8 tips for error-proof copy

To sell your article, novel, product, or yourself, you need to work on that crucial first impression—and a surefire way to make a bad impression is to present poorly edited work. All the hours of researching, outlining, and writing are squandered if the final version of your content is not tightly written and error-free.

How can you possibly convince someone that you can produce a great product when there are errors in your queries, on your website, or in your marketing materials?

Let’s look at ways to error-proof your work:

Editing cures more than typos. Proper editing fixes not only typographical errors, but also inconsistent statements, ambiguities, poorly written sentences, and weak word choices. Appropriate attention to these aspects of writing makes all the difference between mediocrity and excellence.

Spelling and grammar checks. Standard spelling and grammar checks are available to you, so use them. Remember, though, they won’t catch everything.

Print your work. Print a copy of your manuscript and whip out the red pen. Generally, you will find mistakes you weren’t able to detect when reading on the monitor.