Having a client who is adept at em and en dashes is indeed rare. Usually we see the plain ol’ regular hyphen being used where an em or en dash would be more appropriate. Or we often see random hyphens in varying multiples scattered throughout a paper like sprinkles on a Christmas cookie.

But no, I get it, really. You are busy. Welcome to the twenty-first century, in which a book doesn’t have to be a codex to be enjoyed.

Writing is easy. Writing well is not. Otherwise, we would all be signing seven-figure deals and wondering where to put the next theme park based on our work. There are a lot of different things that have to go right for someone to break into the traditional publishing world, and a lot more for someone to achieve that super special level of sparkling international acclaim that gets noticed in the mainstream media.

Effective writing is not so esoteric as to be beyond description. There are many elements we can specify. Let's look first at structure.

Most skills are learned largely through imitation. It’s common sense that if we want to improve as an ice skater, we find someone who is better than we are and watch them skate. The more skilled we are at observing, the more effective we'll be at adapting what we see another skater do into what we can do.

When Alexander Pope (1688-1744) warned, “A little learning is a dangerous thing,” he was, among other things, explaining why editors and proofreaders – even us here at ProofreadingPal – so often find ourselves in antagonistic relationships with writers.

At ProofreadingPal, we see dozens of résumés a month. While some are pretty sharp, most are…well, in need of some assistance. Beyond blatant grammatical and spelling errors, many résumés have unwieldy objectives, inconsistencies in formatting or language use, and in this job market, it is imperative to make your résumé as sharp as possible before sending it out!

As a proofreader at ProofreadingPal, I see a lot of otherwise well-written documents with some gaping flaws caused by carelessness. I understand. And I like to make suggestions in addition to corrections – changing a word may fix a document, but changing a way to think about how to write is rewarding.

How to let them know who you are in your personal statement.

Referencing authors of sources within the main text, within the parenthetical citations themselves, and on the references page involves slight variations.

So what should you say in your admissions essay and how should you say it? Read this blog post to find out.

ProofreadingPal was recently covered in the Iowa City Press Citizen newspaper.

Most schools follow a much less intriguing path to college application essay prompts, and that’s why you can adapt one basic essay to fit almost any of them.

So you’ve written a short story and are looking to getting it published in a literary magazine. There are still a few steps you’ll want to take before you can see your name in print.

Some proofreaders and editors like to think there are rules, rigid rules, rules that transcend life itself. But no matter how earnest and well-meaning these folks are, they remain earnestly wrong. There is only one rule for writers, and author Mildred I. Reid phrased it as well as anyone: “The only rule for effective writing is: Does it work?”

There are some rules of English grammar that are, and probably will remain, nearly absolute. But that does not mean all grammar rules are immutable. After all, while gravity is the law, much of grammar is only a suggestion. So how do you know when to obey the gods of grammar and when not to? The applicable law is complex in its simplicity. Here it is: If it works, it’s right. If it doesn’t, it’s wrong.

I admit it. I used to teach grammar. But it wasn’t my fault. I was merely a product of my upbringing. I had been taught that grammar rules. As a student in what was then called junior high, I had excelled at diagramming sentences.

No, you can't ignore the prompt. If the folks on the admissions committee wanted you to write on anything you wished, they would have told you so. And many do exactly that. But those who go to the trouble of providing a specific prompt want you to deal with it. How you do that? Glad you asked.

Let’s face the facts: People judge you based on your appearance. When you need to impress a client, colleague, or boss, you don’t want to leave anything to chance. You want to communicate clearly, succinctly, and flawlessly. You want to demonstrate that you’re a credible source and a professional. What you don’t want to do is ruin a great business idea or lose an important client just because you failed to pay attention to the details.

Choosing the right business proofreading and editing service is essential. There are a lot of proofreading companies out there. It’s important to give careful consideration before choosing to trust one with your important documents.