So you have a draft of content that needs to be perfectly polished for publish. How do you know what to do next? Depending on how critically you want it reviewed, you have to know the steps involved or what to ask for.

So the first thing to figure out is if you will be proofing or editing it yourself, or having someone else do it. In this post, we’ll go over both scenarios so you have the tools for each.

But first, what’s the difference between proofreading and editing? Here’s a quick guide …

Proofreading
Proofreading is a quick review of content, considered a “light sweep” to identify any glaring issues. Proofing the content analyzes it with grammar, spelling and punctuation criteria in mind, fixing issues on the fly. Know that if you don’t provide a style guide that your company uses for content, the editor will typically default to their own. Here at bizbuzzcontent, we default to AP Style.

Editing
Editing is more in depth, and takes a critical look at what’s being said, how it’s being said, the format of the content and storyline, and makes recommendations on how to improve it to a professional level. A full editing process also includes proofing to look for any grammar, spelling and punctuation issues.

Different professionals define editing in different ways. Some editors may want to go further than asked because it’s hard not to make suggestions if you see opportunities for improvement, while others may only look for typos when what you really wanted was critical feedback on the structure. Make sure you articulate what you want ahead of time.

Editing Your Own Writing

You can learn to proofread and edit your own materials, you just need a repeatable process. Here are some tips you can borrow to create your own:

1. Some recommend writing freely, and worrying about editing later. This is so as not to stifle creativity and productivity. For me, I like to edit as I’m writing each section. So before I go on to the next section of the content, I reread and make adjustments to the first. This is really a preference thing but do what works for you.
2. Sleep on your draft, and start the proofreading and editing process the next day. I promise your words are going to look much different in the morning versus after the fifth time you’ve read it same day.
3. Sit in a quiet place when you’re editing, free from any noise or distraction. If you find yourself reading the same sentence seven times and wondering why it’s taking so long, you need a better space for editing.
4. Read the first draft with a proofreading mindset, looking for any spelling, grammar and punctuation issues you can fix. On the second read, start taking a more critical look at the flow and structure with your editing “hat” on. You’ll likely want to tweak the introduction once the whole piece is complete, and come up with a couple headline options at that point, too. (p.s., there’s a plugin for WordPress that allows you to split test your headlines if you can’t choose just one.)
5. Take a final pass, and even read it aloud. Editing and proofreading is as much about making the content polished as it is about how the words sound together and roll off the tongue. This is where you might switch one word for another for more impact.

Dealing with Multiple Reviews and Approvals for Content

If you work in an environment where you have multiple levels of approval for content, it’s important that everyone get on the same page about the review and editing process, or things can get very messy.

Here are some tips on process based on how we do it here at bizbuzzcontent. This is assuming you’ve written the content on behalf of someone else, and it has already gone through the internal editing process …

• Make sure there is always document version control, so only one person is reviewing the document at a time, and that there is established nomenclature for the different versions – for example, the person’s initials added to the end or something else.
• Establish ahead of time how many reviews are included in the process (for example, two rounds of edits). Remember, if you have a thorough content creation process, you minimize the amount of edits in the review process, because the content you’ve delivered is targeted. That typically means stakeholders have approved the direction of the content before it is written (in the form of a content brief or outline) so there are no surprises.
• Encourage the reviewers to either make edits directly or use the comments feature in Word to articulate what they want. I recommend using Word documents for reviews of content with “track changes” on to capture edits. This is the most simple way to track what people want where, and you can modify their suggestions in the next round.
• Don’t have everyone and their brother review the content. To help make the process most efficient, only involve those that truly need to be – for example, the “author” you are writing on behalf and a supervisor. If you’re in a position where multiple people need to be involved, think of ways to temper the situation by focusing on the efficiency of only involving the select few (nobody wants deadlines to extend weeks past just because Bob down the hall can’t seem to get to a review).

So that process was assuming you did the writing and put it into review for approval. But other times, you’re handed someone else’s content in rough draft format, and asked to take it from there. When you’re editing for another, you want to be as helpful as possible, applying your own proven process for proofreading and editing, and thinking of “bigger picture” things, too.

Here are a few tips for an editing process for someone else’s work:

1. Perform a grammar, spelling and punctuation review.
2. Edit so the tone and messaging is consistent, making it feel like a professional, branded piece of content for that person or company (sometimes this means you go the extra mile to establish what that is, if it’s in your wheelhouse).
3. If you’re editing multiple pieces of content, for example, a series of reports, you’ll want to ensure the format is consistent across all papers, meaning creating a template for layout that each report follows for the beginning, middle and end of the report (like how to treat the headers, subheads, the different sections of the report, imagery, etc.).
4. Always cite questions when statements or data is unclear, and point out areas for expansion to improve it.
5. Add data points or references where applicable from third parties that would back claims up (look for the most recent research from reputable sources only) or cite areas where they should include additional data points.

Well there you have it. I hope this quick guide helps you in your review process the next time you want to publish content or help someone polish theirs. Happy editing!

If you hire a ghostwriter, does that make you a fraud? What about if you are a ghostwriter – are you committing fraudulence in expertise?

I ran across a 2013 article from Demian Farnworth on the Raven blog on the brutally honest truth about ghostwriting, in which he chronicled his personal demise as a result of putting his “everything” into content that others were getting the credit for.

It struck a chord, of course, because if you’re hiring a company like mine, you’re hiring ghostwriters. In fact, I can’t think of any content service you’d hire where ghostwriting wasn’t a part of it, from in-depth articles to Web copy, e-books and beyond.

