One of the lessons I’ve learned as a writer and editor is that everyone makes misteaks. (Ha ha, you saw what I did there.) Writers have egos. Editors are scrupulous. Both are prone to dropping a word, forgetting a punctuation mark, or even being a keyboard klutz. It happens.
But I’m not here to talk about that.
I’m here to discuss the difference between copy that’s effective and copy that just is. And that difference, in a word, is professionalism.
Think about it: a clever third grader may know all the right words and construct sentences properly, but elementary-level writing won’t fly in the grown-up world. Well-crafted copy commands respect. It achieves greater buy-in from the reader. And that’s the whole point of being paid to write for someone else.
Read on for some ways to create sophisticated content that will impress your clients and have them coming back for more. Because sadly, it’s not about you; it’s about them.
Keep it Flowing
Don’t get stuck in a syntax loop. This is a surprisingly common pitfall, even for the pros. Your reader will thank you (probably on a subconscious level) when you vary your sentence flow.
Which of these passages would you rather read?
When you’re not careful, you can fall into a common trap that turns readers off. You may know a lot about your topic, but you need to consider the end-user. Just because your information is accurate, it doesn’t mean it’s pleasant to read. If you go back and re-read your work, you may discover repetitive sentence structure, which is kind of annoying.
Be careful about falling into a common trap that often turns readers off. You may be an expert in your topic, and your information may be accurate—but are you being considerate of the end-user? Try re-reading your work; you may discover that all of your sentences are structured the same way. That’s kind of annoying!
Polish It
The heavy lifting is over. Before you hit “send,” walk away. Grab a coffee. Now come back and take a critical look. This is your chance to consider nuances that separate the “good enoughs” from the true wordsmiths.
Some examples:
- Celebrate diversity. Did you use a strong word more than once in a single sentence or repeat it throughout several consecutive sentences? Can a different word do the same job? Sometimes, a simple tweak of a clause can excise the word altogether.
- Don’t squeeze too many clowns in the car. Written copy shouldn’t have to be parsed to be understood. When readers are slowed down in their tracks, they stop reading. So leave the mega-sentences crammed with multiple clauses, concepts, and details to the legal document writers. Individual, bite-sized sentences are easier to digest.
- Take out the trash. You found the perfect turn of a phrase and created a special place to wedge it in. Or there’s a word count, and you packed so much into the introduction that you ran out of real estate for actual information. Or you wandered into mansplaining territory. Self-editing is painful; nobody wants their time and hard work to be for naught. But sometimes you just have to let go.
Match Style with Substance
Good writers have good ears. You wouldn’t write an annual report in the same voice you’d use for social media. Travel blogs, white papers, and marketing collateral all have different personalities. Write as though you’re speaking their language.
That said, no one writer can specialize in every genre that’s out there. There’s no shame in turning the job down if it’s out of your comfort zone.
When the Queen’s English Won’t Work
A few sentences ago I wrote, “Nobody wants their time and hard work to be for naught.” The old me would have cringed and smugly changed “their” to “his or her.”
The new me would tell the old me to lighten up.
Unless you’re preparing a scholarly article or reporting for The New York Times, it’s almost always okay to break the rules to avoid clunky writing. I’m not suggesting carelessness. Just find a way to rephrase it without angering the grammar gods too much. Or ask your editor (nicely) for suggestions.
Take it from this professional word nerd: if you want less meh and more wow in your content, strive for writing that sings.
