Cleaning Up Your Copy

When you are beginning to write, you gather as much data as you can. You continually add allied thoughts. . You use your right brain, the creative side.

So when you have an idea and your mind says, "not relevant to my core subject," you ignore the doubt. You don't cross anything out. You behave as magpie.

To polish your copy, you do the opposite.Here's how: shut the door and banish distractions. Read your copy v e r y s l o w l y and concentrate.

Better still, read the copy out loud s l o w l y. If reading out loud is impractical say the words to yourself soundlessly. The instant you sense "this shouldn't be here," cross it out.Trust your first judgement. Trust your first judgement.

What "shouldn't be here?". Any material that is superfluous, because you've said it before in a different way. Or because it is not central to your main argument.

You should be removing words as well as ideas. You want to communicate in as few words as possible. Shorter is better. Shorter is richer. Shorter is more bang for your reader's buck. Short sentences are easy to read and understand.

If you are fond of a certain sentence, but you know deep down it is not relevant here's a tip to help you excise. Create a heading at the end of your draft called "overmatter." Whenever you are not sure whether to cut or leave a sentence, cut and paste it into overmatter.

Later delete all the overmatter. Sometimes doing it in two steps is easier than one fell swoop.

As novices we love a certain word, phrase or musicality. Don't be distracted by that. Think only of your reader and the shortest route to communicating your idea.

My mentor, Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones, says,"when you go over your work, become a Samurai, a great warrior with courage to cut anything out....be willing not to be sentimental about your writing when you reread it. Look at it with a clear, piercing mind."

"Clear writers have accepted the grim reality," says John Trimble that nine-tenths of all writing is rewriting...perhaps most important of all, they are sticklers for continuity. They link their sentences and paragraphs as meticulously as if they might face criminal charges for negligence."

Do you have a robust marketing plan? How persuasive is your website, brochure copy or direct mail?

To win more business,call Neroli Lacey NOW.

About The Author

I'm Neroli Lacey of Beyond Communications Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. I've been helping executives transform their businesses and their lives with outstanding marketing materials since 1995. VISA, 3M and Perot Systems are some of my bigger clients. I have worked with clients in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Delhi. I used to be one of the top journalists in Britain writing for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, New Statesman, Vogue and Tatler.

Before newspapers I was an investment banker. I grew up in London, England, studying Latin with Greek at Bristol University.

Please visit my website: www.beyondcommunications.com

Or contact me at: neroli@beyondcommunications.com

612-215-3826

---

Writing Great Website Sales Copy

Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough... Read More

11 Reasons Not to Hire a Freelance Copywriter (and Why Theyre All Poor Excuses)

Think you can take the Copywriting Challenge on your own?... Read More

Copywriting for Astrology, Numerology, Tarot, and the Mystic Audience

These days, you don't have to traverse the dark forest... Read More

Freelance Copywriters on the Internet: How to Tell the Difference Between Heaven-sent and Hack

If you're hunting for a good freelance copywriter and have... Read More

Getting Over Copy Shock

A few weeks ago I wrote some copy for a... Read More

How to Hold Peoples Interest throughout those Long Copy Sales Letters

People tend to read your ads and sales letters in... Read More

Step One for Copywriters: Understand WHAT to Say

Find a passage of poorly written copy, and chances are... Read More

3 Ways to Increase Conversion Rates

In a previous article I talked about a few similarities... Read More

How To Find Freelance Jobs - Writing About Food

Did you know that jobs writing about food are available?... Read More

The Secret to Drilling Down Deep in Your Target Market

Here's another drill ripped out of the Field Guide for... Read More

Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics

Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while... Read More

Cleaning Up Your Copy

When you are beginning to write, you gather as much... Read More

Working on the Internet: Role of Proofreading and Copy editing OnLine

When one is in a creative state, rarely can one... Read More

The Secret to Web Copywriting Gurudom

Have you seen those copywriting gurus, working it on the... Read More

Writing for People and Search Engines

Writing for the search engines is much different than writing... Read More

Kick-Start Your Juices

Listen, consider this scenario.You have a deadline to honour. Time... Read More

How To Take Your Freelance Writing Chances

Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to... Read More

Killer Business Headline Templates - So How Do You Write Killer Headlines in Minutes? You Cheat!

According to Branding and Advertising legend, David Ogilvy: 5 times... Read More

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More

Bullshit Avoid the use of the word Bullshit

It is important in this new paradigm of political correctness... Read More

How to Write for a Paper or Magazine

l. Introduce yourself to the editor of your local newspaper.... Read More

How To Make A Career Out Of Copyediting And Proofreading

Do you possess the qualities of a good proof reader?... Read More

Fundraising Letters: Where To Find Creative Ideas For Your Appeals

How do you make your fundraising letters creative and fresh... Read More

Three Tips For Magnetizing Your Copy

The difference between good copy and great copy is the... Read More

How To Write Headlines That Grab Your Prospects Attention

It doesn't matter if you're writing an article, a newspaper... Read More

Professional Writing: Six Great Reasons to Hire a Writer

Most people can write. Some can even write well. But... Read More

Custom Writing Services: Market Overview

Market identification Custom writing services market is a sector of... Read More

Three Steps To Pump Up The Drama In Your Copy

All the world's a story. Video games have storylines; newspapers... Read More

How to Negotiate Rates with a Freelance Copywriting Expert

Lots of people who seek out my copywriting services are... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Web Copy

One of the most important aspects of a website today... Read More

Is Your Web Copy Plain Talk?

It's true, we were all taught in school to express... Read More

No-Holds-Barred Conversation with Dan Lok - Part 1

Question: If you were starting out and had no references... Read More

10 Tips for Writing Effective Web Copy

On the Internet programmers and designers rule, not the writer.... Read More