Phrasing for audience

Introductory post and table of contents for phrasing-related articles

Words to Edit By

One of our fundamental principles of writing and editing:

Phrasing ought to be calibrated to communicate your intended meaning effectively to your intended audience of readers.

A Realist Take

Phrasing and word choice are like manners: they’re about being considerate of the other person. Gifted bards aren’t just clever wordsmiths or skilled performers, after all; they know how to read the room. The high-flown language, archaic words, and obscure allusions that resonate in a king’s hall may not play as well in the local tavern. There’s nothing wrong with lower-brow phrasing if that’s what best allows you to connect with your audience.

For Instance

Below is a table of contents for our current and upcoming articles on editing for phrasing. Each of the hyperlinked articles encompasses a big editorial action step or subtopic. Those articles link (or will link), in turn, to additional articles covering smaller steps, specific guidelines, and practical tips. If there’s no link yet, the article is forthcoming.

1. Tone and written voice

2. Pronoun point-of-view

3. Sentence length

4. Varied sentence type and syntax

5. Precision and clarity

6. Potential misreadings

7. Word choice for genre and content

8. Word choice for intended readers

9. Redundant phrasing

10. Weak phrasing

Godspeed and happy rewriting!

Article: Your adventures in editing begin here!

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