11 Simple tips To Be An Awesome Copy Editor

Having a keen eye to produce incredibly concise copies can make you an asset for any organization even if you do not work for any professional companies offering copyediting services. Since copyediting is extensively used chiefly in the advertisement industry, you can help your company better plan in hiring a copyediting services provider for your own marketing efforts, if you are an excellent editor.

In order to understand the quality of a revised work, you need to be better editor yourself. The following copy editing tips can help you become an expert in the field.

1. What you want to say

   

   Even before you draft a rough copy, have a clear understanding of what you want to say and how you are going to say it. Having a lot of interesting data may not do the job if they are irrelevant. Once you have a blueprint of the copy, it is imperative that you read it. Read it loud so that you can hear what is written and analyze it instantly for any tweaks.

2. Know the language

   

   Look out for common errors such as you’re instead of your and their instead there etc. Make sure that such errors do not occur while you are diligently correcting a write-up. If some words confuse, use references and dictionaries—there are a lot of online references that you can find easily.

3. Self-evaluation

   

   While reading your post, you should write side notes while retaining the draft. This will help you in evaluating your ideas. It is necessary to disseminate these ideas with precision. Writing down notes is one of the copy editing basics that will help you to record the thoughts that you have still not included in the post.

4. Spelling and punctuation

   

   This is not only meant for people working in copyediting companies, but also for everyone who wants to write anything—letter, speech or a greeting. Spelling and punctuation have a terrible power to make the writer an imbecile if he/she does not know what they are getting into. There are many famous books such as ‘eats, shoots and leaves’ emphasizing the importance of punctuation and is highly recommended for everyone.

5. Don’t rush

   

   As a copy editor, you need to be calm and patient. You need to come up with solid materials for the copy before you start proofreading. This is among the basic copy editing rules. Firstly, you need to organize the information in the right format for your blog post. After you place the ideas into positions, start proofreading.

6. Proofread

   

   Proofreading can help you avoid a lot of mistakes easily. Proofreading can be frustrating and be proofreading a text right after you read it can be of no use. Give some time between writing and proofreading or proofread a hard copy than a digital one.

7. Brainstorm for third-party

   

   If you are writing something that is of high profile like a final project draft, bio-data or cover letters, make sure that you get a third party opinion and have someone else for proofreading. It can be really effective.

8. Being curious

   

   A copy editor needs to go through the sentences slowly, evaluating the relevance and impact of each word. Scrutinize each of the words and make sure that fit the context perfectly. Remember, being curious is one of the qualities of a good copy editor. Try out newer styles of presentation and language, so that you can keep the possibilities of a better version open.

9. Getting mechanical

   

   It is necessary for you to stick to the correct writing mechanics, particularly with grammar, punctuation and spellings. These errors can ruin your reputation. The experienced editors incorporate advanced copy editing techniques to keep the writeups free from errors.

10. Consistency in value

    

    For a copy editor, it is necessary to create a guide for the blog post, listing all the phrases, terms and proper names. This is one of the most effective copy editing tips and tricks that will enable you to do away with the inconsistencies in the blog. You can turn to this guide whenever required. This will save your time, as you need not hunt for the correct names every time you need them.

11. Categorizing the progress

    

    Well, you may be interested to know what makes a good copy editor. You need to divide the full blog into segments while proofreading it. When you complete proofreading a particular segment, and eliminate the errors, you can start with another segment. You can also use different colours to highlight the texts that have already been proofread and the ones that are yet to be edited. You can approach a copy editing company for proofreading services. Read on to know what services you can expect from copy editing companies. An expert hand in editing the copies ensures that the final blog is error-free.

While these tips may seem simple, ignoring any of it can be dangerous. Understanding them can help you choose the best professional copyediting services provider from a pool of companies for sure.

Great copy editing skills always come from genuine passion and a flair for writing. Although many people consider proofreading and copy editing to be all the same, in reality, the latter is much more complicated. A copy editor has to ensure the content reflects the brand image of the organization, as well as clearly convey the intended message. Copy editors have to spice up the aesthetic of the content and not just fix the paragraph breaks, and punctuation errors.

All of these complex responsibilities make the copy editing designation highly challenging and tedious. However, with the 11 handy tips mentioned above, you can up your game and create exciting, relevant, and informative content for your target audience. Always remember, to err is human, but to edit that error is what makes a copy editor different from others.

So, it’s time to hone your skills; follow the tips above and make your mark. And if you ever require any extra pair of hands to help you out with editing your copies to perfection, reach out to a professional agency with years of experience and solid domain knowledge. Good luck with your copy editing projects!