Feedback on your writing

That’s what takes it from good to great! [The Writer’ s Life]( February 29, 2024 "No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else's draft." – H.G. Wells Hi {NAME} [Portrait of Mindy McHorse] Mindy McHorse here! When I started writing for a living, I was maybe a little overconfident. I knew I was a decent writer. I'd been praised here and there for things I'd written. So I thought I was starting out around 90% ready to become a well-paid copywriter. Maybe even 95%! I just needed to learn a few specifics about "copywriting," and I'd be sailing off into the sunset with my writing paychecks paddling the boat. That's how I hoped things would play out … So, you can imagine my surprise when my first legit paying assignment came back covered in blood. Er, I mean the red edits from Microsoft Word's Track Changes tool. 😉 The copy had already been approved by my client. We'd gone through a few drafts, sure. Moved around a line or two. Made some statements stronger. I thought I was golden! But when the assignment went to a copyeditor for final review … I figured maybe she'd find a misplaced comma here and there. Nothing big. MAN, was I wrong! She did find a few questionable commas … plus some homophones … plus a misattributed quote. And … a DOZEN other things that could be strengthened. After a few hours spent nursing my ego, I took a closer look at her edits. Not only was she right at every turn … But in truth, she was making my copy better than it had been. The edits weren't a punishment for my careless errors. They were the finishing touches on a work of art. And in that moment, I realized the true value of [copyeditors](. Their role is to take what a writer submits from good to GREAT. Without their fine-tuning the final product, the copy that gets published is weaker … which directly impacts the result. Which takes me to where I stand on copyeditors today, after 12 years of writing professionally … Truth? They're my favorite people to work with. The ones who, instead of standing back and questioning whether a piece of copy is strong enough … Dive in and tweak it to make it stronger, clearer, more robust, and more targeted. And it turns out that life on their end is pretty sweet. There's no pressure to come up with a big idea. They get to improve what's already there. And to them, it doesn't really matter if the copy flops or flies — they get paid the same either way! Truthfully, I sometimes wonder why I don't [switch to full-time copyediting](. I think I'd like the praise and appreciation, with none of the hassle of writing something from scratch. The pay is equal to or better than many beginner writing projects … And yet, you have none of the pressure of coming up with ideas or forming eloquent thoughts. You just fix someone else's … Then collect a check. And the best part is — if you're into writing, you probably already do this in your head whenever you read something. If you're interested in learning more, [check out AWAI's bestselling program on becoming a copyeditor](. I happen to be your host for the program, so I can confidently say EVERYTHING you need is in there. 😉 But no matter what, remember … If you do submit copy and it comes back with a lot of red, that's just the copyeditor doing their job. You AND your copy will benefit in the end! And while it may hurt at the time … (after all, we writers are notoriously sensitive) … You'll often gain powerful lessons in writing better. Chances are, after a week it won't bother you. After a month, it'll be a distant memory. After a year, you'll never think of it. What you will remember is that you kept trying, kept learning, kept growing as a writer. You'll remember the check that came through after your third draft. The testimonial that praised you for your hard work. The feeling that you contributed in some way to another business. Most importantly, remember that you chose the work you did, and you wrote about things you care about, things that inspire you, and things that allow you to contribute to the world. Mindy LAST CHANCE: $11 today, $297 tomorrow When you grab a subscription to Barefoot Writer magazine by midnight, for only $11 … You'll get FREE access to our Making the Leap program, which takes you wherever you are today … And shows you exactly how to make a smooth transition to paid writing, so you'll have success right out of the gate. It usually costs $297, but you'll get it completely free today! [Grab It All For $11]( TODAY! Get all this for $1 … The Professional Writers' Alliance (PWA) takes the stress out of running your writing business. With ready-to-use business forms, templates, and checklists … VIP job board access … networking opportunities … and a mountain of tips, tactics, and "been there, done that" advice from working freelance writers … You'll minimize the "unbillable" hours you spend working on your business and maximize your time writing — and getting paid. [Claim Your $1 Access Here]( What's Hot at AWAI … 😇 [The One Person Whose Good Opinion You Need]( 😄 We love seeing our members succeed! [Check out their success stories]( if you need a little inspiration to get started. 📝 [Interested in the editing?]( We have the perfect thing for you! It doesn't happen overnight … [Social media post comment about 2023 update] We are so happy for you Jackie! Congrats on sticking with it and landing those clients. It takes time, but it is SOOO worth it in the end! Have your own story to share? Email us at mysuccess@awai.com, or [post it over in the Facebook group](, so we can celebrate your win too! Featured Jobs You can find these jobs and thousands more on [WritersWanted.com](: --------------------------------------------------------------- Copywriter – Robert Half Contractor, Roswell, GA Develop copy for a variety of platforms including print and web projects like banner ads, websites, and email campaigns, as well as scripts for broadcast. --------------------------------------------------------------- Freelance Copywriter – VENDO Contractor, Los Angeles, CA Create copy for social marketing posts including Facebook, Instagram, Blogs, etc. --------------------------------------------------------------- Content Writer – University of California, San Francisco Full-time, San Francisco, CA Thorough skills in writing clear, lively, engaging and compelling copy in a variety of styles appropriate to target audiences and/or the broader public, while ensuring adherence to the location's message. --------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble viewing this email? 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