Seven Editing Tips for Professional and Nonprofessional Writers
November 26, 2007 by Lillie
Often, inexperienced writers believe they’ve finished the project when they type “the end.” They post the article, send the news release to the media, mail the complaint letter, or submit the manuscript to an editor. Then they discover a glaring error in the headline, a typo in the company name, an omitted word – or a number of more serious errors.
I won’t promise you’ll ever have a perfect manuscript. No matter how careful we are, mistakes happen. An error-free e-mail isn’t too difficult, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a 100,000 word book manuscript without a single mistake.
However, you can ensure your writing is as error-free and easy to read as possible, whether you’re a professional freelancer writing Web content for a client, an entrepreneur announcing business news in a press release, or a concerned citizen writing a letter to the editor.
- Write first, edit later. I’ve known people who have been working on a manuscript for years and haven’t got past chapter 1 because they continue to edit, revise, rewrite, trying to get those pages perfect before moving on. Although some writers do work best if they edit as they write, most are more creative and effective if they get their thoughts down first before trying to edit.
- Take a break. After you’ve been wrestling with text for hours (or longer), you tend to lose your perspective.You think you’re editing, but you’re really reading what you meant – what you thought you wrote rather than what you actually wrote. If you put the piece aside for a while (the longer the document, the longer the break), you’ll return with fresh eyes and a fresh viewpoint and do a better job of editing.
- Edit in stages. How many stages you need will depend on the length, complexity, and importance of the document. An essay for a college entrance application will need a lot more editing than a short memo to your staff. For a major project, read the entire document first. You may discover that you need to move a section or add or delete material. After you’re satisfied with the structure, go back through the document as many times as needed. Edit for content – sentence structure, word choices, clarity. Then proofread for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. You can use spell check and grammar check in your word processing program as a guide, but don’t rely on the recommendations. The programs know rules but not context. You can easily turn the right word into the wrong one by accepting the program’s suggestions.
- Watch for your own pet problems. Most writers have words they overuse and mistakes they make often. I just finished reading a book in which the author used the word instantly on almost every page. Instead of adding to the story, instantly became an annoying intrusion. My big bugaboo is leaving out words. Almost everything I write is missing several words in the first draft. There are many grammar resources online. One of my favorites is The Elements of Style, a classic that’s still helpful after almost a hundred years. Another excellent resource, Guide to Grammar and Writing, has lists of “confusable” words to help you decide whether to use it’s or its, accept or except, advice or advise, then or than. Look for your own bad habits and make sure you correct those errors.
- Repeat the process of editing, setting the work aside, and editing again as often as needed. You may not need to go through the complete cycle for a short, informal document, but you will probably go through it dozens of times for a book-length manuscript. Mix editing on screen with editing in print; errors show up more readily in print than on screen for many people.
- Read the work aloud. When you think your work is perfect, try reading it out loud. Chances are you’ll stumble over sentences that read fine in print or on the screen but are awkward or confusing. I discover those missing words that I automatically inserted when I read on the screen. Some writers like to read backwards, but I don’t find that helpful. Use what works for you.
- Get another opinion from someone you trust. When you’re working on a book, a manual for your company, a paper that will determine whether you are accepted into college or earn your degree – anything of high importance, ask someone else to edit the document after you’ve finished self-editing. Don’t ask your spouse or mother, though; they’ll probably tell you it’s wonderful. A teacher may be excellent for spelling, grammar, and punctuation, but a reader of the genre may be better to point out loose ends you need to tie up in a mystery novel. Someone who isn’t familiar with the subject matter may be helpful for a how-to article; if he understands your explanation, other readers probably will also. On the other hand, sometimes an expert in the subject is best to ensure that your information is accurate. You can join a critique group to get feedback from other writers. A professional editor can help you with grammar as well as with content. I encourage my clients to have several advance readers for their books (and used several advance readers for my own novel). The more eyes and perspectives you get on your work, the more likely it will be the best you can make it.
This may seem like a lot of work – and it is – but if you don’t edit your work … again and again, your brilliant advice or your exciting story will never have the impact you want on your readers. Writing the first draft is only the first step – editing your work finishes the job.
This post is an entry in Litemind’s Lists Group Writing Project. The post was submitted too late to be included in the group writing project.
