I’m about to give you advice that I should follow myself.
Repeat after me:
Your writing doesn’t have to be perfect the first time around.
Your writing doesn’t have to make any sense the first time around.
Your writing can be utter shit the first time around.Continue reading
The holidays are right around the corner, which means it’s time to open up the coffers, hit the ground running, and start crossing people off your To-Buy list.
*gulp*
Did you just start sweating too?Continue reading
I love writing!
But, as with everything else in life we enjoy, there’s always something we don’t enjoy about it. That’s just how it is.
I don’t like not understanding something. I also don’t like my frequent inability to make creative decisions—particularly when it comes to deciding what I’m going to paint, or write about next.
It’s become clear to me now that I’m not the only one experiencing this never-ending tug-o-war between my creativity, my daily routines, and the discipline to actually sit down and write my thing.
The struggle is real.Continue reading
I’ve been writing for several years now, but apart from a few major publications, I have rarely interacted with an editorial team or proofreading service.
What being published mistakenly taught me was that my writing skills were far superior than they actually are, and that there are a lot of websites releasing sub par material for convenience’s sake.
Until my collaboration with the Craft Your Content team, I assumed that a second readthrough of my material was all it needed before it was ready for publication. Even as I type this, I know that the editing team is shaking their heads in disgust…and I’m okay with that, because now I’ve seen the light. (Editor’s Note – We rarely shake our heads in disgust!)
Working with a legit editorial team has helped me improve my writing tenfold (though I still have a ways to go), and taught me that content isn’t ready for publication until it’s been picked over with a fine-tooth comb.
Unfortunately, not all of us can afford a fancy editorial team. However, there are several free (or affordably-priced), online proofreading services that you can take advantage of.
In order to find the gold standard in editing services, I took a recently published article of mine and submitted an excerpt of it to some of the most common proofreading channels. You will be able to see how each tool rates my copy with a series of screenshots, and from there, you can be the judge.
Ready to see my work get torn apart? Let’s do this!Continue reading