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 Google Docs to articulate what they want. I recommend using Google Docs for reviews of content with “enable edits as suggestions” 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.

I like to think about content as an architectural piece that needs a sturdy foundation and strong interconnecting parts to hold it together. While creativity in your writing should be free flowing, it all starts with planning. Think about it: No major construction ever begins without first referencing the architectural plans that map out the end results.

If you’ve ever felt lost staring at the blank screen before you and wondering what your first words are going to be, you’re not alone. That’s why I’m going to share with you a simple two-part process that helps wrangle your ideas into something tangible you can write about.

These content outline tips can help anyone – even if you believe you aren’t a writer – and will allow you to remain as creative as you’d like, but in a way that lets your end product feel finished and professional. Ready to get started?

1. Build the Foundation

The first step of your content outline should be easy. Start by documenting what you believe the article, blog post or whatever type of content you are creating is about. Don’t worry about crafting a clever title yet, just try to sum up the point of your idea in one or two sentences. They don’t even have to be coherent to anyone else but you.

Here, you are answering the “What is this?” question. This is your thesis (and don’t let that word intimidate you, it’s simply a summary of the main idea). A thesis is more specific than just a topic, though. For example, you’re not just going to write about puppies. You’re going to write about how to teach puppies to learn basic commands.

Writing your main idea can be as simple as starting with the following words:

“The point of this [blog post, article, ebook, etc.] is to show …”

Next, answer the “Why am I writing this?” question. Explaining the reason why the content needs to be created usually lends itself to the problem you’re trying to answer.

Again, you can finish some form of the following sentence:

“The reason this topic is important is because …”

One last path you can explore for your content outline can help you drive your points home when writing your content. This is answering the “Who is reading this?” question. Knowing who helps you build a case using specific examples that are relevant to that person.

So finish the following prompt:

“This piece is meant for …”

You now have the main point of your content, the reason why you’re tackling the subject and who it’s meant for. You may even choose to keep those sentences handy as you write so you can reference them throughout the creation process.

2. Create the Structure

Now it’s time to plan how you will build your case to support that main idea. First, list out all the important points you want to cover to support your main idea. Don’t think about them too hard, just put them down and you can weed them out later.

Next, look at your list and start grouping like-ideas together. This is going to help you define sections within your content. For example, your brainstorm list could look something like this:

1. Teaching puppies how to sit.
2. Reinforcement treats.
3. Teaching puppies how to lie down.
4. Good behavior for veterinarian visits.
5. Teaching puppies how to stay.
6. Good behavior at the dog park.
7. How to deal with nervous puppies.

Let’s say that for your article, you’ve identified three main supporting ideas you want to tackle:

1. Teaching puppies how to sit.
2. Teaching puppies how to stay.
3. Teaching puppies how to lie down.

Now you have the three sections of your article and a more solid content outline. These are the three ideas you are going to explore to help support the main idea of your article. What comes next is defining the points that will be touched on in each section.

For section No. 1: “Teaching Puppies How to Sit, ” you would then list out all your points. You might decide that the point from your brainstormed list earlier “good behavior for dogs at the vet” applies to this section, so you’d assign it and add any others that you want to expand upon.

That might look something like this:

Teaching Puppies How to Sit

• The importance of this command for vet visits specifically.
• The best reinforcements aren’t necessarily treats.
• How to teach the puppy this command.

Finally, when you’re building out the content, save the intro, closing paragraph and title for last. That way, you’ll be able to summarize what the piece is about easily. All three of those final pieces are about summarizing, just in different forms.

The intro summarizes what people can expect from the piece, and does so in a way that makes them want to continue reading. The closing paragraphs wraps it up in a bow, helping your readers feel like they reached an end of a story. And the title is the most concise summary of them all, and you can draw upon your thesis for ideas for that.

The End Product: Content by Design

Now that we’ve gone through how to structure your content outline, are you beginning to recognize a pattern? Just like a building, each section cannot exist without supporting another section. This is why I look at content as a structure. If you’re ever feeling stuck, try to visualize your content’s structure, and then fill in the blanks:

When you approach your content with a plan, it gives order to your creativity. And although that may sound counterproductive, it actually gives enough direction to wrangle those creative thoughts into something cohesive and worthy of publishing.

