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What Exactly Is a Copy Editor?

At times it is almost impossible to write an article without any grammatical mistakes hence the need for a copy editor. A mistake in a publication lowers the credibility of the whole company and takes a long time to regain the trust and credibility. Copy editors are people who go through a written material to correct any errors whether they are grammatical, punctuation or spelling. Some publications may have a particular style in which they want their articles to be written and copy editors go through the materials to make sure all the rules have been followed. A copy refers to the written material, whether handwritten or typed. In news publications, a copy editor also looks for mistakes that could them in trouble like defamatory statement and errors regarding facts. Depending on the publication policies, the copy editor can rewrite what they feel does not conform to the organization's guidelines. Some, however, prefer to return the copy to the editor who had assigned the work rather than rewrite it. Many people do not distinguish between copy editing and line editing. Line editing involves looks at the creativity, and the language used to in writing and do not necessarily focus on spelling and grammar. So What Exactly Does a Copy Editor Do? A good copy editor should have a command of language so that they can effectively point out the mistakes in a copy. A copy editor corrects grammatical errors, punctuation, and spelling. Corrects wrong usage of word or phrases Changes passive voices to active voices if there is the need to do so. Gets rid of unnecessary words and inappropriate jargon in a copy. Removes [...]

Bobby 2017-05-06T14:02:57+00:00 Blog, Grammar|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 6: Seek Constructive Criticism

The best way to get better at writing is to seek criticism from peers and mentors who are invested in your journey to becoming a better writer. No one gets better without feedback, and writing is no exception. When I say to seek criticism, that does not necessarily mean asking someone to proofread your writing. Rather, have your coach evaluate your entire writing and suggest ways to improve. What is constructive criticism? Constructive criticism is feedback you receive from someone else about your writing. Feedback can focus on any number of things related to your writing, including: tone/mood, grammar, vocabulary, flow, captivating intros, etc. A solid mentor, which we’ll discuss in the next section, will be able to provide you with feedback on all of these areas and help you identify the areas where you need to get better. Where can you seek constructive criticism? While you can always seek relatives or friends as writing coaches, the Internet has also opened up a whole host of other resources. From Subreddits about writing to online proofreading tools, you have access to writers and editors from around the world. Family and Friends Family and friends will probably be the most convenient sources who can provide feedback on your writing. While they may not be professional writers or editors, they can provide you with a general compass for your writing. Be wary of feedback from friends and family though, as it may not be as useful as criticism from strangers since people you know may hide your weaknesses so as to not offend you. Online Forums The Internet is filled with forums that allow you to interact [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:10:50+00:00 Blog, Writing|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 5: Define Your Audience

It is important that you define your audience for writing. Understanding who you are writing for will determine the tone of your writing. Knowing who you are writing for will allow you to better captivate your audience. Determine Who Will Read Your Writing The first step that you need to take to define your audience is to determine who will read your writing. You will need to figure out if the audience that you are writing for is primarily technical, business, or leisurely. You will then need to look at the demographics within those groups to ensure that you are able to write in a manner that will grab their attention. Who is Your Primary Audience? To determine your primary audience, you need to think about who is going to be reading your work. There are three main audiences that you will need to consider: Business Technical Leisure Once you have determined which category your writing falls into, you will need to determine the demographics of the category that you are trying to reach. Each category will need to be broken down further to refine your audience. Business If your writing will be business-focused, you need to make sure that you are familiar with the business for which you will be writing. When you are writing for business there are a couple of questions that you will want to ask yourself: What type of business am I writing for? Is my primary audience male or female? What is the average age of people in this type of business? Am I teaching or informing? Once you have answered these questions, you should have a general [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:10:41+00:00 Blog, Writing|0 Comments