Related Posts:
About Critique Groups
Beware of the Wrong Critique Groups
The First Draft: Pure Green Dreck
Editing: Turning Dreck into Prose
Ten Tips for Self-Editing
Working with a Professional Editor (2-part series)
[tags]editing, group writing project[/tags]
Thanks for the great advice! I’ve been missing these posts from you.
Like you, reading backwards never worked for me either.
Hello Lillie,
This is an excellent post! Thank you for sharing your insights because what you’ve said in such a cogent post is so true.
Editing has taught me how not to fall in love with the words we, as writers, commit to paper. Word processors seldom caught the type of mistakes I make when writing.
You are an invaluable resource and friend to me.
Manchild
My favorite is #6 I tell every new writer that one. It helps to find your voice as a writer. And really helps with the awkward sentences. Thanks Lillie!
Hello,
Just surfing blogs…
God Bless
Lillie,
Sorry to hear that you weren’t able to submit this post to the writing project! That’s really a shame because it’s excellent–very good advice! Editing can be tough; but you’ve certainly set up a great list of principles here for writers to follow to help make the job a little easier–and more thorough!
Great job!
Jeanne
P.S. Never could get into reading backwards, either!
[...] Reaching the end of the manuscript isn’t the end of the writing, and getting the book published isn’t the end of the writer’s job, either. [...]
Hi Lillie, I’m glad the project inspired you to write this piece too (actually I initially thought that your end sentences were an example of you doing some live editing
)
There are some great suggestions in here, and I love this sentence:
“Writing the first draft is only the first step – editing your work finishes the job.”
Perfect
Joanna
Hi Lillie!
It’s a wonderful article I read in editing and proofreading. I thought I’ll thank you for your wonderful information which is just a God’s blessing to me.
I’ll dedicatedly visit your blog for loadful of guidance and mentorship.
Thanks & regards
Solomon
Hi Lillie,
I discovered your blog through the blog “My Year of Being Published.” This is a great post! Particularly when I’m writing fiction, I really struggle with #1 because I’m a perfectionist and I can’t move on until everything is PERFECT! I’m working on it, though. Thanks for the tips!
Susan
Hi Lillie,
I’ve printed out this article and stuck it to the board in front of my computer to remind me not to be in such a rush to hit the send key. It always amazes me how I manage to miss a spelling mistake or gramatical error…mostly through rushing the final stages. I must learn to slow down and edit more…thanks for the article
cheers,
liz
This is a great list. I’ve always found that getting the first draft of anything is the hardest part of writing–tweaking stuff once I’ve got it on paper (or, well, computer screen) has its own challenges, of course, but it’s more workman-like than an act of sheer creativity. That, at least, makes it easier to dip into, and put down when necessary, than the act of dredging up prose from inside my head.
Great post. I am a blogger and I always find mistakes in my posts. Luckily these can be corrected but it does some time annoy me.
That’s really a shame because it’s excellent–very good advice! Editing can be tough; but you’ve certainly set up a great list of principles here for writers to follow to help make the job a little easier–and more thorough!
[...] was my favourite editor-blogger (Lillie Ammann) who prompted the idea, with her list of 7 editing tips for professional and non-professional writers. As well as providing lots of practical suggestions Lillie sets the editing task in context: [...]
My problem is even after I’ve had a break I tend to read what I think I’ve written, and not what I actually have. I find having someone go over them and proof them properly for me is the best way to make sure I don’t have any glaring errors. Nice article though.
Amy,
Of course, I think everyone needs a professional editor.
But putting the work aside and reading it aloud can help you do a better job of self-editing.
I would say that editing is tough job than writing, what do you think?
Michael,
I think it depends on the person. I love editing and find it easy to do. Other people don’t. We all have different abilities and interests, and those determine whether writing or editing is easier for us.
I responded to all comments when they were made, but nested comments (which included my replies) were lost when I moved my blog.
I think that identifying your pet problems is one of the biggest tasks that you should take early on when writing. I know that my writing sounds too formal most of the time – that’s my issue, but everyone else has their own quirky issues they need to resolve too.
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Si,
You’re so right. We all tend to repeat the same mistakes, and if we fix those problems, we’re well on our way to better writing.
