This question of writing skillset comes up a lot: “Do I need to be good at writing to write a book?” The answer is “yes” and “no.” In order to write a book that others want to read, writers have to understand the basics of writing and be willing to read a lot of resource books, and teach themselves how to plot out their writing in a way that readers will follow. Grammar is an important part of writing because, without strong grammar and sentence structure, a book is hard to read and comprehend.
“Well, I can just hire an editor to fix my book,” is often the first response we hear from first-time writers who may not want to take the time to invest in their craft on the front end. While this can create a speed-to-market feel for the writer, it often results in a lot more work for an editor, which ultimately may slow down the publishing process.
Plenty of writers stumble their way into writing careers; many of them often started in a different industry altogether. There are celebrities and well-known business owners who work with ghostwriters to share their messages with the world. Then, there are people who feel a tug to share their story with the world and never had any intention of putting pen to paper earlier in life.
We put together five reasons why you should master grammar as a writer. Here’s what strong grammar can do for you:
1. Allows you to invest in bettering yourself.
The most important reason to devote the time to better your writing craft is that lifelong learning is extremely beneficial for your growth as a person and as a writer. You can always apply the education you gain by improving your writing to other aspects of life. For instance, learning how to better communicate through writing could lead to an opportunity for speaking engagements, podcast invites, and more.
2. Creates better readability.
The stronger your grammar is, the better readability you create for your editor, and ultimately your readers. Creating a story your editor can follow along with —and enhance — leaves less room for your editor to interpret your message wrong. And the less room you can leave for error, the better your partnership will be with your editor.
3. Helps you effectively communicate your ideas.
This is similar to creating better readability, but communicating your ideas effectively is more so about making sure the story you want to tell is the story you do tell. For instance, if you want to tell a story about a little boy who gets a hatchet as a gift and damaged his father’s cherry tree, and you think you’ve included the lesson within the story, but your readers end up wondering what the point of your story is, you didn’t effectively communicate with them. Increasing your writing skill set can help you identify these plot holes and fix them before your story is read by others.
4. Saves you money on editing costs.
The more work you put into your story during the first draft and subsequent rewrites and revisions, the less work your editor has to do to help steer your writing in the right direction. And the less work your editor has to do to clean up your writing, the less you have to pay an editor. So, if you’re looking to significantly cut your editorial costs, do everything you can to perfect your writing so you don’t need a developmental edit for your writing and instead can opt for the line editing service instead.
5. Raises your credibility and authority.
The fastest way to lose credibility and authority with your readers is to produce work they can’t follow along with or comprehend. If you don’t focus on strong grammar and allow a lot of errors to slip through in your writing, readers may begin to question if you’re qualified at all. While you may go to market a little later than you want, taking the time in the beginning to produce a strong, well-written book is the best way to get and keep readers in the long run.
If you’re looking for more ways to better your writing skills, check out our writing tips.
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