by Diana Leigh

Created on: October 01, 2008

Editing is essential for writing web copy online because without it one might not have any real idea about what the writer is writing. If the article is wordy or full of grammatical errors, editing becomes essential to aid in the reader's understanding of the article. I can't imagine why anyone would not want his work to be pristine before being published for the world to see, and why anyone would not have it edited. Editing is putting on the finishing touches before it goes out to an audience. Editing should include checking the paper for mistakes in spelling, grammar, usage, and punctuation.

While writing, a writer is absorbed in his thought processes, and can easily skip or overlook something quite essential. Having the product edited by someone else with fresh eyes will help the writer complete the project before publication and make sure there is nothing that needs to be changed.

Proofreading helps to make any article easier to understand. If the following words were written without correct punctuation, had mistakes in spelling, grammar and usage, the reader might read this: Mary Morgan and Paul got stuck in a storm with wind rain and hail. They had to run and hide in the cabin in the basement to escape the fury. There first day at summercamp was not starting out like they hoped.

Corrected copy would read as follows: Mary, Morgan, and Paul got stuck in a storm with wind, rain, and hail. They had to run and hide in the cabin, in the basement, to escape the fury. Their first day at summer camp was not starting out like they hoped. The reader would learn substantially more from the revision.

Editing for content is also essential when writing web copy. If the writer begins to go totally off track on the subject, the article becomes ineffective. One must stick to the topic so the article is relevant.

Although many writers use the spell check on their computers to edit their work, spell check doesn't necessarily do the entire job. It won't be able to tell the difference between words that sound the same but have different spellings, and may not be used correctly. Using the correct form of words such as their, there, they're, or your and you're convey different meanings and are often misused. Already and all ready are different as are a lot and alot. Having been an educator for a number of years working with student's writing, it became clear to me that editing was by and large one of the most important aspects of the writing process.

Whether one writes web copy online, for personal use, or just for personal enjoyment, editing is essential. The writing belongs to the author, and the responsibility for making it as good as it can be comes with editing.

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