from Elliott
I have spent a good part of my marketing career, proofreading – brochures, legal documents, advertising copy, etc. You get to a point where it is programmed in your mind what to look for and the correct information you are looking for.
The ministry is hosting the annual revival this week for our ministry partner. Part of the promotion is event posters that are put up at bus stops and at local retailers which are called Spazza’s or Tuck Shops. In the past they have been produced in English but this year I met with my language coach and he translated the poster information for me. While that was challenging because some things simply don’t translate, what was even more challenging was to be sure that what the printer sent me in the proof was what it needed to be.
What I found was that the confidence that I had in proofing real estate marketing materials back home was lacking when I looked at the poster and at best understood every third word. What if I make a mistake – it could be as simple as not legible to the reader or as bad as a different meaning than was desired even possibly offensive. The pressure was on!
Fortunately, when the posters were complete there was only one incorrect letter and it was obvious enough to the reader what the sentence meant and no one would be offended. Anyway, with a little ‘white out’ and the steady hand of a daughter who is visiting from the US the ‘g’ was changed into an ‘s’ and all worked out.
No comments:
Post a Comment