Whether you realize it or not, ghostwriting is a staple in many of the beloved speeches, screenplays, songs and other creative works we encounter daily. Calling ghostwriting unethical would mean you believe that some of the things you love are totally fraudulent — and that you’re not OK with that, either.

Heck, even some of the most well-known hip-hop artists, whose street cred is earned in part by their ability to rap, were made popular by others’ words.

There’s a Way to Go About It

Over at Forbes, one contributor discusses the ethics of ghostwriting, and argues that ghostwriting itself isn’t unethical, but claiming you don’t have a ghostwriter is.

While some industries have become very comfortable with the concept of ghostwriting, there are some circles within certain sectors that believe ghostwriting is a dirty word.

But there’s a way to go about it so it feels good for everyone involved; keeping in mind that it starts with the right mindset about what ghostwriting is.

Here’s how I see it: We’re providing a marketing service for brands and executives who need to be a part of the conversation; they have great ideas and experience to share, but no time to sit down and write them.

There is a process that goes along with this that ensures not only that the expert’s ideas are extracted effectively, but also that the brand is being upheld (whether personal or company).

It’s the way I’ve done it for years, and it’s how I’ve established the operational process at bizbuzzcontent. It all starts with a collaboration of ideas. And if the person/company is too busy to contribute even 15 minutes of their time to this collaboration, then a ghostwriter probably isn’t a good idea.

I know I personally wouldn’t feel good about pouring my ideas and concepts into a piece of content that the other person – the bylined author – had no hand in creating.

This is the story that Demian chronicled at the Raven blog, and if I were on the other side of the service as the bylined author, I would feel somewhat fraudulent having my name on that piece, too.

Here at bizbuzzcontent, we’ve been in situations where we were asked to stretch a little further than usual to create ideas out of thin air, and the result was always that it inherently felt inauthentic.

My primary goal is to ensure our clients shine by showcasing their ideas, their expertise and their personality. Which brings me to another point: personality.

The Forbes article I linked to previously, discusses checkpoints for ethical ghostwriting, one of which is the following:

“Does the communicator use ghostwriters to make himself or herself appear to possess personal qualities that he or she does not really have? In other words, does the writer impart such qualities as eloquence, wit, coherence and incisive ideas to a communicator who otherwise possesses none of those traits? The ethicality decreases with the degree of the ‘stretch.”

This small detail is a key consideration with authenticity. We won’t manufacture stories, wit or perspective without the bylined author’s input. The bylined author needs to be solely responsible for infusing themself into the piece, whether through the review/editing process, direct conversations on the ideas/story leading up to the thing we’re writing about or whether it’s the ghostwriter picking up on the personality and conversational style of the bylined author over time.

What About When It’s Not Ethical?

A year or so ago, I got a phone call from a guy who said he ran a “content marketing” shop. He had somehow forged relationships with columnists at publications like Forbes online that would allow articles to be written under the columnist’s name, and promised to mention my clients’ products or services, and link to them from the article for a fee.

Red flag.

First. trading money for links is a no-no in Google’s book and can get your website into a lot of trouble. Even trading money for a mention seems grotesque — but maybe I’m being too conservative in my thinking there. Celebrities get paid to leverage their authority in the way of endorsements all the time, and we know damn well that [INSERT CELEB NAME] is not using [PRODUCT TYPE] at home.

Truth is, in a world where so much is driven by dollars and exposure, it’s hard to know where opportunity ends and sleaziness begins.

Apparently, Forbes may be aware that this or some form of this is happening, as the article I linked to prior points out that “in the case of the Forbes Contributor community, ghostwriting is expressly and even contractually forbidden. In fact, the publishing interface periodically requires contributors to re-verify ‘the words on this page are my own content, my own words and my own opinions’ before they are allowed to press ‘send.’”

Writers Need Checks and Balances, Too

I remember when I was writing for Search Engine Watch as a contributing reporter. More and more, I was being assigned topics on paid search (aka online advertising, pay per click, etc.). As a reporter, I could easily write about almost any topic in digital marketing because I have direct experience in the online marketing industry so I understand the issues being discussed.

But that doesn’t mean I have experience in online advertising specifically. Nevertheless, I was increasingly solicited to speak at conference events and comment in publications on matters related to online advertising the more I wrote about the topic for Search Engine Watch.

My skills and experience were greatly confused, even though my byline went to an author page that discussed my background, my company and what we did. I wasn’t a contributing expert to Search Engine Watch on the topic of online advertising; Search Engine Watch was a client of mine that hired me for my reporting services.

There’s a fine line that needs to be drawn by the ghostwriter if they are concerned about ethics, too. Some ghostwriters might jump on opportunities like those I just described to put themselves into the spotlight as an expert, and eventually claim to be practitioners in something after they’ve written and researched a topic over time.

Sure, anyone can be self-taught and become a practitioner in something, but it’s not until you have — what do they say? 10,000 hours actually practicing something that you are an expert? (Of course, others refute this).

In my opinion, just because we do something that could be a distant cousin to a high-demand skill set, doesn’t necessarily make us qualified to do that high-demand job. As ghostwriters, sometimes you retain information and other times you are simply a conduit.

Closing Thoughts

Probably one of the most valuable pieces of advice I can give to other ghostwriters is to put as much heart and soul into your own writing as you do for your clients, or else you can end up getting burnt out, fed up and questioning your services.

And for those who hire ghostwriters, expect to put in the collaboration time. Yes, you’re busy, but it’s the only way to ensure a level of authenticity for yourself and your company’s brand. The small investment in time will save you significant hours of writing and pay dividends to your marketing strategy.