Make Copy Shine By Editing 2023

EDITING BEST PRACTICES ( CONT. )

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READ SLOWLY AND BACKWARDS

Sometimes it is not what you are reading for, but how you are reading that will make the difference. The best way to find small errors, such as spelling, capitalization and punctuation, is to read the story like a kindergartner reads their first book — painstakingly slow. Reading the story slowly and out loud is even better.

Furthermore, reading the story backwards allows you to see each word as an individual entity, which makes spelling errors easier to spot.

RED PENS CAN’T DO ALL THE WORK

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Avoid the temptation to mark up someone’s story and hand it back to him or her without ever having a discussion. It is rare that major changes to a story can be communicated clearly with a few comments in the margins of the story. Take time to sit down and talk with the writer. Explain what you think the revision needs. Have them explain back to you what needs to be done to make sure the writer understands and agrees.

CRITICISM SANDWICH

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Even when the criticism you are providing is constructive, a lot of bad news can really discourage a writer. To help soften the blow, use the criticism sandwich method: positive — negative — positive. Always begin with a positive comment. Tell the writer something you liked about their story or something they did well. Then move to the areas that need improvement. Provide specific, detailed feedback regarding the problem areas of their story. Then close the conversation with another positive comment. This method will help motivate the writer and keep him or her from feeling overwhelmed and under-appreciated.

RETHINK THE REWRITE

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Editors can often overstep their boundaries and rewrite large portions of a reporter’s work. Whereas the editor’s intentions may be altruistic, this act only serves to alienate the reporter. Writers are likely to wonder why they poured their heart and soul into a piece just to have their work removed and replaced by someone else’s. Furthermore, the reporter doesn’t learn in this process. They cannot recognize their shortcomings and work to improve them if they are robbed of the opportunity.

Everyone will benefit in the end if editors edit the story and show the writer how to improve.

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