Online writing is a tricky business, and the road to success fraught with peril. There are literally thousands of online writers; some of these writers are skilled and some of these writers are not so good. There are individuals writing online who are blessed with “the right stuff”; merely needing to hone their linguistic knife in order to slice through the secrets of writing for the web. Then there are those who need an complete basic writing course in order to ascertain the fundamental practice of writing altogether. Regardless of which category you fall into, there are a few excellent resources designed to help get your grammar skills up a notch or two, and by doing this, you will see a difference in your paycheck.
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a preferred writing platform for many writers, both online and offline. It is typically part of software already installed on a computer, but can be purchased with Microsoft Office for $149.95.The ability to automatically check copy for spelling and glaring grammatical errors before submitting it is a must, and it all starts with the F7 key; but it doesn’t stop here.
When selecting the grammar and spell check function in Word, bring yours up a notch from the factory settings by clicking on the Options tab. First, check the box marked, “Check Grammar”. From here, make sure that the “Check Grammar and Style” feature is enabled in the options and that all of the child boxes are selected. This additional feature gives you a conspicuous warning should you be guilty of deadly sins, like overusing passive voice or making poor word choices.
Grammarly
Grammarly is a paid to use service, costing $9.95 per month. It is a web-based reader that scans your documents for errors that Word will probably miss. Grammarly performs over 150 types of grammar checks, automatically scanning your text to suggest corrections and vocabulary enhancements. This is a tremendously powerful program for enhancing your use of language, but it also teaches you how to be a better web author.
Proof reading
For novices and seasoned writers alike, there is no substitute for a professional proofreader, and the web offers many resources. Proof readers.com offers remarkably reasonable rates, beginning from $5.65 per page, with a 72-hour turnaround time. In addition to their reasonable pricing, they also provide an editing guarantee for style, tense and sentence structure. Editors also provide the hungry web writer with suggestions on improving voice, style and the overall flow of any document.
Some talented writers are born, but all serious writers are made. If you truly have an commitment to be an expert wordsmith, it’s time to take your grammar up a notch and see what you have been missing.
Shauna Zamarripa - Accomplished journalist with a background in background in real estate, finance, social media and marketing.