Write first, edit later is what I keep saying to myself whenever I start writing, but my real problem is keep changing the ideas. I think I should not worry about it and proceed further. As per your tips I may be glad with the output and the final edit will take care of everything. Proofreading is what we need the most before publishing the article. Thanks Lillie.
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Girish,
I took a class from a writing instructor who said the first draft is supposed to be “pure green dreck.” I’ve written about that in several posts. That was so freeing to me, because when I first started writing I thought everything had to be right before I continued writing. Giving myself permission to write “pure green dreck” the first time around made a big difference. As I’ve gained experience, my writing has improved, and my first drafts aren’t quite as bad as they used to be. However, I know no matter how bad the first draft is, I can fix it—even if it decide this is so bad, I can’t use it, I have that idea out of my head, leaving room for better ideas the next time around.
Lillie, thanks for these incredible tips. I am sure this is gonna help me a lot when I am writing posts on my blog. Also, one of my friend wants to take up screen writing as a profession and I will refer him to this page. I hope you will give him some tips.
Michael,
I invite your friend to do what you are obviously doing: explore my archives. He (and you) will find quite a bit about editing, including a whole series.
I’m a big proponent of write first and then doing several rounds of editing with plenty of time between the rounds to clear your head.
In Georgia here, long ago when I was in college, they made every graduating student take a reading and writing assessment test called the Regeants Exam. They may still do it, but this was 16 years ago, so who knows. Anyways, I’m a computer guy, and at the time it was a hand written writing exam.
Needless to say, being used to being able to just write using a word processor and then go back an edit and rearrange paragraphs and sentences really killed me with it being a hand written exam.
I guess I’ve become addicted to the ease of editing using a computer now adays.
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Paul,
I’ve often said I’m not sure if I would have been a writer if I had to write everything out in longhand—or even use a typewriter (manual or electric).
I wrote a post awhile back in which I shared how my mother-in-law was amazed with seeing me use a word processor. The post was Can you remember … or imagine … life without spell check or life with a manual typewriter? Writing longhand would have been even more difficult.
Great list and great comtent, keep up the good work.
.-= Jim@free xbox live´s last blog ..Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Conviction recap =-.
Thanks, Jim. Glad you found the tips helpful.
Your number 1 point is so very true. “Write First. Edit Later.” You definitely write better in the heat of the moment. When the words are at the tip of your tongue. If you edit in the middle of writing, your train of thought will wonder a way.
Kathy,
I’ve seen “writers” who have been working on a book for years but haven’t got past the first chapter because they try to make it perfect before they go on.
Thanks for the tips! I’m glad I’ve found this. this will indeed be very helpful for me in my writing career.
.-= Adelle´s last blog ..Renault-Nissan Signs Deal with Chinese Auto Company =-.
Adelle,
I’m glad the post was helpful to you.
Very much! Thanks again for again for the helpful tips. I’m improving a lot!=)
.-= Adelle´s last blog ..Renault-Nissan Signs Deal with Chinese Auto Company =-.
Adelle,
I’m so glad you’re improving in your writing. The more your read and especially the mre you write, the better you will become.
Great post! I especially like your point about reading out loud…hearing what you write can make a big difference.
Clayton,
Reading aloud is such an effective way to edit that I don’t know why more people don’t do it. Of course, it is difficult and time-consuming for full-length books (though I do it often). However, for articles, it doesn’t take much time compared to the benefits.
Thanks for these useful tips. I think that taking a break is the most important thing. Shortly after writing something longer it’s just impossible to find every mistake or a confusing sentence. Usually I’m proofreading my writings next day but the longer I wait, the better my text becomes.
Marcin,
A break can make a big difference in how good a job of editing you do.
I love teaching people but hate writing. What I do now is tape my articles and get a friend to type them. It is so much more fun.
Ashlea,
That’s a good idea. I’d much rather write than talk, but if you are the opposite, talking into a tape is a great solution.
A nice, basic writing/rewriting review. Thanks. Did you know that some authors, like Rex Stout, never…NEVER…rewrote. I’m very envious of that ability. I am a terribly slow writer. I wonder if you could address that, sometime: how to write fast.
