Clicks 'n Conversions Blog

When pressed to cut words in order to save PR fees or publish an article in a magazine, most people reach for a hatchet to strike entire sentences, paragraphs, and thoughts from their piece.

Admittedly, a hatchet is sometimes necessary, but more often than not, light editing techniques can cut copy by 10% (or more) without sacrificing content. Here are three simple editing rules that will shorten and strengthen your copy.

Cut-the-fat rule #1: Live in the present with definitive statements.

When you choose to live in the past, you consume two-to-three times more words.

Instead of saying:

IT departments have been investing…

Bring your message into the present by saying:

IT departments are investing…

-or-

IT departments invest…

Another way copy gets bloated is with language such as can be, may be, could/should be, and has the potential to be. These words damage more than word count though, because they make you sound wishy-washy and non-committal, as if you’re leaving a back door open in case you can’t deliver on a promise.

Here again, will, is, and are are better, more succinct word choices that won’t undermine your message.

Cut-the-fat rule #2: Avoid the use of qualifiers.

In the “Elements of Style,” William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White call rather, very, little, and pretty “leeches that infest the ponds of prose, sucking the blood of words.”

Therefore, “we should all be very watchful of this rule, for it is a rather important one, and we are pretty sure to violate it now and then.”

Cut-the-fat rule #3: Stop being passive.

Make your subject act upon the verb, not the other way around. Take a look at these two sentences:

Active Voice: The executive committee approved the new policy.

Passive Voice: The new policy was approved by the executive committee.

Thankfully, Microsoft Word will catch blunders like this whenever it spellchecks. To enable this feature in Word 2007, look under Word Options->Proofing->Writing Style Settings.

As you can see from these three rules, it’s often how we write — not what we write — that determines word count and clarity.

Even the best writers are guilty of long-winded copy, but what separates them from mere mortals is the fact that they take the time to cut without abandon, until all that remains is rich, impactful words.

Sue Anderson-Lenz
Marketing Lure, Inc.