Copy Editing

We authors get very attached to the works we pour our hearts into creating. We know the characters better than anyone else ever will. We lived in their heads for months or years. They lived in ours. Seeing red ink slathered on our darling pages — the domicile of our imagined personas — invokes the memory of that history test in fifth grade or your first attempt at English composition. The instinct is to protect our babies.

In reality, a good developmental copy editor, besides correcting any mechanical errors like grammar and spelling, will bring you to an even better understanding of your writing and your characters. Your editor will point out where you can strengthen passages and suggest ways of doing so. She brings a different perspective to your work, an objective one.

Your editor will point out any flaws like timeline conflicts, trim excess words, suggest more precise language, leading to a vivid and concise product. Her primary job is to help you improve your work to either increase your odds at publishing traditionally or produce the best self-published work possible. You, however, have final authority on accepting suggested changes. It’s your work, and the last thing any editor should do is change your voice.

Caution: It’s important to establish rapport with your editor. She will be your best friend, your champion through the editing process. Choose someone you respect and trust. Ask for a sample edit prior to committing.

Copy Writing

The new editor comes with a handful of default blocks such as paragraph, image, gallery, and more, to help you create better standard posts and pages.

You built it. They came. Now what? To use a writing analogy, your hook was successful, but to get past Chapter One, you’ll need to keep them engaged. How do you do that? Engaging content that captures and grows your audience is an essential part of every business and a worthy investment.

How do you choose a copy writer for your business? Knowledge of the industry and writing skills are necessary. An expert in the industry will not develop writing skills quickly, but the right copy writer will research the industry. Most writers are curious by nature. We love learning about all manner of things. Find a writer who’s genuinely curious about your industry. What sparked that curiosity? Was it your request for a copy writer, or is it a pre-existing yearning for insight?

Numerous associations exist for authors, copy writers, editors, and others in the writing profession. If you use an association, read their member benefits page to learn what motivates members to pay dues. If dues provide access to industry and business resources, educational resources like webinars, credentialing, and other support without additional cost, it is truly a support association. If the association website is slathered with promotional add-on products that promise wealth, keep searching.