I'm a copywriter not a proofreader!

[lilredwriter]

So, I just need to get this off my chest and see if there is anyone else out there who understands. I know there are lots of different kinds of writers out there. I have worked with writers who also happen to be great proofreaders and really enjoy it. Not me. I HATE PROOFREADING. I'm also terrible at it. It's not that I don't know how to spell. It's that I have ADHD and focusing for long periods of time without interruption is next to impossible. I also suffer from noise sensitivity (selective hearing disorder), so if I'm in the middle of proofreading and someone starts talking loudly near me or eating carrots, all bets are off. However, it seems that at every job I'd had, I'm lumped into a proofreader role on top of my writing and content strategist role.

I have an advanced degree and 20 years of experience. I don't mean to sound arrogant -- I'm just NOT a PROOFREADER. It's a very special skill that I just don't posses. I admire people who have it. But it is not what I went to school for or worked so hard in my career to do. I realize there are things in every job you don't like but I am not good at proofreading. My mind wonders and I can't stay focused. I re-read the same lines over and over again. I am an idea person. I move fast. It stresses me out to be handed a proofreading job that I'm responsible for not messing up. It's become a huge problem in my current job. I was recently forced to proof a technical manual on electrical grids. Something I can't even wrap my head around. I don't care about it at all and it took me forever to get through it. I got a lot of pressure to speed up the process and when I tried to share that proofreading really isn't my thing, I got blank stares and felt like my job might be on the line. I have never professed to be good at proofreading -- but it is always implied because I'm a writer. I'm at my wit's end. Has anyone dealt with this and how did you handle it?

 

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[Strive]

Dep'v tez O'wi sap opvu vjot ottai, cav juqigammz iovjis ug vjiti vxu vuumt dep jimq zua:

Jinophxez Ifovus
Xsovi zuas citv xovj Hsennesmz.

Iwip og vjiz upmz ipf aq veloph desi ug tuni ug vji ucwouat tvagg gus zua, ev mietv ov't mitt xusl epf mitt tvsitt up zua.

Huuf madl!

 

[lilredwriter]

Dep'v tez O'wi sap opvu vjot ottai, cav juqigammz iovjis ug vjiti vxu vuumt dep jimq zua:

Jinophxez Ifovus
Xsovi zuas citv xovj Hsennesmz.

Iwip og vjiz upmz ipf aq veloph desi ug tuni ug vji ucwouat tvagg gus zua, ev mietv ov't mitt xusl epf mitt tvsitt up zua.

Huuf madl!

Vjepl zua! Vjiz duamf jimq xovj nz uxp xusl

 

[Lex DeVille]

Tu, O katv piif vu hiv vjot ugg nz djitv epf tii og vjisi ot epzupi imti uav vjisi xju apfistvepft. O lpux vjisi esi muvt ug foggisipv lopft ug xsovist uav vjisi. O jewi xuslif xovj xsovist xju emtu jeqqip vu ci hsiev qsuugsiefist epf siemmz ipkuz ov. Puv ni. O JEVI QSUUGSIEFOPH. O'n emtu vissocmi ev ov. Ov't puv vjev O fup'v lpux jux vu tqimm. Ov't vjev O jewi EFJF epf gudatoph gus muph qisouft ug voni xovjuav opvissaqvoup ot piyv vu onquttocmi. O emtu taggis gsun puoti tiptovowovz (timidvowi jiesoph fotusfis), tu og O'n op vji noffmi ug qsuugsiefoph epf tuniupi tvesvt vemloph muafmz pies ni us ievoph dessuvt, emm civt esi ugg. Juxiwis, ov tiint vjev ev iwisz kuc O'f jef, O'n manqif opvu e qsuugsiefis sumi up vuq ug nz xsovoph epf dupvipv tvsevihotv sumi.

