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7 Essential Ways to Become a Great Proofreader

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By Howard Robson, Guest Blogger

Great bloggers neither leave their content unpolished nor do they publish before their work is wholly refined. To bring traffic to your website and enlarge your targeted audience, it is essential to respect the proofreading process.

Whether you’re working on a paper, blog, article, e-mail, or other essential document, always be sure to proofread it and make sure it delivers the proper message. Here are seven ideas you can apply.

  1. Change Your Mindset

If you are always grumpy about revising your work and find no fun in it, your results will show it. You might lose readers, which won’t help in the long run. Here’s how to adopt a growth mindset:

  • After you’ve created your piece, take time to reflect on your work. Is there anything you don’t feel unsatisfied about? Are you content with delivering this message to your niche? Is your grammar correct?
  • If you have unanswered questions, write down ideas to address them. What would you like to improve, how, and in what time frame? Set goals and deadlines, then start working on them.
  • Treat yourself kindly and take regular breaks. Nobody can work non-stop! Work 50 minutes, then take a 10-minute break. During your free time, meditate, dance, read, listen to classical music, or do something that loosens you up. Avoid getting sidetracked into social media.
  1. Practice Makes Perfect

Become a better proofreader through practice. When you don’t have any assigned tasks, write! Yes, simply write down your thoughts using the best language you can.

Dan Creed, content writer at AustralianEssays, shares this opinion: “You could write about your day, your plans, your goals, or anything else that goes through your mind. Search for synonyms for words you are displeased with. Rock that learning curve!”

  1. Reading Is Essential

To improve your writing skills, allocate at least 15 minutes a day or more to reading a well-written article. Sign up for The Economist, HuffPost, The New York Times, or any magazine that’s attractive to you. Pay attention to the writer’s approach and style. That will inspire you to progress—in both your proofreading and your writing.

  1. Find a Proofreading Buddy

Identify a colleague you can reach out to. Work with a person who’s specialized in your area of interest. You can trade tips, exchange ideas, and do each other’s proofreading projects. Help that person help you.

  1. Write Down Your Common Errors

Design a “mistake list” and go through it every time you’ve finished writing an article. For instance, I know that “affective” and “effective” are two words I always mix up, so I include them in my list. Every time I use these words in my articles, I check twice to see if I got them right. Use your mistakes as learning tools. (Excellent resource: Word Trippers Tips)

  1. Be Patient

Take things step by step, and don’t rush when you write, polish, or proofread your piece. Remember, you are not done until you’ve revised your content to your satisfaction. Be patient with your learning process. Read and write daily, and you’ll make fewer mistakes, write better (and faster!), and have more free time.

  1. Ask for Help

Don’t hesitate to get help if you need it. Ask your colleague or even a professional editor to re-read your piece after you’ve polished it and proofread it yourself. Take the feedback you receive into consideration and learn from your errors.

To become a great proofreader, I suggest you set a positive mindset, practice reading and writing daily, find a proofreading buddy, ask for help when needed, and be patient and kind with yourself.

Howard Robson is a blogger from Melbourne, Australia. He enjoys traveling, photography, computer games, and meeting new people. Join him on Twitter and Facebook.

What additional ideas do you have that would improve the proofreading process? Share them here.

 

 

 

Don’t Make Me Get Out the Red Pen!

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by Lynne Franklin (used with permission)

Here’s the truth. No one wants to read what you write. Everyone is time-starved. For many, the best moments in the day are when we see an email we don’t have to read and can hit “delete.”

Because we’re overwhelmed, we write something, give it a quick look, and then hit “send.” We forget that we’re writing to persuade people to do something – not noticing that what we’ve created just made it harder for them to agree with us. One of our chief sins is …

Being Boring

Kill the Clichés. When you use these, you scream, “I have no original thoughts! I’m doing this on autopilot.” Why would anyone want to read further – let alone care what you think?

