Editing and proofreading are essential parts of writing. A well edited and proofread post is always liked by the readers. Being a book editor for last 5 years, I have seen good writings being rejected just because they were not proofread. Blog writing is also no exception to this rule. So, here are a few tips for editing your blog posts by yourself.
Always plan before you start
Like other skills, blogging also needs discipline. A well-maintained blogging calendar with a clear idea of what to write helps in clearing the clutter of the thoughts when you sit down to write. Sit down once a week to decide what you will write and how you will write.
Scribbling down your ideas also will help you in blog organization.
Never edit while you write
Most of us a habit of turning on the copy checker/spell checker while we write. Even I had it when I started. But it always breaks your chain of thoughts and degrades your writing. Always put off everything which will disturb you during writing. Always edit once you finish.
Always give space to your writing and editing
How many times did it happen that you hit the publish button and went to sleep and only to come back with several mistakes in your blog post? At least I encountered it so many times! That’s why I now, give the blog post little rest, refresh my mind and then edit this. I also keep the copies for overnight rest if I write more than 1000 words (which are in case of 60%).
Giving rest to yourself and the piece of writing help you in spotting the typos and mistakes more prominently.
Always preview your posts
I generally re-edit my posts once more before I hit the publish button. But this time, I always check my preview page so that I can spot anything clearly in the web version than the dashboard version. It also helps to know how your post would look visually and you can happily change anything before you actually publish.
Use a professional copy-checker
If you write a lot for your blog, you can also use copy-checker websites like Grammarly. It comes with a browser and desktop extensions and even the free version is very helpful.
Some useful editing tips for your blog
• Never use filler words to increase the length of your post.
• Restrict the use of the word ‘very’. Use another strong word to express the emotion. For example, instead of using ‘very necessary’, use ‘essential’.
• Always use your punctuation marks wisely.
• Avoid weak verbs, always.
• Always break complex/compound sentences into two simple lines.
• Use simple terms.
So, those are my tips for editing blog posts. Which ones do you already practice or going to practice this week? Do you have some other tips to add here? Let us know in the comments.
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