Question about recent rejections on home inspection articles

[pohto9]

Hello Ed,

I wanted to first of all thank-you for your honest and helpful editing of my articles. I welcome constructive criticism and the chance to improve upon my writing. I would like to gain a better understanding of what exactly was wrong with my articles so that I can properly fix them though.

For example, several articles need to be edited for clarity and word choice, but what exactly would that entail? I am not questioning your decision in any way, I am just trying to get a better idea of what I need to do to get it right this time. Thanks in advance for any additional advice that can be given.

Kathleen

[Ed]

Hi. While your submissions are generally okay, small errors that distract from the piece prevent them from being accepted. These haven't been anything major, but I do think that more careful proofreading is the required.

Your word choice errors include confusion with than/then and inappropriate word choice - like using the word "unappetizing" for bugs. There are more appropriate words that can describe pest infestations. In addition, please avoid vague words like "things" and use pronouns that are grammatically correct. A home inspector can be a "he" or a "she." Sentences should clearly provide information using descriptive words that are also the right ones for the job.

Each of your articles seem to exhibit different problems that could be eliminated through careful proofreading. For example, while you usually use commas correctly, there are also instances of incorrect comma usage. Missing or incorrect punctuation can also interfere with clarity.

I think simply putting your articles away for a day or two before submitting/resubmitting, or even printing out articles so you can proofread a hard copy will help you to fix those minor errors.

Thanks,
Ed

[pohto9]

Thank-you for the clarification. I will review the articles again in a day or so, and resubmit them when the problems have been corrected. Your feedback has been very helpful and much appreciated.

Kathleen