Make a better choice. Switch “at this time” to “now.” Change “attached please find” to “here is.” Drop “it has come to our attention” for “we understand.” You’ll notice this already makes your writing more succinct, which you’ll need to …

Stop Droning On. It’s neuroscience. Once a sentence passes the 25-word mark, you can’t remember the subject. (Or maybe you just no longer want to.) Aim for an average of 10- to 12-word sentences in reports and speeches, and eight-to-10 words in emails.

Don’t think that commas, dashes and semicolons can save you. It’s true: the first two give your readers a place to take a breath in their minds. But don’t abuse this tactic. Cut that longer sentence into two. And generally avoid using semicolons. They mostly confuse people – and could lead to arguments with English majors (who will be happy to tell you when you’ve used them incorrectly).

Watch the length of your paragraphs. Few things are as discouraging as seeing one that goes on for 20 lines. I once reviewed a document with a 265-word sentence, in a paragraph that lasted a page (single-spaced). I was the only person who read it. While I forgot the subject 10 times, I remembered the ire it engendered.

Get to the Good Stuff Fast. Before you begin, consider what your readers know. If you must, reference important shared knowledge quickly. But spend most of your time on new ideas. Telling people what they already know – at length – bores them or makes them think you’re talking down to them. They’ll either stop reading (because they’re not learning anything) or get angry with you.

A colleague once explained it this way: “Reading his writing was like taking the local versus the express bus.” Most non-engineers don’t need to get into the weeds on the hows or whys of something. Focus on what’s in it for your reader, then decide what to keep or junk.

It’s a Conversation

Read Your Writing Out Loud. Watch for the words that stumble off your lips – or when this is language you’d never ordinarily use. (“Pursuant” anyone?) Change those kinds of words.

Often your writing is the conversation you have with someone on screen or paper before you have the conversation on the phone or in person. Don’t bore them. You’ll miss the chance at that second conversation – and getting what you want.

Lynne Franklin teaches you how to be the most persuasive person in the room. She is the author of Getting Others To Do What You Want. You can reach her through her website at www.lynnefranklin.com

What ways do you avoid boring your readers?

Have You Heard of Book Selling University?

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by Barbara McNichol

Did you know you can now get book-related information on demand to help you plan, produce, price, distribute, and promote your books more  efficiently? Yes, through Book Selling University, sponsored by Association of Publishers for Special Sales (APSS).

book selling universityI’m fortunate to be part of a line-up of 60+ fabulous instructors who have one goal in mind: show you how to succeed as an author in these categories.

  1. BUSINESS OF PUBLISHING
  2. PREPARATION
  3. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
  4. DISTRIBUTION
  5. PROMOTION
  6. SPECIAL SALES

My hour-long webinar/course, Strengthen Everything You Write (Barbara McNichol, BSU-176) is offered as part of PREPARATION.

Working with Book Selling University, you’ll be able to:

  • Take courses as time permits and needs demand
  • Learn from instructors who are experts on their course material
  • Make more money selling your books
  • Price your books for maximum profits
  • Pinpoint social media
  • Improve your sales online
  • Make your publicity more effective and efficient and MORE

These TWO FREE COURSES get you started:

  • How to Purchase a Course (Brian Jud, BSU-199)
  • Introduction to Special Sales (Brian Jud, BSU-100)

I encourage you to check out this golden opportunity to take any element of the book writing/publishing/selling journey and learn more about it.

Full details at BookSellingUniversity.com or contact BrianJud@bookapss.org

Feel free to contact me for a comprehensive flyer listing all courses available.

 

 

How (and Why) to Work with an Editor

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Barbara McNichol from June 2018 issue of Speaker Magazine

work with an editorAs a professional, you send your ideas into the world in writing—via books, blogs, articles, and more. In today’s crowded marketplace, the more you write, the more every word counts.

Who can help you break through the clutter? Editors: your conduit to communicating to those you want to influence. For if an experienced editor doesn’t “get” your message, neither will they. And because the written word sticks around longer than the spoken word, it matters!

