by Ruth Belena

Created on: October 26, 2009   Last Updated: February 19, 2010

Being a good speller is critical to being a successful writer. The ability to spell correctly makes the process of getting published far easier because speed, accuracy and efficiency ensure greater writing success. Good spelling is essential when sending out queries, submitting text and preparing for publication.

* A good speller has a better chance of being published.

A successful writer is a good communicator. It is imperative for a writer to create the right impression when communicating with a publisher, an editor or a client. A good speller has a far better chance of acceptance, and poor spelling will generally result in rejection.

People who work in publishing will notice when a query arrives from a writer with mistakes in the name of the company, in the address or even worse, when addressing someone in the wrong name.

A successful writer notices typing errors, or missing letters, before sending out a letter or an email. Incorrect names and addresses will be obvious to a good speller, but a poor speller could miss those mistakes.

* A good speller has more time for writing, and is quicker at making corrections.

Writers who are poor at spelling have difficulties with proofreading, and take more time editing and correcting their own work.

A good speller needs less time for using spellcheck or a dictionary. Using a spellchecker is not the most reliable way to find and correct errors in spelling, because in many instances the writer needs to look up the meaning of a word in a dictionary, to be certain of using the correct spelling. A spellcheck will highlight an error in the word "princepal", but will not indicate whether the correct version should be "principal" or "principle". Place names and the names of real people are often highlighted as errors by a spellchecker, even when they are correct. A good speller will not need to keep checking for the correct spelling of those names.

Some writers rely on professional proofreaders and editors to find and correct their spelling mistakes, but then the editing process takes longer, or those writers might need to pay for expert editorial services.

* Words are the writer's tools, and words need to be used correctly.

A good speller has a far greater chance of being a successful writer. Anyone aspiring to be a successful writer needs to demonstrate good writing ability in query letters and emails to editors, publishers and prospective clients. An aspiring writer really should learn how to spell, because accuracy is critical in the world of publishing.

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