What is copy editing?
Editing is where content is read through very carefully to check for mistakes such as typos and grammatical errors; sentences or paragraphs that don’t make sense due because they’ve got extra or missing words or are incomplete; and words that can be deleted or added to make the content sharper.
Because companies often call on different people from within their businesses to create their marketing or sales documents, the content very often ends up with an inconsistent style or tone and plenty of errors.
Hence, it’s a good idea to have someone who has not been involved in writing the content to edit it. They’ll bring a fresh pair of eyes.
But what if you’re not a copy editor?
If you’re asked to edit a document but you’re not an experienced editor, never fear. Here are five simple tips to help you:
1. Read the content aloud. This is an excellent way to pick up content that’s clumsy. Bumpy content can then be quickly changed.
2. Try to reduce the word count by up to 25%. This will ensure that your content is lean and precise.
To reduce the word count, cut out unnecessary words. You’ll be surprised at how many there are. Typically, words such as ‘will’, ‘be’, ‘are’ and ‘that’ can be deleted with no change to the meaning.
3. Break long paragraphs into shorter paragraphs. Use paragraph breaks or bullet points.
If you would like professional editing and proofreading help, please contact Proof Communications on 0411 123 216. We’ve worked on more than thousands of documents, so we know what to look for!