Better Writing 101: Editorial Pesky Annoyances

Posted by Lima Al-Azzeh Sep 15, 2008

Even some of the most seasoned writers can fall victim to the simplest mistakes. To maximize time and efficiency make sure to double check your own work before sending it to your editor, thus leaving them free to edit major mistakes; not just auto-correcting simple ones. Here are some things Suite 101’s Irene Taylor asks you to look out for!

Punctuation

1. Random capitals –Don’t use capitals to emphasize words.

2. Use the "n-dash" with spaces on either side.

3. Use double quotes - not single quotes.

4. Be aware of pronoun agreement issues. Singular nouns need singular pronouns and vice versa. Example: "Every person has their own opinion" is incorrect as “person” is singular and “their” is plural, thus the agreement issue. Instead, this should read: "Every person has his own opinion" or "People have their own opinions". This is a common error and one to watch out for.

Keywords and Keyword phrases

1. Keyworded subheadings - be sure that subheadings are well keyworded. Search engines scan for keywords from the top down, so it’s best to place emphasis on keywords in the early parts of the article.

2. You can use more than 6 keyword phrases - up to 10-12 is fine, in fact the more specific your keyword phrases, the easier it is for search engines to pull up your article.

3. Be sure that you are drawing your most important keyword phrases from the title, subtitle, lead fields. Don't call the article "Manage Classroom Files and Folders" and then have "strategic planning" as your first keyword phrase. In other words, use words that appear frequently throughout your article to inform your keyword phrase choices.

4. Don't use little words in keyword phrases. Words and articles like "a" "the" "and" "or" etc. aren't read by Google and are wasted space and effort.

5. Always use Bold Title Case Subheadings - that is a must!

6. Do not start the body of the article with a subheading.

Citations

1. Cite sources properly. You cannot state that "studies show..." or "over 95% of boys like ice cream..." without providing the source for the information. If you are referring to any information like that - you must give the full citation for it.

These are just a few examples of things to watch out for. If you are ever unsure of your work be sure to consult the handbook or style guide provided by your editors/publishers!