Editing for Style

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To write simply is as difficult as to be good.

—W. Somerset Maugham

IN THIS SECOND STAGE of editing, your job is to make your writing sing. You do this by giving it visual appeal, giving it the right voice and tone, and making it accurate. Text with these qualities has an impact on readers.

Design for visual impact

By itself, clear and consistent writing is not enough to influence readers. They should be able find the key ideas at a glance, without searching through a lot of dense prose. When a document is easy to read and when key points jump out, it has visual impact.

Create a visual structure that entices your audience. ...

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