It takes more editing than a PC’s spell-checker to guarantee a correct document.  PC spell-checkers don’t correct words if they are spelled correctly, but simply misused and they often fail to point out simple grammar errors. I've had my own personal mishaps in print when offering a casual "hello" in emails and forgetting the "o," or a letter describing my busy assistant who due to a spare "t" became by "busty assistant."  Embarrassing? Yes!

So, what do you need to check before you see your words in print?  If you are going to do your own editing, there are three essential areas for focus:

Spelling and Grammar.   Whether writing a book or business card editing for spelling and grammar is essential.  Correct word usage and punctuation is what makes your document – and you—look professional. Most dictionaries offer not only assistance with spelling and definitions, but also have answers for common punctuation questions.

Continuity. Have you said it twice in your document?  Did you mean to be repetitive?  Did you contradict yourself in your document?  Authors, do your characters stay in character?  Will the reader understand the plot or has something gone unexplained?  Businesses, do your instruction manuals

Length.  The smaller the document, the more concern for the length of the written words.  Too many words on a business card can mean a reduction in type size and that may mean your message will not get across to readers with vision or attention limitations. The written word is part of the design of a picture book—are there too many words on a page for young readers, does excessive text compromise the appearance of the design?  Can the information or plot be clarified with fewer words?

If you are uncertain about  your own editing skills or you dread cutting the words you worked so hard to write, remarkable results can be obtained from the use of a writing coach or professional editor —there are several inexpensive, exacting options that can provide a second set of eyes to polish your document.  

Recommended Reading for Editing...
The Children’s Writer’s and Illustrator’s Market, ed. by Alice Pope
The Elements of Style, by William Strunk Jr.
A Glossary of Literary Terms, by M. H. Abrams
The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage, by Allan M. Siegal and William G. Connolly

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