“Write without fear, but edit without mercy.”

Copyediting is the art of improving writing so that readers are engaged and want to keep reading. The best-selling writers have copyeditors. The reason for this is simple — you can’t read your own writing like another person seeing it for the first time. Because you wrote it, you are unable to process it like a fresh reader. That’s what the reader is — a person seeing it “fresh.” Copyediting is all about advocating for the reader.

Writers should let their creativity flow. They should write freely. And engage the reader in some sort of a story or present an opportunity to sell, leaving the reader satisfied.

My goals for copyediting are simple:

• clean up the writing to remove any excess wording that slows down a reader
• change sentence length to keep a variety going
• choose action words to add some liveliness to engage the reader
• keep the reader interested

By applying a few different techniques, your reader will want to stay with you. Create an opportunity for them to return.

I love working on all types of business writing, but my absolute favorite is anything to do with dogs. My love of dogs started early in life when my dad wouldn’t let us keep our dog, Missy. All the dogs in the neighborhood loved her and frequently came to visit. This caused a variety of issues in our backyard (in my father’s view) and little Missy was placed elsewhere. Heartbreaking. I suppose this also explains my love of rescues.

My love of dogs and advocacy for them is fierce; rescues have a special place in my heart.

I can’t think of a time in my life when the image of a dog didn’t immediately lift my spirits. If only I had a farm of rescued dogs. Talk about a happy place!