The Cuckleburr Times » Dana E. Blozis

You Don’t Need to be Perfect But Your Writing Does

Dana E. Blozis — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:38:52 +0000

Having written since I was a kid, I’ve met many authors, writers and journalists along the way. While we don’t all fit the stereotype of the robed, sleepless, alcoholic writer hunched over a typewriter in the attic, we do have much in common. In addition to being the winners of spelling bees and hoarders of dictionaries and other books, we love words. We love to read them, hear them, speak them and write them. We love them to a fault.

We must have the right words in the right place at the right time. And, perhaps more importantly, they must be written flawlessly. We won’t accept typos, spelling errors or grammatical snafus, because mistakes interrupt the flow and the meaning of our words. As a result, we expect perfection and we don’t tolerate errors from ourselves or others. This philosophy makes it difficult to be a writer at times, but we can’t help ourselves. We are obsessed with perfection.

Living this way can make it difficult to meet deadlines, however, as we await the ideal word, headline or introductory paragraph. Sometimes we must settle for less. Sometimes we even have to settle for pretty good. It’s a harsh reality, but at some point, we have to complete our latest assignment or project and turn it in so we can get paid. We have to let go of the perfection we covet, because it isn’t going to bless us with its presence today.

Our editors, however, see it differently. They will expect perfection, not because they are masochists but because it makes their jobs easier. If our work is flawless, they have less to do. They can focus on another writer’s work or planning their next issue or project. To endear ourselves to them (and to get more work), we must dutifully comply. The issue is trying to balance our desire to be perfect with the reality that we will never be. We can come close though by carefully proofreading, editing and fact-checking our work prior to submission. Here’s how.

Proofreading - checking for spelling, punctuation, grammatical and formatting errors-can be a tedious, cumbersome task, particularly when attempting to proof your own work, but it can be done. I usually proofread on my computer screen first, making edits as I go. When done, I print off a hard copy and go through line by line, reading out loud as I go. I find that I notice errors in print that I don’t see on screen, and reading out loud helps me to find words that I’ve missed or used incorrectly (e.g., there instead of their). For really important assignments, I’ll ask someone else to proof it as well. In fact, I have an editing buddy with whom I trade proofreading help. I have also tried reviewing the copy backwards and reviewing for a different item during each pass through the text. For example, the first time I read through it, I might focus on spelling, the next time on grammar, etc. Make sure you have your dictionary and grammar guide handy too during this stage.

Editing. In addition to proofreading, I also copyedit my work, meaning I check for misplaced modifiers, review style, check for flow, etc. This process is more intense than proofreading and can take awhile. It is also difficult to do immediately after finishing an assignment, so I will set it aside until morning when I can look at it with “fresh eyes.” Often major errors will jump off the page, begging to be corrected. During this phase, you’ll need to have your handy stylebook out (AP, APA, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.) to be sure that you’ve followed the appropriate guidelines for things like capitalization, numbers (figures versus text) and references.

Fact-checking. Many publications, particularly magazines, will fact-check your work. In other words, they’ll verify the spelling of proper names, check dates, key facts, website addresses, phone numbers and more. While publications often hire someone to do this task, by doing it yourself first, you can save the publication time and money, again making it easier to work with you. When I fact-check my writing, I first double-check the spelling of all names and places. I look at reference materials (brochures, bios, business cards, etc.) that I’ve been given, and I search online. If I am unsure, I’ll phone the original source to confirm a spelling. I do the same thing with dates. For key facts, I do an Internet search, marking my source to either provide to the fact-checker up front or for my own reference should I be questioned later. This was particularly helpful when I wrote an article about a coal mine explosion in the early 1900s. My editor wanted to confirm that a particular mining town was second in size only to Seattle. Before she was willing to allow me to make that statement, she wanted verification.

In spite of these techniques, we are human and it is still possible that an error will occasionally slip through the cracks. However, if you are diligent in your attempt to submit well-written, well-documented work without obvious errors, your editors and publishers will be more likely to turn to you rather than the other guy – you know who I mean – the writer who thinks he’s brilliant but who can’t spell his way out of a paper bag. Make sure you are the one they turn to for stellar, (nearly) flawless work.

Happy Writing!

You can visit Dana at her website, Virtually Yourz. She offers professional freelance writing, editorial and marketing services honed by over two decades of experience in these roles within the financial services industry.

Seven Simple Steps to Flawless Marketing Copy

Dana E. Blozis — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 03:12:43 +0000

Have you ever visited a website that had poorly written text or read a brochure that had typos or spelling errors on the cover? I don’t know about you, but I am always turned off by this kind of sloppy work. In fact, if the offending business isn’t paying attention to these little details, I wonder what else it is missing. Maybe the company will mail my purchase to the wrong address or forget to gift wrap the package I need sent overnight.

Of course, these scenarios are exaggerations, but that’s the risk companies take when they overlook details like good copywriting and editing. When we see mistakes-even minor ones-we question the quality of a company’s work.

How can you create a flawless first impression? Simple. Avoid copywriting and editing errors in your own marketing materials with these guidelines.

1. Identify your target audience and the voice you’ll use when speaking to it. Are you offering your services to CEOs and top level managers? If so, consider using a professional tone in the third person (they, he, she). Maybe you want to appeal to parents of young children. Consider a more casual, friend-to-friend tone in the first (I, we, our) or second person (you). Be sure to consider the type of material you are writing, too. Brochures tend to be more formal than website copy, for example. Flyers and coupons, on the other hand, are often lighter in tone.

