Tag: website

Why Proofreading Is Essential

Proofreading gets your manuscript or other written work ready for publication. It deals with the presentation. It’s the final edit before you print.

Some confusion exists between editing and proofreading. It’s not as complicated as it sounds. Editing is what you do first and proofreading is what you do last. Proofreading is the final step to polish the manuscript before publication. When the proofreading is done, the product should be ready to go to the printer.

Historically, proofreading came about after the printing press was invented. One arranged the little metal letters in place on the press and then printed a copy of the book or newspaper. That paper product was then read for final errors.

The confusion comes about because sometimes proofreaders find grammar and spelling mistakes. While it’s their job to do so, it’s not their primary function. Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and the like are the jobs of line editors and copyeditors to correct. The proofreader just makes sure they didn’t miss any.

The other, major task for the proofreader is tending to the physical appearance of the book and its machinations. That description applies to both paper and digital.

Proofreaders make sure your chapters all start with the same format, that your use of commas is consistent, that your table of contents or index leads where it says it does, that your margins are correct, and that elements of the book have continuity throughout.

Proofreading is necessary whether it is done by the author or by a professional. In today’s digital world, book text can be dropped into a preformatted page and most of the work will be done automatically. However, ask any published author and they will tell you that you still must proofread the result. For that reason, when a book is finished, even in today’s world, authors order a final copy to look over. When the printer sends a perfect copy, it’s a gift. That will rarely happen on the first round.

Using a professional who understands the format of the medium where the book will be published is a good idea. You will find, with so many devices out there, that the visual outcome of the digital version varies dramatically. You will have far greater control over the printed version, and you should exercise it! Take the time to proofread your book or go to the trouble of having others proofread it for you. You will be glad you did.

Creative Assets Inc does not currently offer proofreading services. See prices for other types of editing here.

Why You Need Copyediting

Copyediting is an essential part of editing. It checks your grammar, punctuation, and spelling. You might be more in need of it than you realize.

Does your writing need copyediting? Definitely. Ask yourself these questions;

  • Have I spelled everything correctly?
  • Is my grammar perfect?
  • Have I put commas in all the right places?
  • Is all of my other punctuation correct?
  • Have I left behind any incomplete sentences?

That list isn’t for beginners. It’s for everyone. Even the best writers need copyediting. If you’ve ever heard someone say that writers should not edit their own work, they are probably talking about copyediting. It is absolutely essential on the road to publication. It’s also nearly impossible to do own your own.

While all writers should do their own editing, it is a well-known rule that you need someone else to do a round of copyediting for you. For smaller pieces, like short articles and blogs, writers might self-edit if they are knowledgeable enough, although they are taking a chance when they do. When it comes to longer works like novels, you can’t do without copyediting. Without copyediting, readers will find errors left behind and they will stop reading your book –and then they’ll tell others not to ready your work!

Copyediting is simply part of the novel writing industry. It’s indispensable and unavoidable.

You don’t always have to pay for it. Most writers have a friend who is good at grammar and spelling. Be careful though, they can burn out easily if you push them, especially when working for free. Joining a critique group is another free method. The downside of critique groups is the length of time it takes for the group to get through a book. 1000-3000 words is often the maximum covered per meeting. If you have a 100,000 word manuscript, it could take some critique groups a year to get through your book. One more free method is to exchange books with another author. You will find, however, that you and that other author will not have the same level of experience with grammar, spelling, and punctuation. One of you will be getting the short end of the arrangement.

Free methods work for some authors. For those with schedules to keep or goals to meet, slower, less reliable methods won’t work.

Most writers I know gravitate toward professional editing the longer they stay in the industry. That tells me that the ones who make it lean toward professional editing. Decide where you are in your writing journey and then choose the method that works best for you.

If you are interested in having your work professionally edited, Creative Assets Inc can help. Click here to see rates for Copyediting and more.

Organize to Retain Website Visitors

A web page should have a navigation bar, an introduction of the site’s purpose, and items of targeted interest set in organized patterns.

