Writing It Right For You | Writing And Editing Services

There are many numerous ways to promote yourself to future clients.  Here, we go over the dynamics of one way to promote your skill sets to an editor of a publication.  A query letter writer should follow the four parts of the AIDA formula explained in Robert Bly’s Secrets of A Freelance Writer: How To Make $100,000 A Year:

1. Get ATTENTION
2. Hook the reader’s INTEREST
3. Create DESIRE
4. Call for ACTION

Get ATTENTION- A verbally intensive leading paragraph should have a strong starting sentence backed up by facts or experience to support it.

“Is this letter a waste of paper? Yes- if it fails to get the desired result.  In business, most letters and memos are written to generate a specific response, close a sale, set up a meeting, get a job interview, make a contact.  Many of these letters fail to do their job.”

Hook the reader’s INTEREST- This is usually a clear explanation of the reader’s (your potential client’s) problems or concerns.  Be sure to offer a solution.

“Part of the problem is that business executives and support staff don’t know how to write persuasively.  The solution is a formula first discovered by advertising copywriters, a formula called AIDA.”  (Ironic, no?)

Create DESIRE- When you’re submitting this letter for consideration, you’re offering your skills and services or product.  To create a desire for your product or service, tell the reader the benefit they’ll get.

“I’d like to write a 1,500-word article on “How to Write Letters That Get Results.”  The piece will illustrate the AIDA formula with a variety of actual letters and memos from insurance companies, bank, manufacturers, and other organizations.”

Call for ACTION- Ask for the assignment, be specific.

“This letter, too, was written to get a specific result: an article assignment from the editor of Amtrak Express.  Did it succeed?”

Mr. Bly’s letter in fact DID land him the assignment.  He was even paid $400.00 for his work.

“It Matters How You Say It!”

If you need writing or editing assistance with the very confusing English language rules, contact the professionals at Writing It Right For You. We’re here to help because “It Matters How You Say It”!

**Quotes from Query Letter to editor of Amtrak Express in Secrets of A Freelance Writer: How To Make $100,000 A Year By Robert Bly.

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Writing your document is just the first step. Whether you are writing a letter, a report, web content, marketing materials or a dissertation, your writing must be edited. It must also be proofread. What is the difference? Many people think that editing and proofreading are the same thing, but actually they are two different processes. Think back to your school days: your teacher usually told you that the paper you were writing was only the “first draft”. (And you thought you were finished with that assignment!) Once your first draft is completed, the two-part editing process begins.

The whole process is all often called “editing”, but editing is actually the first component, and should begin as soon as the first draft is completed. There are several levels of editing:

* How well is the actual content written? Does it make sense? If instructions or guidelines were given, were they followed? Does the overall document have a smooth and consistent flow?

* How is the document structured? Is everything clear? Are the topics and sub-topics logical? Does the writing move smoothly from one idea to the next?

* Is your writing clear to the reader? Is everything explained clearly? Is everything cited or hyperlinked correctly? Is the tone and “voice” consistent? Is your writing too brief or too long or too repetitive or too bland?

These are just some of what is involved in the “editing” part of the process. Often it will take several revisions to reach the final draft.

Then the document is ready for proofreading, which is the last step of the editing process. Proofreading should be done after all of the revisions are completed. Proofreading involves checking for misspellings, incorrect or missing punctuation, grammar, and formatting.

Although all word processors have spelling and grammar checkers, they are not foolproof. A word can be spelled correctly, but used incorrectly. For example, many people confuse “your” and “you’re”. Both words are spelled correctly, but are used differently. A word processing spell checker would not recognize the difference. There are similar problems with relying only on the grammar checker in a word processor. English is a very complicated language, and the grammar checkers in word processing programs are too limited in their scope.

Finally,y the formatting and citations or references must be consistent. When your writing has been edited, proofread, and formatted carefully and in detail, it is finally ready for final distribution or publication. Your writing needs both editing and proofreading.

If you need professional editing and proofreading for your academic or business documents, contact us for a customized project plan.

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