The Value of Clean Copy

Every thing in it's place?

by: Eric Sherman                Multi Media Information

There's a good chance your online text needs to be copyedited. There's also a good chance you won't do anything about it. You're not aware of any flaws; no one is pointing them out to you. But they're there. Viewers will notice them and think less of your business or organization as a result.

Ineffective writing is easy to find on the Internet. Authors may feel pressure to "get the page up" and simply not take the time to do it right. This practice is no doubt encouraged by the fact that a product may be quite short-lived, possibly surviving for only a few days.

This unfortunate situation is the product of a breakdown in the traditional role of "publisher" as the World Wide Web has evolved. You might say the great thing about the Internet is that anybody can publish. But there's a downside to this. Even well-intentioned, responsible web publishers may be too inexperienced to realize that effective editorial review of material made available online is a serious requirement.

It's widely recognized that poorly written copy in a business document is an indication of sloppiness and unprofessionalism. Yet many webmasters fail to deal adequately with this important issue. They might run a spell and grammar check on their material and assume any problems have been resolved. This is a potentially costly decision.

Software designed to find and correct mistakes in spelling and grammar is essentially worthless in this context because so many errors are missed. Only a careful human inspection, line-by-line and indeed character-by-character, can ensure a flawless product. Moreover, effective writing does more than simply "follow the rules." An author, especially in a public relations context, needs to be focused, credible, and convincing. It doesn't make much sense to work hard developing a fancy cross-browser drop-down menu system, while at the same time neglecting a flat, uninspired message that relies on tired marketing clichés.

Many websites don't have the resources required to employ an in-house copyeditor. You can, however, strengthen your presentation by contracting for such a service. For less than you might expect, you can deliver your message to readers in the best possible light.

Good authors recognize the need to have their work reviewed by an editor. Just getting an informed opinion from a second person can often provide valuable perspective. But in today's revolutionary communications environment, there's no "check" in the system to help people avoid publishing sloppy copy on their websites. They'll just have to learn the hard way, or perhaps not at all.