Cleaning Up Your Copy

When you are beginning to write, you gather as much data as you can. You continually add allied thoughts. . You use your right brain, the creative side.

So when you have an idea and your mind says, "not relevant to my core subject," you ignore the doubt. You don't cross anything out. You behave as magpie.

To polish your copy, you do the opposite.Here's how: shut the door and banish distractions. Read your copy v e r y s l o w l y and concentrate.

Better still, read the copy out loud s l o w l y. If reading out loud is impractical say the words to yourself soundlessly. The instant you sense "this shouldn't be here," cross it out.Trust your first judgement. Trust your first judgement.

What "shouldn't be here?". Any material that is superfluous, because you've said it before in a different way. Or because it is not central to your main argument.

You should be removing words as well as ideas. You want to communicate in as few words as possible. Shorter is better. Shorter is richer. Shorter is more bang for your reader's buck. Short sentences are easy to read and understand.

If you are fond of a certain sentence, but you know deep down it is not relevant here's a tip to help you excise. Create a heading at the end of your draft called "overmatter." Whenever you are not sure whether to cut or leave a sentence, cut and paste it into overmatter.

Later delete all the overmatter. Sometimes doing it in two steps is easier than one fell swoop.

As novices we love a certain word, phrase or musicality. Don't be distracted by that. Think only of your reader and the shortest route to communicating your idea.

My mentor, Natalie Goldberg in Writing Down the Bones, says,"when you go over your work, become a Samurai, a great warrior with courage to cut anything out....be willing not to be sentimental about your writing when you reread it. Look at it with a clear, piercing mind."

"Clear writers have accepted the grim reality," says John Trimble that nine-tenths of all writing is rewriting...perhaps most important of all, they are sticklers for continuity. They link their sentences and paragraphs as meticulously as if they might face criminal charges for negligence."

Do you have a robust marketing plan? How persuasive is your website, brochure copy or direct mail?

To win more business,call Neroli Lacey NOW.

About The Author

I'm Neroli Lacey of Beyond Communications Inc. in Minneapolis, MN. I've been helping executives transform their businesses and their lives with outstanding marketing materials since 1995. VISA, 3M and Perot Systems are some of my bigger clients. I have worked with clients in Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Dublin and Delhi. I used to be one of the top journalists in Britain writing for The Times, The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, The Guardian, The Evening Standard, New Statesman, Vogue and Tatler.

Before newspapers I was an investment banker. I grew up in London, England, studying Latin with Greek at Bristol University.

Please visit my website: www.beyondcommunications.com

Or contact me at: neroli@beyondcommunications.com

612-215-3826

Why You Should Write To Inform And Not To Sell

Advertising is key! Unfortunately most people waste their money on... Read More

3 Keys to Better Online Copywriting

Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper... Read More

How to Develop a Killer News Hook

When you are going to write a press release probably... Read More

SEO Copywriting: 7 Tips

So you finally built a website for your home-based business.... Read More

Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More

Web Copy ? How Much is Enough?

These days, there's widespread acceptance that a website is an... Read More

Stop Chasing Away Customers! Bad Copy is Your Worst Enemy

Every day, more and more of us begin new online... Read More

A Quick Free n Easy Content Writing Course

I do not pretend that a one-stop shop solution to... Read More

A Little-Known Secret To Writing Sales Copy, For Serious Copywriters Only!

Have you ever wondered how your copy sounds to your... Read More

Your Article Headlines will Make or Break Your Business

Most people with an online presence will have to regularly... Read More

7 Essential Tips for Reviewing and Approving Copy

Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster... Read More

Traffics Nice... But Whos Driving?

In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand... Read More

Help, Help, Help, Sell

Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for... Read More

Crank Out More Articles More Often With An Article Swipe File

If you write copy you need a swipe file. A... Read More

Direct Mail Sales Letters Flow Better With Subheads

A subscriber to my newsletter asks: "Got any good pointers... Read More

3 Steps To Better Sales Copywriting

Whether you're wet-behind-the-ears or a seasoned copywriter, your craft will... Read More

The Number One Copywriting Technique That Makes Your Prospects Read Every Word You Write

How does this sound?Today, I'm going to show you how... Read More

How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses

Your sales copy is the life source of your business.... Read More

10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter

As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more... Read More

Sell Anything To Anyone On The Internet With Hypnotic Writing

I imagine you are the type of person who really... Read More

Copywriter Trick Unveiled: How to Write Better Copy Faster

"Talent alone cannot make a writer. There must be a... Read More

Its Not What You Say But How You Say It

Copy is all about words. Or is it?Copy is about... Read More

Custom Writing Services: Market Overview

Market identification Custom writing services market is a sector of... Read More

The Power of Saying You Can

If you have children, you will doubtless remember saying to... Read More

Writing Suitable Copy for the Press

Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning... Read More