Top 5 Free Tools for Writers

Writing is a time consuming creative process to begin with, so why waste more of that time with formatting, planning, etc. Here are five of the tools many writers find to be invaluable. 1. Grammarly - Grammar Checker Grammarly is the best all-around grammar and format checker there is. It checks over 250 different points about your grammar, including style, spelling, punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure. It even has plagarism detection! They have a free Chrome extension that gives you feedback real-time, but you can also pay $29.95/mo to use their web-interface and use their full functionality. 2. Trello - Planning Made Simple Trello is an awesome tool for managing both your writing and your team's. It allows you to easily create categories (I normally use classic Kanban style "To Do," "Doing," "Done"), create tasks in each of those categories, then assign or color code those tasks. Moving the task cards is as simple as clicking on one and dragging. Trello is 100% free unless you want some advanced features such as integrations with external apps, larger file attachments, etc. Give it a try! They have a free Chrome extension that gives you feedback real-time, but you can also pay $29.95/mo to use their web-interface and use their full functionality. 3. Google Docs You probably already use Google Docs and Sheets, but they are definitely worth mentioning. Google Docs has almost the exact same features as Microsoft Word, is cloud based, and can be edited real-time by anyone on your team. Google Docs makes requesting feedback on your work [...]

Bobby 2017-05-06T14:02:57+00:00 Writing|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 4: Improve Your Grammar and Vocabulary

What’s the number one way people are turned off by an author? Poor grammar and lots of typos. Ok, not always, but generally when an author has a typo he/she immediately loses credibility. How many times have you pointed out a spelling mistake on a menu? We know We have. If you’ve ever had issues with grammar or vocabulary, you are not alone. The onslaught of spell-checking software and grammar-checking websites exist for a reason. But never fear! There are a ton of ways you can improve your grammar and vocabulary. Start by Defining Your “Issues” Getting better at anything requires you to identify your weak areas. The same is true for improving your writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Ask a friend or seek professional help in order to spot your mistakes if you cannot identify them. Write down what you want to improve as starting point Figure out where you want to end up. Starting with the goal in-mind is crucial to bettering yourself. Want to improve your vocabulary? Set a goal to learn 100 new words in 3 months. Then create a strategy that will help you achieve that goal. If you set your goal around improving your vocabulary, set a goal to include 10 new words in every piece of writing going forward. With a goal and strategy in mind, you will soon be on your way to achieving your goal. Tools for Improvement Now that you have your goal and plan for improvement, how can you actually improve your grammar, vocabulary, or other writing skillset? Thanks to the Internet, there are a lot of resources that you can [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:09:44+00:00 Blog, Writing|2 Comments

Your Readers Judge You for Those Minor Typos

Have you ever laughed at a typo you saw in the menu at your favorite restaurant? It may not have deterred you from the delicious "Chicken Farmesan," but it certainly caught your attention. Recently, several psychologists have researched why we easily notice these typos and sometimes get angry or annoyed with them, particularly in emails (such as this one). Through multiple experiments, researchers found that "readers rated the writers as less desirable if the emails included either typos or grammatical errors." In particular: People who scored high in conscientiousness or low on the “open-to-experience” trait were more bothered by the typos. People who scored low on agreeability were more bothered by the grammos [sic]. And people who scored low on “extraversion” were more bothered by both types of errors. In contrast, how people scored on neuroticism did not alter the impact of either type of error. The experiments couldn't say 100% conclusively whether your friends will judge you negatively if you have typos in your messages, but did infer that you should probably proofread before sending. Especially watch out for those late-night text messages. Salon | Those little typos and grammar errors in your emails make a big impression [/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Bobby 2017-05-06T14:02:57+00:00 Blog, Grammar, Writing|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 3: Join a Writing Community

As you continue on your journey to better writing, you may begin to feel a bit lonely. Maybe you’ve been spending quite some time indoors honing your daily habit of writing or you just wished someone were there to keep pushing you. Never fear! The revolution of the Internet has brought writing communities that are just a click away where you can join thousands of other people on a similar journey. Why Join a Writing Community? They serve as a forum to interact with different people worldwide. These people have the same passion for writing as you do and also want to become better writers. You can always seek advice from those who are further along on their journey than you. In addition, getting feedback on your writing from lots of different people will always make it better. People always share “goodies” on these communities. Whether it’s good books worth reading, meditation tapes, funny images, writing resources, etc., writing communities can provide you with valuable information. Postings for jobs or contests are always posted in these communities. And top of these reasons, you are making friends, which is always a plus. Making friends with folks from around the world who share similar interests will help you in your writing journey. You learn from different cultures and you share your knowledge with others. Where Can You Find Good Writing Communities? Surfing the net is the easiest way to find writing communities that fit your specific needs. Websites such as Scribophile are a good way to start. Reddit channels such as r/Writing also provide a great pre-built community where writers can share their work and [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:09:24+00:00 Blog, Writing|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 2: Just Write