I hope these content outline tips help you in your next writing assignment!

We are in the age of the creative content professional. Ad agencies have been hiring these types of writers for years, and now businesses need to start valuing the creative side of writing just as much.

Gone are the days where business writers are merely cornered into technical documents or writing boring copy for websites. The age of quality, engaging content that’s also creative is here. The business writer now has the spotlight, and it’s time to tap into creativity to turn boring business writing into something else.

But what do you do if you’ve been writing that drab copy for years and feel like you’re drained of creativity? It happens to the best of us. But deep down inside, if you’re a writer, you have that artisitic ability. It may not seem like it, if you’ve been tied to a cubicle all these years. That drab corporate environment may have put your creativity into remission, but it’s there.

Let’s look at how to rekindle that creative flame.

Make Your Work Environment Inspiring to You

One of the biggest mistakes, I believe, is to treat writers within a company the same way you would treat someone in say, the HR department or an administrative role. Tying a creative to a desk and turning writing into a “factory” process kills creativity.

Don’t get me wrong; you have to have serious planning and process when you’re running a content department for business. But, there needs to be a balance to keep your writing inspired.

My first tip is this: Redesign your office space. If you’re not in a super creative environment like ad agencies so often have, you need to be in a pro-creative space. Not everyone has the luxury of redecorating their office environment, but if you can, surround yourself with things that make you happy, make you think, inspire you.

Add color, add pictures, add humor. Make your sterile environment feel like home. It sounds trivial, but your surroundings have a profound affect on your psyche – especially if you’re a creative.

Next, get up and move. If you have to be tied to an office environment, take breaks and walk away from your desk. Some of my greatest moments of clarity and my best ideas happen when I am away from my laptop. Take a quick walk and get those ideas flowing. Sitting stationary for long periods of time can literally work against the creative process.

If you have a big content project to tackle, go somewhere other than your office if it’s better for you. Scope out a conference room or space outside the building you can post up. Sometimes merely changing your scenery can have a huge impact on your productivity and creative ideas.

Write About Something You’re Passionate About

Do you have any experiences in your life that had such an impact on you that you can recall them down to the minute detail? It’s these experiences that spark the passion necessary for exciting content. Use these experiences as a launching pad for creative writing exercises.

I write every single day for my job. And 75 percent of the time, it feels like a job. And I don’t mean that in the sense that I don’t enjoy it; but writing quality content for businesses is work. The research, the attention to detail, the strategy, the data tracking, and the time and energy spent to create something you think people want to read can be a challenging task day in and day out.

But it doesn’t always have to feel that way; which is why writing off the clock is an important step to staying creative. Take a class if you can. I popped into a creative writing course this year at UCLA, and it was a fantastic way to get me thinking outside my normal boundaries in writing.

Or think about something that moved you in life, and write about it. Recently, I got an email from someone asking me about my most memorable trip. As I wrote about it, the words flowed out simply because I was passionate about the experience.

If you’re curious, here’s my trip down memory lane on a vacation to Europe:

When I was 19, I spent six weeks in Europe with my mother, staying mostly with friends in Germany. It was before the Euro and money went a long way in most countries. I stayed in a tiny village that had cobblestone streets and one market. I lived like a local, eating late dinners in the homes of people we met, and in neighboring towns. I watched in awe as the whole village dressed in traditional garb and put on a colorful parade to pay homage to their community. We bicycled everywhere and found paths in magical forests with hidden gems along the way (including a swan-filled pond and a pub in the middle of the thick trees). I went to parties and heard great electronic music from awesome DJs way before the tracks hit The States. I discovered my favorite beer, brewed by monks for centuries in Bavaria. We took minitrips by train and car to other countries throughout Europe and I experienced many different cultures and way too many castles to count. It was a trip I’ll never forget and one I hope to top someday.

I have two takeaways from this: 1) Write about your passions whenever you can; it’ll help you tap into better writing for business and 2) You have to live to be a better writer. Being tied to an office day in and day out with no extracurricular activities or adventuresome life experiences is a sure-fire way to be not only a dull person, but also a dull writer.

