Does Good Grammar Pay?

As a professional editor I’m often asked if what I do ‘really matters’?

Does anyone care anymore about spelling, punctuation or grammar? In a world rapidly enslaving itself to social media and a shorthanded version of the language that simply doesn’t follow any rules, why should we bother getting it right?

Some years ago the BBC ran a story in which entrepreneur Charles Duncombe claimed that ‘an analysis of website figures shows a single spelling mistake can cut online sales in half’. Charles went on to suggest that ‘misspellings put off consumers who could have concerns about a website's credibility’. What’s more, his conclusions were echoed by the CBI (Confederation of British Industry).

So there’s a commercial imperative – and I think Charles was right that there remains enough discernment in the buying public that shoddy presentation might well signal shoddy product. Of course, that might not just be about grammar and punctuation, but generally I think it’s true that a shopper will feel more confident about clicking the “Buy” button not only when the item description sings but also when the spelling, punctuation and grammar is on point.

There’s evidence too that this is true of the books and articles we read. The reader is far more likely to engage with copy, and trust its source, when that copy is correctly presented. There are more than 200,000 books published in the UK annually – all of which, if their publisher is worth their salt, are required to be technically unimpeachable before the author’s magical use of language can swoop in to delight and elevate.

This is particularly true of non-fiction books (my area of editing). A piece of writing purporting to demonstrate knowledge or expertise may well be seen to surrender its authority if it is littered with punctuation and grammatical errors or inconsistencies. This is where copyeditors earn their crust and where authors are most vulnerable – and in the non-fiction arena authors are seldom accomplished writers – treading a perilous fine line between retaining the authors authentic voice and ensuring the manuscript is up to scratch.

Narrative non-fiction that seeks to delight as well as inform is a special art form in its own right and simply can’t afford to relinquish its authority to a lack of polish and professional care!

Geoff Poundes is a professional developmental editor, specialising in non-fiction and in particular business, sport and history. Go to www.geoffpoundeseditor.co.uk to find out more.