The SharperMessage™ Mission to Writers and Non-Writers Alike
I didn't conceive of
SharperMessage™ with the specific intention of competing with established copy editors who serve published authors or
a corporate clientele. Rather, I had sensed a paradox in the general public's increasing need to write—and the explosion
of opportunities to self-publish—in our electronic era (especially as regards "Web 2.0" and the compelling
promise of valuable user-generated content): The process of self-expression in written English is neither easy nor satisfying
for many people—and the result is often as uneven and unpredictable as the experience of writing it.
How can ordinary people, then—people who aren't professional writers—"get it right" if
they care about the image their words project? What about when their writing must be error-free because their financial interests
depend on it, or their reputation is at stake? Unfortunately, most people tend to be disinclined toward language study and
intimidated by its rules and terminology; English, certainly, is too complex for the average person with no particular interest
to become expert in its grammar and usage.
And why should one need to be a language expert?
That's an editor's job—a true word nerd loves all the details that bedevil everyone else. But where do you find
a highly-skilled language lover when you need one? As most people don't have ready access to that resource, the enterprise
of SharperMessage™ is to make quality editing services an attractive and affordable option for practically anyone.
I find it fascinating that the phenomenon that created our surge in self-publishing and the attendant need to help
people do it well—the Internet—also provides the only means by which the immediate, convenient delivery of those
services worldwide could be possible. How did we ever manage without technology?