2. Present your information in a well-organized, easy-to-follow manner. How? Outline your ideas ahead of time and organize them as if you were a prospective customer. Ask yourself these questions: What problem is this business solving for me? What benefits will I get if I buy this product or service? How much does it cost? Why should I choose this business instead of another? Take your answers to these questions and logically organize them. On a website for example, your home page should tell prospective customers what problem you are solving for them and what’s in it for them. Subsequent pages can discuss pricing (pricing or a rates page) and differentiation (about us, why choose us).

3. Write, revise, repeat. After writing your initial draft, set the material aside for a few hours or overnight if time allows. When you come back to revise it, you’ll have fresh eyes and errors such as spelling, punctuation, grammar and organization are more likely to jump out at you.

4. Proofread. If you are satisfied with what you’ve written and have organized it so that it is easy to follow, run a spelling and grammar check (if you haven’t already) and proofread the text line by line. Read it out loud or from the bottom up. Do you have contact information (website, e-mail address, phone numbers) listed in your materials? If so, test each one as it is written. See a phone number or an e-mail address? Dial the number or send a test e-mail to be sure the information is accurate.

5. Have someone else proofread your copy. No matter how skilled we are at writing and proofreading, we will always make mistakes. We’re human and we can’t avoid it, but we can improve our chances of error-free copy by having someone else proofread our work. Almost anyone will do-a friend, co-worker, spouse, teenage son or daughter, even a customer. Ask him or her to not only look for errors but to see if the information is concise and complete. Do you need more text? less text? Can you easily find the information you need?

6. Correct mistakes as soon as you find them. Imagine that you’ve published your copy to the web or had your materials printed before you find a glaring error. It’s not the end of the world, but you’ll want to fix it right away. Web changes can often be made quickly. Printed materials take a bit longer-and more money-to correct, so keep a file of changes to make before your next reprint.

7. Lastly, if this process is completely unappealing to you or if you are simply too busy, consider hiring a professional copywriter for the job. He or she will gather information about your intended audience, products and services, and company and, based on your direction, will write copy that is clear, concise and complete and that will draw in readers. To find a professional copywriter, try a Google search for copywriters in your region or look for local writing and editing organizations for referrals. Many have online directories that list qualified copywriters. When selecting a copywriter, I recommend that you contact two or three, read samples of their work and interview them by phone to see if your personalities and work styles are a match. This step may increase your marketing budget a bit, but the quality of your materials will be well worth it.

If you tackle your next copywriting project with these ideas in mind, your marketing copy will be flawless, allowing your message to shine through.

Five Ways to Shine as a Professional Writer

Dana E. Blozis — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:30:53 +0000

With the growth of social media and marketing techniques like online article marketing, it seems that everyone is a writer of one sort or another. In fact, I’ve read a handful of articles that assure the reading public that anyone can write. While this may be technically true, those of us who write for a living know that it isn’t as easy as it sounds. There is much more to the craft than meets the eye.

With this new realm of competition at our doorstep, I’ve created a list of ways that can set you apart from those who are merely dabbling in writing or writing simply for marketing’s sake.

1) Develop a website. If you don’t already have one, confirm your legitimacy as a writer or journalist by creating your own website. It can be as simple as one page which tells who you are, what types of writing you specialize in and how people can contact you. At the other end of the spectrum, it can be a multi-page site that contains bio information, a professional profile or résumé and clips of your work. Regardless of your site’s level of complexity, your site will confirm that you are a professional writer with a portfolio and published clips.

2) Create a professional profile. Unless you graduated from j-school and have been a professional writer since your career began, I’ve found that a traditional resume doesn’t cut it. Instead, I developed a two-page professional profile. It looks similar to my résumé, but it only briefly summarizes my irrelevant career prior to becoming a freelancer over four years ago. It contains sections like relevant skills (writing, editing, marketing); a sample of my client list; my relevant education; and a list of publications and websites for whom I’ve written. I have this document posted on my website so, when replying to a freelance posting or ad, I can refer the editor or prospective client to my profile without sending an attachment (hint: unless they know you, they won’t open an attachment anyway.).

3) Prepare an online portfolio. Whether you include this information on your website or use one provided by an organization like Media Bistro, you’ll need an online portfolio of your published work. It can be organized any number of ways, depending on what types of clips you have. On my site, portfolio samples are broken down by type (articles, marketing materials, and web copy). You could also break them down by publication or media type (broadcast, print, web, newspaper, magazine, etc.) Clips can take virtually any format: you can post them directly to a web page, add a *.pdf or *.doc/*.docx attachment, link to a URL, etc. As long as your portfolio is well organized and the clips are relatively current, site visitors (a.k.a. prospective clients) will be able to find what they’re looking for.

4) Proof and edit your own work. Have you ever received an e-mail or letter from a colleague or prospective client riddled with mistakes? Did it make you cringe? This is a common pet peeve of professional writers and editors, including me. I always tell (read: nag) business professionals from all industries but particularly writers and editors to make sure they proof and edit their own work prior to submission to an editor or client. Of course, the materials are likely to be proofread and copyedited by someone else, too, but if you want repeat business or additional assignments, your work must be top notch and error-free. Because so many “article marketers” are focused on selling their products and services and NOT on punctuation and spelling, your writing will be superior.

5) Hone your craft. Whether you are a self-taught or college-educated writer, continue to expand your talent by investing in quality resources (a good dictionary and thesaurus; Chicago Manual of Style; Writer’s Market; The Copyeditor’s Handbook, etc.); taking continuing education classes; and trying out different genres (business writing, creative writing, fiction, horror, romance, etc.). You’ll not only fine-tune your skills, but you’ll have a better sense of where your voice best fits in the writing world.

If you follow these five tips, you will stand out as a professional writer—not as a fly-by-night blogger, forum poster or article marketer—and you will gain confidence in your ability to market yourself and your writing and editing services. Happy writing!