word or a misplaced decimal point can literally result in disaster and the loss of life.
The benefits of correct writing, done to a professional standard. by far outweigh the inexpensive fees of proofreaders.
Writing Is Like Professional Design Work
Grammar, syntax, and spelling are analogous to engineering. They encompass the structure and function of writing, not including the style or aesthetics. Similarly, the engineering of a building entails the structural design, or the ‘skeleton’ of a building. Engineering is also used in designing environmental control systems within the building.
Writing style is analogous to architecture, just as there are styles of architecture and its appearance is most of what we see, and hopefully it has aesthetic value.
A writer is a team within himself or herself and proofreaders and editors are like building inspectors, ensuring that everything is in compliance with the building codes and all relevant laws and ordinances.
It is a team effort and missing parts can and do result in a catastrophe or a debacle.
Many of us writers pride ourselves in being unique, clever, hilarious, or even brilliant. These attributes are mitigated or adulterated by errors and omissions that had the quality control team been involved, the great things would have remained, as well they should.