It’s a fact.
Writers must be good at self-editing to really succeed in print these days.
Many print publications – as well as some online news/magazine websites and large e-zines – have downsized their editing staff, and yet still want to maintain their high standard of editorial quality.
Thus, when faced with the choice of accepting submissions from skilled writers that need no editing, or having to burden already-overworked editors with ‘cleaning up’ articles from careless or sloppy writers – which do you think they’ll choose?
And with a plethora of freelance writers saturating a competitive market, you really DO have to step up your game.
Editors will love you if you make their job easy.
To that end, I want to share with you two blogs that I regularly follow (and enjoy) that can help perfect your skills – the first is The Blood Red Pencil, and the second is A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye.
The Author of the latter is also a contributor to the former, and I found her through an article that she published at The Blood Red Pencil, for which she graciously gave permission to reprint here. Although originally written for book authors, all of this advice applies to freelance travel writing as well.
Ten Tips for Self-Editing
By Lillie Ammann
You’re faced with editing your first draft. Where do you start? What do you look for? Here’s an overview to get you started.
- Remember that writing comes before editing. On the first draft, don’t worry about making the prose perfect – just focus on getting your ideas on paper (or screen). You’ll have plenty of time to improve the work after you’ve written something to improve.
- Whenever possible, allow some time to pass between finishing your first draft and beginning to edit. You’ll see your work with fresh eyes if you haven’t been struggling with it for hours or days. Depending on the deadline and the length of the piece, I like to focus on other things for a week or more between writing and editing. Often, that isn’t possible, but even a few hours will help.
- First, read the entire document for the big picture. Look at the content, organization, and flow. Have you included everything you intended and nothing that isn’t needed? Does it make sense? Is it organized in a logical way? Does the text flow smoothly or is it jerky? Add or delete material, move things around, and insert transitions.
- Correct any grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors as you find them, but don’t spend time proofreading for these mistakes until you are satisfied with the content.
- As you edit, be aware of your pet problems. I’m notorious for leaving out words; some people tend to repeat certain words and phrases frequently; other writers have trouble with spelling or grammar or punctuation. You can improve your writing quickly by looking for and correcting these problems.
- On the next edit, look at your word choices. Could you have chosen a stronger verb or written a better description? Are there superfluous words that can be eliminated to strengthen the writing? Can you revise sentences or paragraphs to make them clearer or more interesting?
- Next, proofread for grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation.
- If time permits, put the document aside again—for a few hours, days, or weeks—to clear your mind and give you a fresh perspective. Then edit again—and again—and again if needed.
- Read the work aloud. I am always amazed at how many mistakes, awkward constructions, and overused words jump out when being read aloud. If you have a critique partner, fellow writer, or friend who will read the work aloud to you as you follow on a print copy, you will hear where they stumble and sometimes even read something different than what is written on the page, alerting you to areas that need to be changed.
- Get another qualified opinion. Ask someone else to read your manuscript and give you their advice. Find someone who can really help you—a professional editor, a published writer, an avid reader in the genre—someone who will give you an unbiased opinion. Your mother will tell you it’s wonderful; your best friend who doesn’t read your genre will nod and smile; a jealous competitor may tell you it’s awful. When you receive feedback from unbiased, knowledgeable readers, consider their advice and use what you determine will make your manuscript your best work.
Now that you’re off to a good start, keep reading The Blood Red Pencil for great editing advice to help you along the way.
AND be sure to read Lillie’s blog for even more useful advice!
~Trisha
What self-editing tips would you add? Share your advice!
Thanks for the little reminders, Trisha! Keeps me on top of my game.
.-= Candice´s last blog post: E-Book Review: Nomadic Matt’s “How to Teach English Overseas” =-.
Oops, I guess I mean Lillie! Hehe.
.-= Candice´s last blog post: E-Book Review: Nomadic Matt’s “How to Teach English Overseas” =-.
You’re welcome. Glad you found the tips helpful.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog post: Resources for Writers =-.
Trisha,
Thank you for reprinting my article. I hope your readers find it helpful.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog post: Resources for Writers =-.
For me, points 2 and 9 are essential. I always let my work sit for at least a few days before publishing anything. I also read everything aloud, including posts for my own blog!
.-= JoAnna´s last blog post: Thoughts on Travel Planning Details =-.
JoAnna,
Reading aloud is one of my favorites, too, and it works especially well for short pieces like blog posts.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog post: Endowed by our Creator … =-.
I find # to be very important, and also reading the preview on the site page helps to self proof read.
.-= Shawn´s last blog post: The Former Front Line of Mostar—Bosnia =-.
That’s a great tip, Shawn, and I do that too! I always preview and correct, and repeat that a few times until I’m happy with how it reads, then I schedule it for publication. it also helps me to get a visual read too – sometimes the text needs to be broken up more, or needs some visual styling for emphasis, or just to keep a readers interest and eye moving down the page.
Shawn and Trisha,
For blog posts, the preview feature is great for self-editing. As you say, it lets you check the formatting as well as the content.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last undefined post: Response cached until Mon 5 @ 8:40 GMT (Refreshes in 57 Minutes) =-.
great advice that is sorely needed!
# 1,2 and 9 are of particular importance to me. Sometimes i forget that writing is an exploration, not an exact science. Editing can be done later as i polish the bones of the story i have unearthed, but as for putting fingers to the keyboard and letting words fly, well, you just gotta give yourself room to explore!
Thanks for stopping by Joshy! I totally agree with you – when I write, I just let it flow, and only pause long enough to correct the spelling errors that my fingers know they’ve made……I don’t worry about grammar or even chronology or structure….I only think about those things later when I’ve read it through once and start to edit.
I do love your phrase “writing is an exploration” – lovely! :-)
Joshy,
Like Trisha, I love your description of writing as an exploration, not an exact science.
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last undefined post: Response cached until Mon 5 @ 8:40 GMT (Refreshes in 55 Minutes) =-.
These are very useful tips Lillie, thanks!
.-= soultravelers3´s last blog post: Darling Dordogne- Vacation Holiday in France =-.
I agree. Its embarrassing when you have submitted a piece and then realize it is not perfect, when it is too late to do anything about it.
.-= Natalie´s last blog post: Turkish Hamam – Bath =-.