FAQ

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Why is it important to have error-free text on a Web site?

A. Besides adding confusion and unintended humor to the message it's meant to convey, Web page copy that contains numerous errors (or any errors, for that matter) looks sloppy and unprofessional. It can destroy a Web site's credibility and hinder it from converting visitors into paying customers.

Q. Do you only provide services for e-commerce Web sites?

A. No! I offer my services to anyone whose Web site has a legitimate purpose.

Q. Do you also proofread and edit hard copy material?

A. No! I run a "paperless" office and, therefore, only work with electronic media. If you need proofreading or editing for a typed manuscript or other printed document, I can refer you to highly qualified people who provide those kinds of services. I do, however, edit material slated for traditional print publication if it's submitted to me as a MIcrosoft Word file.

Q. Why don't you provide fast turnaround times for your services?

A. Speed precludes accuracy. To complete any kind of project quickly requires cutting corners; when you start cutting corners, the quality of the project suffers. My choices were to be the fastest or to be the best. To preserve the integrity of the perfect text concept, I chose to be the best. My services may take a little longer, but they come with a guarantee.

Q. Does your guarantee of perfect text also include a refund?

A. Yes! For every spelling, punctuation, typographical or grammatical error remaining in your Web page text after I've completed the writing or editing process, I'll refund $20. This guarantee is contingent upon you supplying the correctly spelled names of people, places or companies with which I wouldn't necessarily be familiar.

Q. How would you proceed if I were to hire you to write an article for my Web site?

A. First, I would visit your Web site to get a sense of its purpose and what you want to accomplish with it. Then, I'd ask you questions regarding your expectations for the copy that you want me to write. Armed with this preliminary information, I'd then write a rough outline and do whatever research is necessary to ensure the article's factual accuracy before beginning a rough draft.

Once the rough draft is complete, I'd write a second draft, tuning and tweaking as I go. When the second draft is finished, I'd put the article aside for a day or two to give everything a chance to percolate. Finally, I'd review the article, make last-minute changes and corrections, do a last proofreading and prepare to deliver the article to you.

For a more in-depth explanation of the editing process, see my article Edit and Revise: Two Strategies for Creating Perfect Text.

Q. I own an MLM (multilevel marketing) Web site. Can I hire you to proofread and edit my Web pages?

A. Possibly! Most MLM programs sell opportunities, not products or services (although there are a few exceptions). I won't knowingly render services for any Web site that uses or promotes fraudulent, deceptive or unethical business practices as part of its marketing plan.

Q. I've noticed that you use certain typographical conventions in your writing, For instance, you always capitalize Web site, Internet, and 'Netrepreneur. Why is that? And what is this 'Netrepreneur thing, anyway? Is there really such a word?

A. World Wide Web is always capitalized for the same reason that America, the United States, the U.S. and the States are capitalized. When the root term is capitalized, all of its derivatives and variations must be capitalized, too. As for 'Netrepreneur, it's an anagram of entrepreneur. Because 'Net is a derivative of Internet, it gets a capital letter, and an apostrophe to signify the missing "Inter."

Q. Most Internet writers write online as one word, but you always write it with a hyphen, as in on-line. How come?

A. In my dictionary (The New Lexicon Webster's Dictionary of the English Language, 1989) on-line is hyphenated, as is off-line. However, online is nearly ubiquitous, thanks to indiscriminate writing on the Internet, and popular usage, to a large extent, determines a language's evolution. I'll probably lose the battle on this one, but not without a fight.

Q. How would you go about proofreading or editing my Web pages?

A. First, I'd make a style sheet for your Web pages, to keep formatting (font styles, sizes, colors and spacing) consistent. Then, I'd load your text file into Microsoft Word, making a copy of the original, after which I'll read it through one time to get a feel for continuity, and to correct any spelling errors that Word detects.

The next step is to read the text, again, checking for words that may be spelled correctly, but are used out of context.

Subsequent readings reveal any problems with punctuation, redundancies, omissions, spacing, capitalization, proper nouns, word usage, grammatical errors, and sentence structure.

Typically, I read text no less than six times to ensure an error-free proof. Once you've posted your Web page text on your Web site, I'll read it through twice more to be certain that no errors have gone undetected, and that no new errors have crept in.

As you can see, I use a meticulous editing process that I apply conscientiously. That's what makes it possible for me to guarantee perfect text.

Copyright © 2005 by Phil Hanson
All rights reserved.

Have questions about perfect text, or about Perfect Text? Send them to me; I'll do my best to answer them here.

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