We Need To Talk About Spelling

Too many Copywriters can’t spell. And too many of them think that’s ok.

Too many clients can’t spell either. And too many of them think that’s ok.

It’s not ok. We must take care in what we do and have pride for our craft. And we must have an attention to detail that tells the reader we respect them and their time. Sloppy Copy will put a reader off. They’ll focus on the errors not the message. What a waste of everyone’s time.

And before you shout something about Spellchecker as you read this, Spellchecker doesn’t catch everything. Sure, it catches your typos but it doesn’t catch a word out of place – only a sharp mind and fresh eyes can do that. So read your words over and over again, inside out and upside down, back to front, from the top – and the bottom.

And before you shout something about Proofreaders as you read this, you shouldn't write hoping someone else will pick up anything you miss. As a Copywriter, you should have a love and respect for words, not just how they can make someone feel or act, but where they come from and where they’re going under your command. If we all left bits of our jobs to someone else, things could get a bit weird out there.

Imagine being a model and hoping someone else will walk down the runway.

Imagine being a chef and hoping someone else will cook the food.

Imagine being a pilot and hoping someone else will land the plane.

Imagine being a teacher and hoping someone else will do the marking.

Imagine being a footballer and hoping someone else will kick the ball.

Imagine being a receptionist and hoping someone else will answer the phone.

You get the idea. But imagine being a Copywriter and hoping someone else will get all the words right. It’s hard enough getting Copy past a boss, a client, a Legal team, a focus group, a consumer. Get the basics right and you’ve one less thing to defend in your quest for sign-off and results.

By Vikki Ross, Copywriter, Copywriting Tutor and Co-Founder of Copy Cabana, the hottest event around for Creatives and Clients.