Believe me, I speak from experience. When I get into periods of my life when I become a workaholic, I notice the quality of my writing (and life) suffers. So be good to yourself and your writing will shine.

Start Looking at Visuals as Part of Your Job

When you’ve been cornered into the world of “words” for so long, you forget about visuals as part of content. To be a great content strategist and marketer in today’s age, you must explore other forms of content as part of your arsenal. Tapping into visuals can actually help you as a writer: art begets art.

Start looking at your world differently; what visual beauty can inspire you to write? Take a picture of something meaningful or beautiful and write a short story about it. Do anything to help you start connecting to visuals – including video. Follow people in your social networks that share visuals that can inspire ideas.

Start thinking about your own content in terms of visuals, too. What sort of images come to mind with the content you just wrote? How can you make that into something artistic and visual to share with your audience?

If you start thinking and acting like an artist, you’ll start to spark that creativity from deep within – even if you are in a business environment that doesn’t particularly “think” the same way. Remember, writing is a creative process – don’t let anyone else tell you different. Even if you’re in a business environment.

My advice to writers? Start changing things up so that the monotony of working in an office environment does not suck the soul out of your writing. Whatever it is that moves you, explore that. My advice to businesses? If you want to get a writer’s best work, let them work in a manner that is conducive to tapping into their creativity.

Do you have thoughts on this subject? Please leave me a comment about it.

I glanced at the computer from across the room and looked away. From the corner of my eye, I felt it staring back. No, in fact … I’m quite sure it was giving me a dirty look.

I knew what the dirty look was for. For some time, I had passed by my laptop with the intention of opening it to write my first post for this new venture – the blog post you’re reading right now. But, I had made a conscious decision to ignore that intention and further fuel my worst enemy: procrastination.

Procrastination is what I do when I’m unsure of my path. I was ignoring the fact that I had to start writing because I was having an identity crisis. I’m in my 30s, and I’m having an identity crisis.

For years, I have catapulted others into the limelight through my voice and my writing. But it was never really “my” voice. Even though I poured my heart and soul into those words, they were for the benefit of other businesses, of other individuals, others’ success.

And those words always had some sort of stipulation on them. And that’s OK because that’s my job. And I’m good at it.

I never had a problem getting into the heads of other brands, people or businesses to discover their voice or their messaging. I’ve built a career of making others communicate in the best way possible for their brand.

All of a sudden, that thing I was very skilled at became the very thing that was keeping me from writing.

I never thought that I would have a problem finding my voice after working in communications for more than eight years. But, the question was staring me in the face: What does Jessica Lee sound like when she’s not speaking on other’s behalf?

And the answer was unclear.

See, there have always been rules to my writing – even if they were unspoken. Don’t say this. Say more of that. Talk about those instead of these. All brands have guidelines. But now, the brand was me.

It’s weird to make your own self the client. But I knew exactly what I needed to do. I needed to go through a list of questions that I, myself, would ask someone else who was trying to find the voice of their brand.

Like, how do you want people to feel about your brand? What is your brand’s personality? What does your brand stand for?

Hmmm … what does my brand stand for? What does my brand stand for?

Well for starters, people who have worked with me would say that I’m big on education – always learning and always sharing that knowledge with others; about quality – continuously improving and upholding the quality of the work I produce; and professionalism – leading by example through integrity, diligence and hard work.

And while those are all true and dandy, even as I’m writing it, I’m bored out of my effing mind.

My whole career, I’ve crafted messages “just so” – they’re always put together, consistently diplomatic, very structured – whatever characteristics the company or people I’ve developed content for wanted their message to portray.

I had a realization that it’s this type of approach, this type of career, that’s led me to be very careful with my words as a person – in all aspects of my life. So instead of trying to find my voice within the confines of the way I’ve found others’ voices for so many years, I was going to just be me – imperfect me.

I don’t plan to ditch any of the standards I’ve developed over the years from being a writer and search marketing professional. But I’m gonna do it my way – and that includes trying things in new ways that I’ve never had the liberty to try in the traditional workplace, divulging in my love for sarcasm, and writing in yoga pants with my hair all jacked up.

And that’s what I call living on the edge.