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Three Simple Steps to Improve Your Writing Immediately, by Darlene Bishop How often have you clicked to a website that was filled with typos, misspelled words and other written errors and simply clicked on to the next page in your surfing? I do it every day. I won't stay more than a few cyber-seconds at a website that is poorly written or sloppily composed. The same is true of email that I receive loaded with errors, or shoddy printed materials. I won't waste my time on them, and I certainly won't buy anything from those businesses! If they don't care about their *own* materials, how much less will they care about *mine*? That's why it's MANDATORY that you proofread anything you write before you publish it... be it to the web, in print or via email! Proofreading is NOT AN OPTION. It's a vital part of your business operations to which you MUST pay close attention if you hope to succeed. These three initial proofreading steps will tremendously minimize your writing errors and will begin immediately to make your writing more effective. While there are other proofreading procedures you can -- and should -- follow, these are the basics. ALL your writing should be proofread using these three criteria. Begin to use them today and you'll be amazed at how dramatically, and how quickly, they will improve your written communications. 1. Look at the Material as if it Were a Picture Look for errors in spacing and margins, poor layout and design, errors in placement of text boxes and graphics, misaligned indentations, improper bullets and numbering, etc. Get a feel for the overall impression of the piece. 2. Read the Material Once for Meaning Grammar and punctuation are important, and you should learn as much as you can about their proper use. For now, however, at least check for the basics -- comprehension and clarity. You might want to ask someone else to read your document, especially if you have worked on the same project for quite awhile. It seems the more we look at a piece of writing, the more likely it becomes that we will miss an error. We see what we think should be there, rather than what is truly there! Ask a friend to help, or (especially if the writing is important) hire a professional editor. 3. Read the Material Again - Carefully! Read word by word, letter by letter. Check for typos, misspellings, incorrect word usage, skipped words, etc. Read SLOWLY. You might want to read out loud at this point so words or errors are not unintentionally skipped. If you find yourself in the "reading for content" mode -- reading phrases or sentences, rather than checking each word or letter for correctness -- try reading the document backwards. It definitely helps you slow down. Everyone make mistakes in writing, and occasionally those mistakes will find their way into print, but proofreading is an essential element of document production that you shouldn't neglect. That is, if you want to present a polished, professional image to the public -- and what business writer doesn't want that? Copyright © Darlene Bishop. Darlene is a professional with nearly two decades of experience writing and editing ezines and newsletters, press releases and much more for both print and electronic media, and is the author of numerous magazine and newspaper articles on a variety of topics. Visit her website to learn more about her full line of writing and editorial services. | Back to Articles | Back to Writer's Information |

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