How can you choose between proofreading software and a professional?

If you want to publish your documents, it's always a good idea to invest in a proofreader. If the text is going to appear as the face of your brand, you should definitely hire a proofreader.

A professional proofreader is ? the human eye you need to make sure your thoughts are coherent and logical ? the human eye that spots the most minute errors in your document ? the human eye that makes your documents flawless.

A professional proofreader ensures confidentiality. Can you imagine someone uploading pages of a book that hasn't been published as proof of work?

I'd argue that proofreading software is only helpful in the hands of a professional. Products like Grammarly are so blind to context that they're really only useful for extremely straightforward errors in standard business texts. More complicated sentence structures throw them off, and you'll find that their suggestions are often so inaccurate that you'll make your text worst by implementing them. When you're proofreading technical content, you'll be ignoring Grammarly's suggestions about 75% of the time, so you're better off asking a human proofreader to review your work.

Years back, Grammarly and other software were a big deal, and likely did help a few folks who knew virtually nothing about correct grammar and usage. BUT. There are many words (like "however") that can be used in different contexts, something I learned a while back when I wrote about using the word however in a sentence. Grammarly proceeded to put a semicolon before it, "thinking" I was using it to introduce another part of the same sentence. But I was not doing that. So, as someone else here wrote, use proofing software first, if only to find the obvious (to it, anyway) goofs. But beware; it's not always going to be right, and we humans need to keep that thought front and center.

If your only concern is grammar, proofreading software can be helpful. For finer details, get a proofreader to be an extra pair of eyes.

Les logiciels de relecture sont toujours utiles, ils sont très efficaces pour détecter les fautes d'orthographe, d'accord ou de grammaire. Par contre, ils manquent de nuance et ne remplaceront jamais l'oeil averti et l'esprit critique d'un.e relecteur.rice humain.e. Les subtilités de la langue, les incohérences dans le ton ou la voix, les possibilités d'amélioration du style : il n'y a qu'un.e véritable relecteur.rice pour apporter cette expertise!

For formal, industry-specific, and authority building documents, get a proofreader. Nobody respects poor presentation of ideas.

To maximize accuracy and efficiency, start by using proofreading software to perform an initial scan for common errors and inconsistencies. Then, hire a professional proofreader to review the document manually, focusing on nuances that software may miss, such as context-specific errors or stylistic enhancements. Collaborate closely with the proofreader, providing them with any feedback or preferences you have. Finally, integrate their suggestions with the software's findings to produce a polished and error-free final product. This combined approach ensures comprehensive error detection while capitalizing on the strengths of technology and human expertise.

Start with proofreading software, getting the minor errors out of the way may reduce the amount you'll have to pay. Although most proofreaders charge by word count.

I recommend looking only at Grammarly's "correctness" flags, which focus on actual spelling, grammar and usage errors. These particular flags are often correct. Carefully review its capitalization consistency flags; it will flag a word as "inconsistent" when it appears capitalized in a heading and lowercase elsewhere in the text. As noted before, it's entirely blind to context. Most importantly of all, if you don't understand why Grammarly's suggesting a particular change, don't accept it. Chances are it's wrong. This is why human proofreaders are indispensable: if you need more information about a specific change, they can walk you through their reasoning and supply background information—things your proofreading software is incapable of.

It is important to embrace the use of proofreading software and a professional proofreader. If you can balance the advantages of both, this helps you get a very good document that speaks of your credibility as a writer.

Choose a professional software if - - You are looking for a quick and cost-effective way to catch basic errors in your writing like spelling mistakes and grammatical issues. - The content is simple with no complexities. Choose a professional proofreader if - - You want to get more nuanced errors checked. - You want a deep level of insight and feedback on your writing. - You look for a more comprehensive review of your content that not only identifies errors but also offers suggestions for improving the clarity, flow, and overall quality of your writing. - Your writing is more critical or has high stakes, such as legal documents, academic papers, or marketing materials.