Congratulations on your decision to write a blog sponsored by GroomWise. Whether your blog is simple journal of your grooming experiences, or an archive of your professional articles, the GroomWise Blog is a professional venue that requires you to step up to the plate as a writer.
What is the difference between casual posting and publishing a blog? Posting to a bulletin board forum or to an email group allows for a great deal of informality. Spelling and grammar errors are usually overlooked as long as the post can be understood. It is expected that we are most often writing as we think, with little or no editing. While blogging is certainly not as formal as writing for print publication, your GroomWise blog articles may end up reaching more readers than a magazine. Your GroomWise pieces are going to represent you, as a professional, and together will form a body of knowledge of the grooming industry. Some editing is necessary.
What is editing? The first level of editing is checking your text for spelling and grammar errors. Most word processing programs have spell check and grammar check options. Publishing articles with glaring spelling errors or terrible grammar is like letting a dog go out of your salon with “stickie outies”. Why is it that some groomers will chase a dog all the way to the door of the salon to get that last little bit of hair sticking out from inside a rear leg, but won’t take a few minutes to spell check an article that is being published? Editing involves going over your written work and getting rid of errors and polishing for smooth reading. Writing that is well-organized, to the point, uses good grammar, and is free from spelling errors has integrity and power. Sometimes editing also involves deleting extraneous material that is not contributing to the flow of your article. Effective writing is concise. Just as a lovely grooming has form and balance, a great article or written piece has a clear form, a beginning, a middle, and an end. Not every sentence that comes to mind is necessary to finished product. Here’s the good news: the more you edit and polish your material, the easier it becomes.
Becoming a GroomWise blogger means taking responsibility for your writing, and working to improve your published product. While blogging may not carry as serious an expectation as print journalism, it is a large step beyond simply posting what’s on your mind to a groomers’ board or email group. Writing is a craft that is developed with practice, just as grooming takes time to master. Welcome to your new identity as a writer!
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