This ensures you’ll see the piece as a whole, and be able to catch inconsistencies or places where structure could be improved. The key is to focus your brain fully on the content. Turn off your social media notifications. Go somewhere quiet, somewhere you can focus. Tired eyes might miss an “it’s” that should be an “its.” Tip 4: Hunker Downĭig into the content you’re editing. If you don’t take this route, make sure to give yourself a break from the screen every once in a while. I have zero data to back this up, but anecdotally, I’ve heard other marketers and editors agree: you catch more mistakes on the printed page. Having a physical, tangible page engages more of your senses in the editing process and, therefore, more of your mind. It may seem wasteful, but if you’re having trouble focusing, actually print out the piece and mark up the page. Editor after editor would pass version after version to and from authors, agents, and copyeditors. I started my career in book publishing, surrounded by thousands of pages of printed manuscripts. Consistency is powerful, especially in marketing, and you want to present your prospects and readers with polished, professional content. Before editing a rough draft, review your company’s style guide to get yourself in the right mindset to catch those little details specific to your brand.ĭon’t have a style guide? Download this fantastic template, based on Kapost’s own style guide. Your editorial style guide should always be close when you’re writing or editing marketing content. Otherwise, you’ll likely miss edits in flow and consistency and gloss over details like punctuation or word choice. You need distance from your piece to see it with fresh eyes. If you’re on a short timeline, take an hour or two. Switch to a different task, or get up and go for a walk. It’s almost impossible to go directly from writing your first draft into editing. Today, in honor of Independence Day, here are 4 tips to help you “advance from that subordination” of your rough draft and create an excellent final content asset. The truth is that every content asset-to be truly effective-requires a solid edit. Even Thomas Jefferson’s “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence needed work (although I would have liked to see “our everlasting Adieu!” to British rule in the final cut). Take a deep breath, my writer friend, and give yourself a break. Even Thomas Jefferson’s “original Rough draught” of the Declaration of Independence needed an edit. But you’re terrified to reread it, expecting to find a nonsensical monstrosity. So you’ve beaten writer’s block and have that first draft of your eBook, whitepaper, blog post, article, or email done.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |