National Proofreading Day: What It Is

Before I publish a blog post, I read through my work several times. I first read through it in its word publishing document, then I review it on my blog’s editor tool and finally proofread once more on my website in preview mode.

I’m reviewing this blog post extra carefully because a keen eye holiday is coming up: National Proofreading Day is on March 8!

As writers, we don’t take proofreading for granted. Whether we proofread our own writing or spot an error instantly in a peer’s email, we edit as much as we write.

That’s why it’s easy for us to understand the importance of this editorial holiday. But what is National Proofreading Day? Why do we celebrate on March 8? And how can we participate in National Proofreading Day?

So, What Is National Proofreading Day?

We celebrate National Proofreading Day every year on March 8 as a way to shine a light on the importance of proofreading your writing. National Proofreading Day promotes reviewing your writing so that you submit or publish mistake-free work.

Even the best grammarians make mistakes. This day is to promote reviewing what you write and recognizing spelling or grammatical mistakes in your work so that you make corrections.

Why Is National Proofreading Day on March 8?

National Proofreading Day exists thanks to Judy Beaver. She created this writing holiday as a way to remember and honor her mother who loved correcting one’s spelling and grammar. Judy chose March 8 after her mother’s birthday as a fun way to remember her each passing year.

How Can I Participate in National Proofreading Day?

There are many ways that you can partake in National Proofreading Day:

• Proofread everything you write today—and always!
• Offer to proofread a project that your colleague or friend wrote.
• Thank a friend or peer who often proofreads your work.
• Write a thank you card to a teacher who helped you write with correct spelling and grammar.
• Treat yourself to a new book or at least some reading time—and see if you find any grammatical errors.
• Check out the proofreading resources on Judy Beaver’s website.
• Share your celebration on social media with #NationalProofreadingDay.

For more ideas on how to participate in National Proofreading Day, visit nationalproofreadingday.com.

How do you plan on celebrating National Proofreading Day? Share your plans below.