Why You Need an Editor

It’s tempting to regard hiring editors as an unnecessary expense. Instead, see it as an investment in effectiveness. Here’s why:

  1. You grow as a writer. Pay attention to editors’ changes and learn the tricks of the editing trade. That includes getting assurance that your piece meets your objective.
  2. You improve your book’s marketing power. A good editor can wordsmith titles, headings and subheads as well as incorporate keywords to hook readers during online searches.
  3. You gain insight and save embarrassment. Your writing benefits from an editor’s initial “deep massage” that asks insightful questions and makes suggestions to hone your message. It’s followed by a tight copyedit to find those pesky grammar gremlins and wording errors before readers do. After you make changes, your editor reviews everything, does a final proofread, and keeps your project moving.

Then at the end of the process, you can declare with confidence, “My writing sounds just like me—only better!” (As an editor, that’s what I desire for my clients.)

Choosing an Editor

For books, the magic of selecting the right editor lies in the Sample Edit—a complimentary edit of your work from your manuscript. Sure, you get value from seeing Before and After of someone else’s project, but don’t skip this step. Request samples from all contenders. That’s how you come close to comparing apples to apples.

I call the Sample Edit “magic” because you get to see:

  • the level of editing required
  • how clearly your message can be expressed
  • if the edits changed your voice—a huge concern for authors.

And it does something else: The Sample Edit helps determine your project’s place on the editing spectrum. Does it require proofreading, copyediting, or a complete rewrite? Along with word count, that determines an editor’s customized fee, communicated in writing up front.

In your selection process, be sure to examine prospective editors’ credentials. Study their websites and peruse their portfolios. Testimonials are great, but also ask for references so you can pose questions to their clients related to your needs.

In short, don’t miss the opportunity to deliver your best writing. After all, it’s you, your voice, your contribution to the world. Make sure your message comes across clear and strong. It’s that important!

Tricks of the Editing Trade

  • Enliven your text by using active (not passive) construction:
  • Active: “The boy chomped into the juicy watermelon.” The verb “chomped” is active.
  • Passive: “The juicy watermelon was eaten by the boy.” The word “by” is a clue that it’s passive.
  • Keep it simple:
  • One idea per sentence
  • One distinct point per paragraph
  • No more than 21 words in a sentence.
  • Whack wordiness:
  • “I really think it’s time to go.” (“It’s time to go.”)
  • “Due to the fact that” (“Because…”)
  • “There are m[M]any experts that believe in magic.”

Word Alert: The word “that” doesn’t substitute for “who” when referring to a person. You’d refer to someone who speaks, not someone that speaks.

  • Use the correct word to say what you mean. Even from excellent writers, editors often encounter misused words: browse vs. peruse, compliment vs. complement, advice vs. advise.

As an expert editor, Barbara McNichol proudly helps speakers/authors change the world with their well-crafted words. Over 24 years, Barbara has placed more than 350 books (and counting) on her editor’s “trophy shelf.” She is also the creator of Word Trippers Tips, a resource for better writing available at www.WordTrippers.com.

Be a Better Writer and See Your Career Soar

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Do you want to be More Valuable to your company or your clients? Your writing qualifies you for hiring, for retaining, and for getting promoted. But writing is the gateway to rejection, too. 

People judge your abilities by the quality of your writing.

It’s a harsh fact. In business, people who don’t write well to communicate—who don’t  select the right words to express complex ideas—are perceived as lacking credibility … professionalism … accuracy in their work.

On the flip side, those who master the written word are remembered as influential … reputable … successful.

My name is Barbara McNichol, chief architect of Word Trippers Tips. After years of editing nonfiction manuscripts and proofreading hundreds of thousands of lines of copy, I realized that everyone makes mistakes … everyone mixes up similar words … and everyone loses credibility the moment readers recognize the errors.

I have turned those common errors into a program professionals use to improve their writing instantly: Word Trippers Tips. It includes a 38-minute WEBINAR on its own and/or 12 MONTHS Word Tripper of the Week plus bonuses.

How can you learn to be a better writer and make your career soar?

