“Works of imagination should be written in very plain language; the more purely imaginative they are the more necessary it is to be plain.”

SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE

Plain language is all about clear communication with your intended audience. It isn’t about using simple words but about being concise, well-organized, and easily understood.

Plain language material is successful when your intended audience can find what they need, understand what they find the first time they read it, and use what they find to meet their needs.

When you hire me for a plain language edit, I will focus on organization, active voice, short sentences and paragraphs, common language, and easy-to-follow design.

My process involves:

• identifying your intended audience
• confirming your intended message
• using language familiar to the intended audience and appropriate for your intended message
• assessing the accessibility of your document for people with disabilities
• putting the most important information at the forefront
• adding headings and subheadings
• removing unnecessary information or filler text
• using active voice and proper pronouns
• creating bulleted lists where possible
• avoiding noun chains
• applying conventions of the material’s medium
• using parallel grammar
• confirming positive construction

The end product will be a document that is tailored to the needs of your readers, easily followed and understood, and successfully conveys the message you want.

FEES: $0.015 per word, $150 minimum