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A copy editor’s job is to make your writing shine, but it’s also to ensure your readers take you seriously. With a copy editor on board, you can expect an increase in search engine optimization and an overall boost in professionalism that will leave your audience more likely to purchase your products or services and refer you to their friends and colleagues. Here are some surprising benefits of hiring a copy editor!
What Is a Copy Editor?
A copy editor is someone who scrutinizes written work and fixes mistakes. They’ll check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation if you’re a blogger. If you’re a business owner, they’ll ensure your website copy is free of typos and errors. They might also research for you or proofread the final draft of a report before it goes to print.
As you can see, a copy editor is essential to many businesses’ editorial processes. And while most people think of editors as dealing only with fiction and nonfiction, copy editors can help in all fields. Employing one can boost search engine rankings, calls to action, and credibility for website owners. Businesses may only need one sometimes because their audiences aren’t as finicky about terminology. In addition, working with a freelance copy editor can improve your website’s conversion rates without breaking your budget!
Copy Editing and Content Editing
Copy editing is an essential step in the publishing process. It includes proofreading, checking for grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors, as well as factual accuracy. In addition, you receive correct lists, structure editing, and syntax improvement with copy editing.
Content editing is the final stage of copyediting, where the text’s focus and clarity are assessed. Any typos or grammatical mistakes found at this stage should be corrected before being sent to print. In addition, you receive validity and accuracy verification, keywords check, and correct tone with content editing.
Why You Should Hire a Copy Editor?
Have you ever had a friend or co-worker tell you that your blog post was excellent but they needed some editing corrections? Have you ever read an essay in school and found errors on nearly every page? If so, there’s a good chance that the author didn’t hire a copy editor. Good copy editing is essential to producing quality work. It’s not just about correcting grammar errors and making sure that words are spelled correctly; it’s also about providing feedback and suggestions for improving the work.
Below you can find some of the surprising benefits of hiring a copy editor.
1. Builds Trust
Hiring a copy editor ensures that your brand’s voice is consistent and builds trust. Hiring a professional to analyze and edit the content on your website, blog, or social media sites shows customers you value their time. In addition, a good copy editor will provide feedback and recommendations to help you improve the quality of the work while they are reviewing it.
Suppose there are any issues with clarity, punctuation, formatting, style, or general technical aspects of writing. In that case, a copy editor will know how to fix them without damaging the integrity of your work.
2. Increase Sales
If you’re not a native English speaker and your blog posts aren’t in perfect English, a copy editor can help fix any mistakes, increasing the quality of your content. Your readers will be able to read and understand your content more easily. This will make them more likely to buy what you have to offer.
With a well-written, informative, and engaging content piece, you will increase your traffic and boost sales. Readers can then easily understand what you’re promoting, leading to more sales for the business.
Written content will turn readers away from your site or discourage them from buying from you again. If customers have spent time reading your material only to find that they need help understanding it because of wrong grammar or spelling mistakes, they’ll likely close your page and visit another site instead.
3. Add Credibility
When you post blog articles, you want to ensure that your content is credible. You want to look neat and professional in your readers’ eyes. This is why hiring a copy editor for your website is crucial. They will go through every detail of your website and add credibility to every piece of content you have posted by ensuring everything is grammatically correct and there are no typos.
You want to make sure that your readers are enjoying your articles. A lack of credibility makes it hard for readers to enjoy your articles because they will be second-guessing what you write due to typos and grammar errors. As a result, adding a professional copy editor to your website will add credibility to every content posted, increasing traffic and sales.
4. Avoid Lawsuits
Editing can help you avoid potential lawsuits. There is nothing more embarrassing than publishing a blog post with a glaring typo or grammatical error, but also nothing worse than being sued for libel because of it. Your writer may be the most wonderful person in the world, but what hope do you have if they can’t use the English language correctly? Hiring a copy editor is an excellent preventative measure that will assist your company in avoiding legal trouble.
5. Attract Influencers
Developing a solid social media following is essential to any successful business. However, you should still pay attention to the power of old-fashioned marketing in printed materials. Whether you’re creating pamphlets, ads, or direct mailers for your business, it’s always a good idea to hire a copy editor to review your work before sending it off to print.
When you hire a professional copy editor, not only do you improve your company’s credibility and professionalism, but you also improve its marketing value. Your brand will be associated with a polished, sophisticated look and feel—two things that are important to any business trying to attract clients. As any good copy editor knows, small nuances may make or break a sale.
6. Save Time
Having a copy editor review your content before you publish it can save you time. Any grammar, punctuation, spelling, or sentence structure issues will be caught and fixed now rather than after the post has been published.
Do you have time to comb through your posts, especially if multiple positions need to be checked? Searching through your content with a fine-tooth comb could take hours or days. By hiring a copy editor, you’re giving yourself more time to write new posts and improve upon older ones.
7. Better and Stronger Content
It’s safe to say that most people who start a blog do so because they have something to say. They want their voices heard, their opinions known, and the world to know their story. Creating a blog and regularly updating it with new content is the best option for them to achieve their goals.
However, you need a copy editor for more substantial and high-quality content. These professionals will review your content and check for grammar, spelling, and other mistakes. You might be surprised at how many mistakes can slip through the cracks in between all of your hard work!
Freelance copy editors are available for hire on websites like Upwork. When you hire a freelance copy editor, they’ll review your content and recommend changes based on their expertise in grammar and spelling. They can even suggest other edits that will improve your writing overall, making it easier for readers to follow along with your ideas.
8. Consistency
A copy editor will consistently check your work to ensure you’re following your publication’s style and format. They’ll also catch mistakes you might have missed, like a typo or an incorrect name. And they can help you refine your ideas and improve your writing.
As a freelancer, one of your most significant assets is your reputation; a copy editor can help protect that. Making sure every single page in your manuscript conforms to publication standards—as well as making sure you’re using industry-specific terms correctly—can help showcase your expertise and make you look like an expert in your field. In addition, a client will see that you are meticulous about details and want to ensure high quality in everything you do.
9. Sincere Feedback
A copy editor will provide honest feedback you may not have thought about or noticed. They will also be able to edit for consistency and flow in your writing and grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. In the long run, reviewing your content with a copy editor will save you time down the road.
Final Thoughts
Hiring a copy editor could be one of your most thoughtful decisions. Even if you’re a top-notch writer, having someone look over your work with fresh eyes is worth it. You’ll likely pick up on missed mistakes and see the story in a new light. It’s also wise to invest in professional editing if you publish your work.
Proofreading isn’t just for grammar nerds. While having a thorough understanding of punctuation rules is essential, writing and editing are about so much more than correct spelling, capitalization, and spacing. Your story’s continuity will improve with the help of a proofreader.
