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Mastering the Art of Copy Editing

While what we put into our posts, articles, ebooks, and newsletters is important so is the way in which we present to the readers. Unfortunately what we have floating in our heads may not translate as well onto paper and your first draft should never be your last. Readers not only have a desire to read thought-provoking content but also want to be able to enjoy it easily without having to fumble around jumbled thoughts and ideas. This is where your copy editing skills can have a big impact on the overall quality of your work. In fact, copy editing is what takes your content from basic to extraordinary.

Approach your copy editing using these 5 tips to give your readers polished, read-worthy content you can be proud of:

1. Start the copy editing process by taking a break from the piece. Having at least a day between writing and editing allows you to approach this task with a fresh eye.
2. Summarize the goal of the piece. Sometimes we can get lost in writing for length rather than for purpose. Make sure you can easily summarize the overall theme of the piece and that each part supports that singular goal.
3. Always copy edit before you proofread. If you find yourself spending more time revising content than changing punctuation, go back and copy edit the entire piece again.
4. One of the best tips I have found for easily copy editing a piece is to separate longer sentences into two. This can help make the content more digestible. It also can bring out flaws that you may not have noticed.
5. Pay close attention to the words used. When rereading a piece keep an eye out for many common word misuses. This could include redundancies, double negatives, weak verbs, or simply words that serve no purpose.

Don’t have time to copy edit your own work? Grand Marketing Solutions provides a wide range of writing services including quality content curation. Our team of experienced writers can ensure your website, blog, or social media profile includes the quality, well-written content that your visitors want to read.

Contact us for more information or to schedule a consultation

by Katie Zurawski

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