A well-organized website is key to retaining visitor attention. The numbers of ways to achieve that are many. However, a few important items need to be present. The page should be organized, informative, inviting. The ways to do that are also wide and varied, but here are a few simple principles to guide you.

An Organized Website

Have you ever visited a webpage that made you cock your head back because it had volumes of information scattered across the screen in seeming chaos? You didn’t know where to look. The page had no anchors for your attention to fix upon. That is a situation to avoid.

A web page should have a navigation bar, an introduction of the site’s purpose, and items of targeted interest set in organized patterns.

Navigation Bars

If your website is ultra-simple, you might not need the navigation bar, but if so, you actually might just have landing page. That’s okay. Landing pages are valuable. However, if you have any information that needs categorization, a navigation bar is essential. Those navigation buttons can lead to other pages or they can lead to headings on the same page. Either way, navigation eliminates unwanted confusion.

Statement of Site Purpose

You site should let people know its purpose immediately. Sometimes the name is enough, if you’ve chosen your domain name well. A beach rental company with the name of their city is a good example. The title tells you where you’ve landed –probably before you arrive. However, even with something generally understood like a CPA firm, some clarification is a good idea. What does that CPA firm specialize in? Is it tax preparation or financial reviews? A simple statement in the header or at the top of the page is all you need to satisfy visitors that they have arrived at the right place.

Organized Site Data

The organization of the data on the page is very important. Numerous schools of thought exist on what should come first, where pictures should appear, and so on. However, the key word is organization. The visitor should not have to spend more than a second or two searching for something to land their gaze. “White Space” is essential. Your page should not be a sea of never ending text. It should have headings and clearly defined bites of information. Even without images, a well-defined, clearly spaced text-only page can appeal to the eye. Avoid any appearance of overwhelming amounts of information. As with the page title, the following nuggets of information should clearly describe what they are at the top.

An Informative Website

An informative website rewards visitors. They click on the link in search of answers or a desire. Your website should satisfy those with its content. If someone seeks houses for sale, your realtor site should show some houses that are for sale –or at least provide links to those houses. An IT solutions provider should lead with solutions. What computer upgrade issues do startups ordinarily face during growth spurts? Those visitors will want answers immediately upon arrival.

Provide the answers to visitor needs right away. Use your page statement of purpose, the navigation bar, and the organized segments of data below on the page. With all of those in view “above the fold,” visitors will realize that your website is worth their time. When done well, the visitor might actually gain a few answers or solutions before they have a chance to dig further. It’s okay to resolve visitors’ problems right away. You just established yourself as an expert and increased your chances of securing a new client or follower.

An Inviting Website

Creating an inviting website takes some technical know-how, but beyond that it becomes an art. What colors do you choose, and what font? Employing the above guidelines, you will already have created a site that pulls readers forward, and that, in itself, is an invitation to visitors.

Navigation Bar Placement

Placement of links would be the technical aspect of creating your site. Will your navigation bar go across the top or down the side? The layout of your website might guide your decision. If not, let your website programmer help you out.

Website Backgrounds Matter

What background will you use? Law firms and accountants often use strong authoritative colors. Beach rentals might mimic sand and sea. Whatever you choose, it should make reading easy. Don’t use a chaotic or overly-busy background. No amount of white space will cure that error.

Lead Visitors to Greater Understanding

When you offer an enticing bit of information, create a link that will provide visitors with more information. The following page will satisfy their interest and educate them on what you provide. It might also make them a better-informed customer. That’s a good thing, especially when you’re the one providing the answers. Few things are more inviting than the resolution to ones problems. Is it fair game to create teasing or enticing lines in your links? You bet it is.

Creating Future Customers with a Well-Organized Website

When you provide services or products, having a website just isn’t enough anymore. You have to have an edge. The first advancement is to have a well-organized site that gives visitors the idea they’ve come to the right place. Organization makes people feel safe. Clearly placed blocks of information offer ease-of-use to visitors. When those blocks of information serve to inform and satisfy, you’ve won the interest of the visitor. Once there, invitations to dig deeper, find out more, and become and educated customer might very well be irresistible. Take a moment to compare you site to these guidelines. A few tweaks could create welcome changes to your next visitors.