Because you've seen it over and over and over. You already have it committed to memory (so to speak). Your mind already knows what you mean to say. When you read back over the same material, your eyes will only see what your mind instructs—and here are some of the things you can't afford to miss.

Punctuation: Most people have become very lazy in their use of punctuation. Often times, a punctuation mark is misused or over used. Every little mark has a meaning of its own. Where these marks are placed (or misplaced) can make a big difference in how people interpret your message.  

Capitalization: There is a rhyme and reason to capitalization, but many of us do not take the time to check it out. Any of the industry-standard style and usage guides can assist you with this mystery. Capitalization isn't the only culprit. Italicizing, bolding and underlining often pose additional challenges.

Using the wrong word: These are the words that sound alike and are close relatives in spelling, but their meanings are different. Using the wrong word often reveals that we're in a rush. And, spell check doesn't catch these "boofs". If you spelled it correctly, it won't catch the wrong meaning. A classic example: there, they're, their or there's, theirs.

Leaving words out: This is another indication of a rushed job. It's easy to leave a word out, and almost impossible to catch these omissions when you proofread your own copy. A missing letter from a word can be just as caustic as omitting an entire word.

Sentence completion: From one extreme to the other, we writers can go from "run ons" to "fragments" and back again. Incomplete sentences are equivalent to someone who, while speaking, jumps from one subject to the next without completing their first thought.

Using the right word: The use of our words should allow us to convey a message clearly. Unfortunately, many times a writer does not use the right word to make their point. Your words don't have to be large or extravagant to be effective. It's as simple as referring to your Thesaurus.

There are many other mishaps that occur when writing, and this is where I can offer you my skills. I've endured a handful of embarrassing moments as I've printed off large quantities of a brochure or catalog, only to find a glaring mistake. Yikes!

I do a lot of writing and designing, so I understand the importance of having a second pair of eyes (SPOE). We will all make mistakes in writing, but many of them (like the ones mentioned above) often stem from lack of knowledge, laziness or even overconfidence. May I encourage you to make an investment in your work ... get a SPOE!

Donna Murphy is the owner and creative director of Summit Publication Design, LLC, a design and communication firm with over 15 years of experience conceptualizing, organizing, developing and improving publications for independent professionals, small business enterprises, government agencies and the academic community. To learn more, visit www.summitpubdesign.com.