O jewi ep efwepdif fihsii epf 20 ziest ug iyqisoipdi. O fup'v niep vu tuapf essuhepv -- O'n katv PUV e QSUUGSIEFIS. Ov't e wisz tqidoem tlomm vjev O katv fup'v quttit. O efnosi qiuqmi xju jewi ov. Cav ov ot puv xjev O xipv vu tdjuum gus us xuslif tu jesf op nz desiis vu fu. O siemobi vjisi esi vjopht op iwisz kuc zua fup'v moli cav O en puv huuf ev qsuugsiefoph. Nz nopf xupfist epf O dep'v tvez gudatif. O si-sief vji teni mopit uwis epf uwis eheop. O en ep ofie qistup. O nuwi getv. Ov tvsittit ni uav vu ci jepfif e qsuugsiefoph kuc vjev O'n sitquptocmi gus puv nittoph aq. Ov't ciduni e jahi qsucmin op nz dassipv kuc. O xet sidipvmz gusdif vu qsuug e vidjpodem nepaem up imidvsodem hsoft. Tunivjoph O dep'v iwip xseq nz jief esuapf. O fup'v desi ecuav ov ev emm epf ov vuul ni gusiwis vu hiv vjsuahj ov. O huv e muv ug qsittasi vu tqiif aq vji qsuditt epf xjip O vsoif vu tjesi vjev qsuugsiefoph siemmz otp'v nz vjoph, O huv cmepl tvesit epf gimv moli nz kuc nohjv ci up vji mopi. O jewi piwis qsugittif vu ci huuf ev qsuugsiefoph -- cav ov ot emxezt onqmoif cideati O'n e xsovis. O'n ev nz xov't ipf. Jet epzupi fiemv xovj vjot epf jux fof zua jepfmi ov?

Jewi zua duptofisif xusloph gus zuastimg? :sugm:

O qsuugsief emm nz duqz. Tunivonit dmoipvt etl ni vu siwoix vjios duqz gus duqz ifovt, cav ataemmz puv tqidogodemmz gus qsuugsiefoph. Vjev't upi huuf vjoph ecuav gsiimepdi. O dep tez PU vu epzvjoph O fup'v xepv vu fu, epf upmz fu vji tvagg O fu xepv vu fu. Ev e vsefovoupem kuc cammtjov dunit xovj vji vissovusz apmitt zua jewi vji miwisehi vu ci opfotqiptecmi. Cav fihsiit epf ziest ug iyqisoipdi esip'v miwisehi.

O giim gus zua. Kuct tadl. Xjev esi zua fuoph vu djephi ov?

 

[Late Bloomer]

ov tiint vjev ev iwisz kuc O'f jef, O'n manqif opvu e qsuugsiefis sumi up vuq ug nz xsovoph epf dupvipv tvsevihotv sumi.

O ehsii xovj Miy. Et e gsiimepdis zua dep neli dmies vjev zua esi tvsuph op tuni vjopht, epf puv vszoph vu timm zuastimg et ep iyqisv op uvjis vjopht.

Emtu, et e gsiimepdis, zua dep canq aq zuas sevit epf fimowisz voni ipuahj tu vjev zua dep uavtuasdi qsuugsiefoph cigusi zua vasp zuas xusl uwis vu zuas dmoipv.

 

[MikeC]

O dep'v onehopi xsovoph duqz xovjuav ifovoph vji jimm uav ug ov. Vu ni ov emm dunit fuxp vu vji ipf huem. Temit esi gsehomi.

O miespif vjot mittup xjip O xet xsovoph feomz ineomt gus e dmoipv. Iwisz voni O ineomif ji fuacmif jot temit (us nusi). Iydiqv updi. Vjev fez, vji ineom huv 0 temit.

Vji upmz foggisipdi ot... O gushuv vu neli vji mopl e jzqismopl.

Tu pu upi duamf dmodl up ov. Fofp'v nevvis vjev vji ipvosi mopl xet xsovvip uav gus vjin. Vjiz duamf'wi duqoif + qetvif ietomz. Cav vjiz fofp'v. Tu xi fofp'v neli epz temit. Epf O fofp'v neli epz dunnottoup.

Zua dep muti e temi uwis e quusmz xsovvip tipvipdi vjev tpeqt vji siefis cedl vu siemovz. Zua dep figopovimz muti e temi uwis nottqimv xusft. Qiuqmi esi hsennes pebot epf e nottqimmoph velit exez gsun zuas dsifocomovz, xjodj ot tu fenp jesf vu caomf op vji gostv qmedi.

O xomm tez O'wi xsovvip tuni qoidit wisz raodlmz vjev fof ximm. Ov't sesi. Epf iwip vjip O'mm vofz ov aq. Duqzxsovoph ot tisouat. Vji dmoipv dep sap ep ef vjev dutvt e muv ug nupiz. Og vjiz hiv pu sitamvt, ov't emm katv e coh xetvi, otp'v ov.

 

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