First Draft, Second Draft

For anybody who writes anything, from a resume to a business letter (or an email) to a blog post to an epic novel, it happens. You awaken suddenly in the middle of the night and wonder aloud: did I spell "ignominious" correctly. Quite often, you'll realize that you did not.

That's why it's important to edit your document to determine that the content you've written is clear, concise and complete. Editing may involve changing words, correcting errors, or even revising parts of the document. The objective is to improve the quality of the final product.

Assuming that writers want to make a good impression on the reader, writing should be error-free and feature correct grammar and punctuation. Readers expect quality, so the writer should first and foremost avoid errors of all kinds, especially names and numbers.

Unfortunately, the sad fact is that errors are inevitable; everybody makes them. So how do you avoid errors in your writing? The key is copy editing and proofreading to improve the quality of the final document. But first things first. Before you can proofread, you must focus on copy editing.

Once a first draft is complete, the next step is to improve the readability and flow of the final document. You must copy edit for content, clarity, conciseness and coherence. Is the information complete? Will it be understandable to readers upon first glance? Is the document concise?

Editing for content means you have all the information required. Are names, dates, addresses and numbers accurate? What about enclosures, and more importantly, are they included with the document? Is the message consistent in the way the material is presented?

Names can be particularly problematic. Never assume anything when it comes to names. Double check the spelling. Once you spell somebody's name wrong, they will remember you, and not for the right reasons. Do you have the correct day with the correct date?

Is the document clear? Clear words say exactly what you mean, so use those that are familiar with your intended audience. Since words have different meanings to different people, use words that convey exact meaning when editing for clarity. Eliminate cliches and redundancies.

Finally, edit for conciseness, eliminating unnecessary words/ideas. Avoid modifiers like "I believe." Reduce the number of passive verbs by replacing them with more dynamic active verbs that help move a sentence. Substitute pronouns with more descriptive nouns.

As New York Times reporter David Vecsey wrote: "As a cub reporter, one of the veteran reporters pulled me aside and said: 'Look. Doctors bury their mistakes. Lawyers lock theirs up. But reporters print theirs for the whole damn world to see.'" Good reason to copy edit in advance.