Copywriting For Non-copywriters: Tracking Copy Revisions

There's an old saying that writing is rewriting. It's true. Nobody
gets it perfect the first time round. But how do you deal with
tracking all the copy revisions that go along with rewriting? The
"Track Changes" feature!

WHY TRACK COPY REVISIONS?
Picture this. Your boss asks you to write up a little piece for the
company newsletter. "Nothing fancy," he says with a wave of his hand.
So, you whip something up and hand it in expecting that to be the end
of it. Except it isn't.

Your boss sends the file back to you with "a few minor changes" he
made for you to "consider" (that's code for "things you'd better
change"). Great. Now you'll have to wade through the text to find and
proof his revisions. But wouldn't it be great if you could easily see
exactly what he changed and where?

USING MICROSOFT WORD'S "TRACK CHANGES" FEATURE
Well, if you're using Microsoft WORD, there is a quick and easy way to
track those inevitable copy revisions. It's called Track Changes, and
here's how it works.

Before you send out a document that somebody might make revisions to:

1.In WORD, go to TOOLS > TRACK CHANGES > HIGHLIGHT CHANGES.

2.Make sure "Track changes while editing" is selected.

3.Save the file.

4.Warn everyone you give the file to. Something like this should work:
"NOTE: I've saved this document to track the revisions you make to it.
Simply type your changes, additions, and/or comments anywhere in the
text, then save the file. Thanks for your help."

WHAT THE REVISED PRODUCT LOOKS LIKE

=> When you get the file back, if any text has been changed, the
original text will appear in red with a line through it, followed by
the new version of text.

=> If any text has been deleted, the original text will appear in red
with a line through it.

=> If any text was simply added, as in the case of a comment, the
added text will appear in red.

And if red text brings back too many painful memories of your grade
school papers all marked up by your grammar-crazed teacher, you can
set the revision color to green, or blue, or whatever you like,
allowing you to focus on what really matters: that rewrite you have to
do.

Copyright (c) Grant Pasay 2006. All rights reserved.
You may forward this article in its entirety (including author bio/
links) to anyone you wish.




http://cncarrental.cn/html/goodspeech/20060924/565.html