.-= Howard Clarke´s last blog ..Indie (CreateSpace) Books & Reviews: Special “Below The Zone” Showcase =-.
Howard,
There are a few writers, including some of the best and most prolific, who write a book in one draft. In some cases, that is the way they have always written. In some cases, that ability has developed from lots of practice writing many, many manuscripts. Or perhaps it’s a combination of both: a writer who starts out writing clean copy from the beginning just keeps getting better at it.
Every writer has to find the method that works best for them. I would never suggest changing anything that is effective. However, most writers-especially beginning writers-are more apt to give up or get stuck on the first chapter and need the encouragement to keep writing even if the first draft is awful.
I’ll see if I can come up with something about writing fast…but that will take some thought.
Great tips. Putting it down and coming back later is the most important one. It gives you a fresh look at the text and you notice stuff that looks wrong.
Dave,
Yes, a fresh perspective makes a big difference.
The most difficult task in writing is editing as you have to take in account many things. The tips you mentioned here for editing are great and make the editing job much easier.
Aqeel,
Editing is the difficult part. I think people avoid it because it is hard and also because they don’t understand the importance.
I’m such a perfectionist, as I come from an artistic background. Probably why I’m a jeweller. So when I do write something I spend much more time editing and designing the perfect wording after the draft. I will print out the tips above.
Krista,
Good writers do spend much more time editing than writing.
You couldn’t have said it any better. Editing is the hardest part, therefore, people love to avoid it. Keep up the good work.
Tony,
It’s a shame when people avoid editing and turn out something is far less than it could be.
I seriously LOVE your first tip. The problem I am having with writing articles is that I think too much about it but I never write my ideas down. Whenever I write out my thoughts first as a rough draft and add more meat onto the article later on, it turns out to be an excellent article.
I guess I’m commenting because I want to tell other people who are having the same problem of thinking too much and not doing much writing. JUST WRITE!
Dom @ Vindictus Forum recently posted..Can I please have a key
Dom,
Thank you for the confirmation of my advice.
Wow, quite appreciable work you did for helping out us for writing as i found it very useful going through your post and i will sure do keep it safe for more knowledge and further enhancement in my writing skills and share with other’s also. But “Practice make’s Perfect” is only the reason for success ! Thanks once again… Keep up the good work.
Zain,
Yes, that old saying “practice makes perfect” is very true. The more you write, the better you write.
Number 7 and number 2 ring truest to me. My best ideas come when I go for a walk and completely escape. I also have several of my friends to read my stuff.
Dave,
Glad to hear that your experience confirms that I’ve written.
I completely agree with point number 1.
“Write when drunk. Edit when sober”.
That’s the adage I heard ages ago and the principles are very accurate.
Write with abandon. Just write and keep writing.
Editing is a different job and requires a different mind set.
Don’t try to do them both at the same time.
Jerry,
Your rendition of #1 is certainly more colorful than mine and gets the point across very well.
Lillie,
Thanks for the great article. I usually find myself mostly writing than editing the first time around. If I get stuck, I go back to the previous chapters and begin editing, but I don’t obsess. I figure I’ll obsess once it’s all done. It’s crazy how much it makes a difference when you read your story out loud or when you see it in print. It’s important to keep in mind that you just need to lay out your story first, and edit later, otherwise it will never get done.
Stacey,
I know some writers who edit as they go, but generally are very experienced writers. Most writers, especially those with less experience, write first and edit later.
Even professional writers made mistakes. That’s a fact. Reviewing your work before submitting is part of the process of writing an article. This has been my dilemma before. Instead of getting good reviews I would get a low one because of the typo, wrong grammar and omitting some important words. These tips are great help in writing. I would suggest copying this and putting it in front of your desk to make sure.
Jenny,
Beginning writers often think they should be able to write a finished product in one pass, but it just doesn’t work that way.
Thanks for the advice. I have started writing again after a break of almost 20 years and have found it quite difficult to get going. I think I have been lacking a structured approach and hopefully by following your advice I will eradicate that problem. All I then have to do is to find some inspiration!
Pia,
Wishing you inspiration and success in your return to writing.
Tip #2 (Take A Break) really nailed it for me. I often find that when I’ve been writing something for a long while, then go back to edit, it is almost like I’ve been desensitized so much by my own text, I don’t even notice typographical errors until after I come back from a long break.
