It is safe to say that few things in the Business World elicit more scorn and ambivalence than confusing and poorly constructed letters, memos, and email.
Business Communications are supposed to inform, announce, request, or recognize; however, many times, a communication may be so buried in “boilerplate” and vague language that no one but the writer can comprehend its meaning. And while this may not have been the writer's intent, it is often the effect.
That said, communicators must always strive to connect with their readers. It’s a tough challenge for sure, but one that has as much to do with a writer's approach as it does with one’s writing skill.
Let’s face it, getting any writing project down in draft form is a good feeling of accomplishment. Just the same, this hardly signals the end of the project in so much as this step is often merely the beginning of a long and frustrating process.
By definition, a draft is a working document and some degree of editing should be expected. In simple terms, editing is the on-going "cutting and pasting" writers perform as they revise their working document. On the other hand, Proofreading is the final check of the document, and is best performed after Copy Editing has been completed.
When approaching the Editing Process, writers will need to employ one or more of the following editing levels:
Light Editing
This involves checking grammar, word usage (e.g. too instead of to), hyphenation, subject-verb agreement, word choice, punctuation and spelling. Check out the links under the Writing Tools and References Sidebar for a few suggested resources on grammar and editing.
Medium Editing
In addition to the above, Medium Editing should focus on style, consistency, formatting and the correlation between text and any graphical or tabular information that may be part of the communication. For this level of editing, a critical eye is important, but beyond this writers need to have a good grasp of their organization's standards and expectations regarding Written Communications.
Heavy Editing
Generally called Substantive or Line Editing, this level of Editing often leads to a complete rewrite of the original draft. Granted, rewrites are usually not welcomed by writers, but when the draft has been edited and over-edited to death, and it is still not right, then it is often best to rethink things and start over with a fresh draft.
Of course, the use of Word Processing has blurred the distinction between editing levels. Moreover, in most business environments, deadlines dictate expediency, and this, unfortunately, often leads to writers taking shortcuts with the Editing Process.
That said, writers need to be careful about habitually practicing "quick and dirty" Copy editing. Any Written Communication has the potential to be read and scrutinized by anyone within an organization. Thus, Copy editing should demand a professional effort from the writer as a matter of routine.
As was touched on earlier, Proofreading is the final step in the Editing Process.
Though it is a task not particularly relished by many writers, it is important because it represents the last chance for the writer to “get it right” before submission or publishing. Unfortunately, it is a step that often doesn't receive the effort it deserves.
Think of how you approach this task. Do you perform just a cursory review of the edited copy? Do you rely entirely on Spellchecker? Do you relegate Proofreading to an administrative person? Or, do you take pains to cross every "T" and dot every "I"?
In actuality, Proofreading is a deceptively simple process and Business Communicators should be leery of relying exclusively on mechanical means or the initiative of others to handle this task. After all, it is the writer who brings the communication to life, and it should be up to the writer to maintain creative control until the Writing Process is completed.
Undoubtedly, proofing one's work can be mundane and bothersome, but it is far better to be a little bothered than be embarrassed by an overlooked and uncorrected mistake. That said, here are some basic Proofreading Tips to consider when finishing up a writing project:
* Don't assume anything. Review the document word-by-word and line-by-line.
* You are not infallible. Use a dictionary and style manual. Again, check out The Writing Tools And References Sidebar for links to several references and links for your information.
* By all means, activate Spellchecker and Grammar Check. There's nothing wrong with using these Word Processing Tools, as long as you don't rely on them exclusively.
* Have others review your draft. A "fresh set of eyes" will see things you may easily overlook.
* Make corrections promptly, and re-proof. How many times? As many times as it takes to get the document finalized.
As a final word, be mindful that anything you author will reflect your competence and level of professionalism. Thus, it is in your best interests to approach the Editing Process with diligence and objectivity. Doing so is a Win-Win for you and your readers.
Jack
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