Literary legend Ernest Hemingway once said: “When I am working on a book or a story I write every morning as soon after first light is possible. There is no one to disturb you and it is cool or cold and you come to your work and warm as you write. You read what you have written and, as you always stop when you know what is going to happen next, you go on from there. Your write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live though until the next day when you hit it again. You have started at six in the morning, say, and may go on until noon or be through before that. When you stop you are as empty, and at the same time never empty but filling, as when you have made love to someone you love. Nothing can hurt you, nothing can happen, nothing means anything until the next day when you do it again. It is the wait until the next day that is hard to get through” An Exercised Writer Is a Healthy Writer Writing is like exercise or playing the violin. If you don’t continuously practice, you’ll lose your skill. You don’t have to practice very hard or for too long. The simple act of regularly writing will take you far enough. Just Write Form a daily habit of writing. Whether it’s in your journal from Day 1 or on a blog, make sure you write something every day. Even if it’s a paragraph [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:09:04+00:00 Blog, Writing|0 Comments

7 Days to Better Writing – Day 1: Getting Creative

Welcome to our seven-day journey to better writing. Your journey begins with exercises to increase your creativeness and daily writing habits, followed by resources to improve your current writing, and ends with how to publish. Today we’ll discuss how you can become more focused and creative in order to prepare for a writing session. Reduce Your Stress Ever sit down to write and just end up starting blankly into space? Common as it is, writer’s block is not a pleasant thing, but the good news is that it’s easily rectified. Below are several ways you can calm your mind to let creativity back in. Meditate Mediation is quickly becoming a popular method for relieving stressors and letting ideas flow. Famous entrepreneur and tech mogul Steve Jobs was famous for his meditation. In fact, if he hadn’t founded Apple, he would’ve become a Buddhist monk. The essence of meditation is that you focus solely on your breathing, letting all extraneous thoughts go. While there are an abundance of apps, blogs, etc. with guided mediations, a good app to start with is Head Space. Read These days, there are a lot of excuses not to read. Too much work, too many kid activities, etc. You know what many of the billionaires in the world have in common? They read. Not only does reading free your mind from the racing thoughts of the day, but by consuming other peoples’ ideas, you expand the range of your ideas. I challenge you to read at least 30 minutes every day and not think of a new idea for a blog entry! Keep a Journal If [...]

Bobby 2017-06-04T20:07:53+00:00 Blog, Writing|0 Comments

How to Get More Readers to Your Blog – Use the Headline Analyzer

Are you striving to get more visitors to your blog? The solution might actually be better titles for your blog articles. Google Search uses keywords and several other factors to determine how your blog posts rank relative to similar blog posts across the world. Since the beginning, one of the leading indicators for where a page or site ends up in Google's ranking is the relevance of the keywords on a page and in the title. This week I came across a great tool that allows you to enter a headline and see how well it scores on a scale from 1-100 in terms of SEO potential. Check out my analysis of the tool below. Try the Headline Analyzer An Overview of the Headline Analyzer Tool Features Overall Score: The best part of the tool is by far the overall score it gives when you enter a title. This allows you to quickly benchmark the current title against other titles you have scored. While not 100% accurate, the tool does a fairly good job of rating a title. Word Balance: The tool also gives a breakdown of the types of words used in the title, ensuring that you have a balanced title in terms of commons, uncommon, emotional, and powerful words. Keywords Used and Sentiment: At the end, the tool gives an overview of the main keywords used in the title and the sentiment (positive, negative, neutral). Cons Suggested Titles: For all the analysis the tool performs on the title you give it, it does not provide a list of recommended titles that would give a higher score. [...]

Bobby 2017-05-06T14:02:58+00:00 Blog, Blogging|0 Comments

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