Anyway, the other 6 tips were also really helpful; good advice!
Kevin,
#2 is a biggie for me, too. Glad you found the tips helpful.
[...] tips come from this blog. So you might want to look at the more details that you have [...]
Hello Lillie,
I believe no writing in any form is perfect. You simply have to speak your mind while writing for the web. If you can help get your message across to the audience then you have done a good job.
Susan
Susan,
What you say is true, but you won’t get your point across effectively if you do not edit your work. I don’t know of anyone who can write a blog post or anything else in one pass and have it easily read and understood in the most effective way. Although no writing is perfect, I believe we have to strive to make our writing as close to perfect as we can to make readers understand our message and like our writing enough to keep reading. I guarantee you when I come across a blog that is filled with errors and convoluted sentences and awkward phrasing, I leave and don’t return.
I agree with poor editing being a comment killer – nothing detracts from your credibility more than poor attention to detail.
Bwendo,
Readers don’t want to have to work too hard to figure out what you’re saying. Some bloggers don’t realize that their message is lost because readers can’t understand it.
Instead of getting good reviews I would get a low one because of the typo, wrong grammar and omitting some important words. These tips are great help in writing. Thank you for this advice. #1 and #7 helped me really out.
Bella,
I’m glad you found the tips helpful.
What great tips. I am just begining to try my hand at writing online, write first edit later is one of the things I struggle with. I try to edit on the fly and always end up with half a sentence repeated twice. Grammar is another issue, the resources you recomended on the subject will be very useful. Spelling and grammar checkers help, but are far from perfect. Thanks you, I can see I will have a lot of reading to do here.
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Paul,
Putting some distance between writing and editing makes a big difference. So many people try to do it all at once and find they are overlooking obvious mistakes, such as you mention.
Thank you for the wonderful tips. Also the comments were really helpful.
maya,
There’s often great idea presented in comments here. Glad you found the post and comments helpful.
Lillie, Every time I write an article I would read it aloud, my family thinks I am crazy, well now I know I am not!
Thank you.
Mark,
Well, I don’t know whether you’re crazy or not
but reading your articles aloud is certainly smart.
#7 is the one for me, used to have problems finishing my writing until I started sharing it with others and got the motivation to finish
Tom,
Motivation as well as editing help — great things to get from input from others.
I’m glad you found it helpful, Misti. Also glad to hear you agree with me on reading backwards.
Manchild,
Your comment about not falling in love with our words is an excellent point! That is one of the biggest mistakes of beginning writers.
How’s your book coming along?
Writing Nag,
When I read aloud, I always wonder how those awkward sentences, missing words, and other errors crept in the document that surely didn’t have them when I read it the last time.
Welcome, Randy. I hope you come back often.
Thanks, Jeanne.
As I told the host of the group writing project when he informed me he couldn’t accept my entry, it motivated me to write this post, so it was worthwhile even if the entry wasn’t accepted.
Thanks, Joanna! I’m glad you found this useful.
Thank you, Solomon. I’m glad you found the post helpful, and I look forward to having you visit often. Feel free to suggest post topics if there are specific things you want to know.
Susan,
I’m glad you found your way here thanks to KiwiWriter.
You’re not alone in struggling with #1. It seems to be a common problem.
Liz,
I’m glad you found the article helpful. It’s amazing how those errors pop up after you think you’re done. I’ve learned in book publishing that no matter how many edits the manuscript and galley go through, there will always be a few mistakes in the printer’s proof … and even in the printed book. But slowing down and editing again and again cuts the number and severity of the errors down dramatically.
Deb,
You’re right about the differences between writing and editing. I set out to write novels but found I’m better at – and really love – editing other writer’s novels. I do have another novel coming out soon, but I wrote it several years ago and haven’t written a book since.
Thanks. I understand being annoyed at finding mistakes in posts. Not only do I get annoyed when I discover a stupid mistake I’ve made, I’m also embarrassed. I’m writing a series on editing right now and expect somebody to point out a glaring error I’ve overlooked.
But that just proves my point that we all have a hard time seeing our own mistakes.
I’m glad you found the tips helpful. Since this post, I’ve written a series on editing that gives more detail.