Go to www.WordTrippers.com  and/or listen to this teleclass 5 Nuggets Successful People Know and Use on better writing.

Please share you comments and questions here.

18 DAYS to Become a Better Writer – New E-Guide

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Set aside 18 days and study one of these easy, effective tips to be a better writer each day for 18 days, continuous or not.

Your goal: Make a point of integrating a new one into your writing every day . . . and see the difference you make perfecting the communication loop to benefit you, your clients, and your career.

better writer

 This e-guide can be purchased for only $14.95. Click here to order. Use code 18DAYS to receive a $4.95 discount!

Who or Whom? Here’s How To Choose Between Them

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by Kathleen Watson

Do you have difficulty when it comes to choosing who or whom in your writing?

Some think whom sounds stuffy and pretentious.

When did proper grammar become stuffy? I think that’s an excuse made by people who don’t know the difference.

who or whom

For Whom the Bell Tolls

Does anyone criticize Ernest Hemingway for using whom in the title of his famous novel For Whom The Bell Tolls?

 

Three Guidelines

Here are three guidelines to help you recognize whether to use who or whom:

  1. Who is the doer of the action.

Who was driving the car?
He was critical of people who didn’t support his decision.
The winner, no matter who she is, will wear the crown for a year.

2. Whom is the object, the person acted on, and it often is preceded by a preposition (at, in, for, from, of, to, with).

Did you speak to her? To whom did you speak?

Who gave you the check? From whom did you get the check?

Did you take a walk with her? With whom did you take a walk?

3. Consider these substitutions as shortcuts to helping you make the right choice:
he, she, they (subjects) = who
him, her, them (objects) = whom

Who was driving the car? He was driving the car.

You invited whom to dinner? You invited her to dinner.

For whom were members of the audience applauding? Members of the audience were applauding for them.

Do you have sentences that you question if who or whom is correct? Submit them here for a reply.

You’re Told to Fix and Polish This Message–But How?

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By Barbara McNichol

Suppose your supervisor emails you a message that says, “Fix the attached” or “Polish this piece.” But exactly what does it mean to fix and polish? In addition to correcting punctuation, typos, misspellings, and grammar glitches, what’s required beyond that?

First, find out what your supervisor thinks it needs. Where does it fall short? What’s missing? Whether or not you receive an answer, go through the following key questions yourself:

  1. Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose? Because readers are busy, you must immediately make clear what this message is about. A specific title or subject line goes a long way. For example, instead of writing “For New Customers” you might write, “5 Ways to Communicate with New Customers.”
  2. What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece? Does the communication specify what you want readers to do and by when? How easy is it for them to first understand the instruction and then take action? For example, if it’s a letter to a credit card company about a dispute, make it clear what you want, e.g., future credit or a refund. Then state when you want a resolution, e.g., “before the next payment cycle on June 23rd.” Put this call to action near the top!
  3. How long should your sentences and paragraphs be? Ensure your message comes across in short, easy-to-read sentences. My rule of thumb is not more than 21 words in one sentence or 3-4 sentences in one paragraph. Why? It’s hard for anyone to track your meaning when sentences ramble, especially when they’re part of long paragraphs. People scan more than they read; they can take in short sentences and paragraphs more quickly than long-winded ones. Don’t make it seem like hard work!
  4. How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?Remember, a positive outcome should be the goal of every communication. Your objective may be to retain a customer, win a contract, build a relationship, gain approval, or advance a project. Always spell out benefits: e.g., resolution, improvements, increased profit, etc. And be polite by using words such as welcome, thank you, please, appreciate, happy to, and value your input. If your piece doesn’t include positive language, then why send it at all?

When it’s up to you to fix and polish that important message, use these questions as your checklist every time.

  1. Why is this piece needed? What’s its intended purpose?
  2. What should the reader do, think, believe, or remember as a result of this piece?
  3. How long should your sentences and paragraphs be?
  4. How can you use polite, positive language to persuade others?

What essential fix and polish elements would you add to these?

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