The World’s Easiest Edit — Guaranteed!

The first part of proofing is as simple as creating white space. In fact, it is creating white space, giving shape and definition to your message. Think for a moment of how you respond when you are reading a book or magazine and one paragraph runs for half the page. You probably skim the page wearily, flick ahead to see how much more you must read, or put the article away.

That’s why newspapers and magazines — from People to Newsweek — keep their articles short, loading the page with sidebars and photographs to break the monotony of black ink on white paper. To compete, your writing must proclaim itself boldly from the page.

To start, look at your document. If a mass of black ink has landed on the page, start breaking up that paragraph. Where do you break? Between thoughts? Probably not, or your paragraph will run like the Mississippi. Better break at transitions between times, for example, or between statement and support.
Beware of Two-Sided Rules

Determine which of these sentences is correct:

First, we should arrange a conference call in my office.

or

First we should arrange a conference call in my office.

Answer: Both.

Now, determine which of these is correct:

Either I’ll call you or you’ll call me Tuesday morning.

or

Either I will contact you or you will contact me Tuesday morning.

Answer: Again, both.

The English language is loaded with choices, adding new meaning to the old saying that rules are made to be broken. The only rule you can’t break, regardless of mood and circumstance, is consistency. If you call someone Ms. Smith at the start of a document, don’t call her Miss Smith later. If you use contractions, as in “You’re really interesting,” don’t say, “You are really interesting” later (unless you mean to emphasize the word are, as in “People say otherwise, but you are interesting.”). Variety is great for a wardrobe, but in this case, it creates disaster.

Next, look at your font. Make sure the lettering is clear and large enough to attract a reader. Times New Roman is great, but City Medium bombs. Also, make sure you distinguish your headings.Finally, you don’t want your writing to float on a paper lake, surrounded by white space. For this reason, make sure you
• have at least two lines per paragraph
• bullet phrases, sentences, or even paragraphs, but not words center your message on the page
• avoid second letter pages with only a few lines at the top
Once your document has the right look, give it polish by checking for those little, important details that are as distracting to your readers as ink on a white suit jacket. Now, compare these examples:

Jackson Consulting, Inc., E-mail Guidelines
Many employees are now sending electronic mail to customers and fellow workers.Always be sure your all your correspondence is:
• Professional. You need to uphold the company’s image in electronic messages as well as letters through the mail. Therefore, be sure you use professional language.
• Discreet. External clients — and competitors — can have access to your message, so never discuss sensitive company issues.
• Business-related. Use E-mail for messages pertaining to the business only. That means send no messages home and no chatty hellos to fellow employees electronically.

Jackson Consulting, Inc., E-mail Guidelines
When sending E-mail to customers and fellow workers, always be sure all your correspondence is:
• Professional. You need to uphold the company’s image in electronic messages as well as letters through the mail. Therefore, be sure you use professional language.
• Discreet. External clients — and competitors — can have access to your message, so never discuss sensitive company issues.
• Business-related. Use E-mail for messages pertaining to the business only. That means send no messages home and no chatty hellos to fellow employees electronically.