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9 Things All Writers Can Do at the Editing Stage

January 15, 2018 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Jennifer Scott, guest blogger

As a writer, it can feel hard editing your own writing. You’re close to your own text, so how can you ensure you’re getting it right?

Here are 9 tips to help you edit your own writing effectively and make it the best it can be.

  1. Take A Break

First of all, take a step back from your manuscript. You’ve worked hard on it, so you deserve a break. Give it a week or two, and then come back to it. It’s much easier to be objective once you’ve taken your time and then come back to your writing.

  1. Read The Whole Thing Through Once

Book editor Janelle Green from Top Canadian Writers says, “Before you do anything, read the whole manuscript through once. It’s tempting to start getting right in there and making changes, but in fact you can be making things harder for yourself.” Read the whole thing through and make notes. Come at it from the perspective of a reader before you start editing.

  1. Chop Down Sentences

Take a look at the sentences in your work. Some of them will be longer, although not exactly run-on sentences. If you can, cut them down into shorter sentences. A long sentence can contain a couple of different ideas, and it’s easy to lose the reader if there’s too much going on.

  1. Don’t Rely On Spell Check

Spell check is a handy feature when you’re editing, but you can’t rely on it to catch everything. It’s fallible, just like any other editing software, and can miss errors if they don’t show up as incorrect. Use it by all means, but then follow with a manual check to look for any errors you’ve made.

  1. Read It Backwards

When you’re looking for technical errors in your writing, read it backwards. This way, you’ll be more likely to spot issues rather than be distracted with how the piece reads. You’d be amazed at how much this simple tip works.

  1. Don’t Forget The Grammar

No matter how experienced you are at writing, your grammar should always come under scrutiny when you’re proofreading. It’s easy to misunderstand a rule of grammar and create sections of text that need revision. If you’re struggling with this, don’t worry; there’s lots of help. Try the following sites:

  • Via Writing
  • Best Australian Writers
  • Easy Word Count
  • State Of Writing
  • Cite It In
  • AcademAdvisor
  1. Watch Your Tone

The tone of your manuscript is important. If you’re writing a how-to text, a more straightforward approach is needed. If it’s a comedy book, of course inject more personality into it. Take a look at your tone and ensure it’s consistent.

  1. Read It Aloud

The best way to ensure your prose flows is to read it aloud. You’ll be able to see how your writing sounds to a first-time reader and make changes as needed.

  1. Get Help If You Need It

If you find it hard to edit your own writing, plenty of services are available to help. The Huffington Post in its “Write My Essay” feature explains why editing and writing services are more valuable than ever.

Use these 9 tips the next time you’re editing. You’ll be amazed at how much you can polish your writing before sending your manuscript to an editor.

Jennifer Scott works as an online editor at Best British Essays. Also, she is a business developer who works in education, technology, security, and online marketing. Contact Barbara for contact info for Jennifer Scott.

 

Filed Under: Editors and Authors Tagged With: authors editors, better writing, edit your work, edit your writing, editing tips, Jennifer Scott, nonfiction book editing, professional editing services, self-editing

Polishing Your Writing? Follow These 3 Self-Editing Steps

February 5, 2016 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

By Peggy Carouthers, Guest blogger from The Write Life

No matter what you’re writing, revising drafts is a headache.

Self-editingNot only do you have to review your article or story with microscopic focus, but the stress of missing an error and hurting your future writing prospects can be terrifying. Automatic editing software often misses errors and paying for editing services isn’t always an option.

It’s important to find an editing technique that makes the revision process easier and makes you feel confident in your writing.

I developed my own editing method while pursuing my bachelor’s degree in writing and communications. I was freelancing for a local newspaper and serving as editor in chief of my college newspaper while balancing a full course-load of writing-intensive classes and a 75-page senior thesis.

I didn’t have time to spend hours reading over every article or paper.

To handle the workload, I devised a simple three-step method to catch every mistake and build confidence that each draft is well written. READ MORE

 

Filed Under: Editors and Authors Tagged With: editing method, editing technique, nonfiction book editor, Peggy Carouthers, professional book editing, revise draft, self-editing

Good vs. Great Business Writers: Cite 6 Differences

October 19, 2013 by Barbara McNichol Leave a Comment

by Dianna Booher

Face-to-face and phone communication is fading fast from our everyday experience. We work, love, and live now by writing—Facebook posts, tweets, LinkedIn messages, Google+ posts, blogs, white papers, website copy, emails, sales proposals, activity reports, résumés, job offerings, performance reviews, reports, and recommendations.

improve business writing from good to great

Business writing tools

The good news: Great writing skills will give you the edge for career advancement. Having made authorship my life’s work for three decades and having presented hundreds of business writing and technical writing workshops during the same span, I’ve discovered these distinct differentiators between good and great business writers:

1. Structure

Good writers may organize, draft, think, reorganize—in whatever way works best for each project. They may end with a well-written document, but it may take them a while to do so.

Great writers have a repeatable system. They typically spend more time thinking about their writing than actually drafting.

2. Word Choice

Good writers select clear words. They avoid ambiguous phrasing that has different meanings for different people.

Great writers choose precise words. They tickle the ear with eloquent phrasing so that their sentences beg to be reread.

3. Conciseness

Good writers get to the point.

Great writers get to the point—but they never sacrifice clarity for the sake of brevity.

4. Grammar

Good writers consider grammar important; they want to get things right. They know when sentences sound right.

Great writers understand the link between grammar and clarity; they insist on getting the grammar right. They know the rules—and which “rules” are only style matters.

5. Tone

Good writers convey their message (even a sensitive email about a negative situation) in a clear, straightforward style.

Great writers communicate their message in a clear, straightforward style—but with an upbeat, conversational warmth.

6. Editing

Good writers edit their work to spot weaknesses.

Great writers rarely trust themselves to edit their own work. They welcome other opinions.

So let me paraphrase Ben Franklin as I sum up: Either do something worth writing about or write well about something you’re doing.

Can you add other differentiators in the “Comments” section below?

© 2013 Dianna Booher. Booher Consultants, a communications training firm, works with business leaders and organizations to increase effectiveness through better oral, written, interpersonal, and enterprise-wide communication. Founder Dianna Booher is the author of 46 books, published in 26 languages. Her latest titles include Creating Personal Presence: Look, Talk, Think, and Act Like a Leader and Communicate With Confidence! The Revised and Expanded Edition. www.Booher.com

 

Filed Under: Business Writing Tagged With: authorship, business writing skills, Dianna Booher, professional book editing services, professional editing, self-editing, social media messages, write better social media messages

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