Most bloggers, students, or freelancers who write do not have their own professional editors. Any time you write content that you want people to read, it is important for you to edit your work and to also check it to see if there are any portions that were copied. Here are a few tips to help you edit your own content before you post it online.
- Edit after you are completely finished writing. You want to be in a science mode instead of a creative, artistic mode when you read your content so don't make any huge changes to your content when you edit.
- Eliminate distractions and any interruptions. When you edit, make sure you turn off the TV, close your email, chat rooms and any other distraction that would take your attention away from your content.
- Disregard the story or the content. You will need to analyze each individual sentence when you edit. You will not read the normal way. You will focus on grammar, spelling, and punctuation and you can even start by working backwards or reading aloud.
- Review the content a few times. You will need to go through your content a few times to look through spelling errors on one pass, punctuation errors on the next, and grammar on the final pass so you can make sure your content is edited thoroughly.
- Take a few notes. While editing, if you notice formatting issues when you are checking punctuation, then jot down a few notes so you can come back to the formatting after you complete your punctuation check.
- Check the full sentence if you make any last minute changes. Often times, errors occur when people change a few words in the sentence, but they don't adjust other words to make the sentence flow naturally.
- Check every quote, date, fact, reference, table, or anything else that fits outside the main text. You need to pay attention to one element instead of several at one time.
- Keep yourself in check. When you start thinking of another topic or idea when you are editing, re-read the section again. You can tap your foot in a rhythmic pattern if you find your mind drifting.
- Make yourself familiar with frequently made mistakes. Every writer makes simple mistakes and mixes up there, they're, their, and to, too, and two. Slow down when you write so you won't make these mistakes again.
- Check your formatting last. Every single piece of writing contains a certain type of formatting, whether it is indentations, spacing, bullet lists, or text wrapping. Leave the formatting to the end since you will be making changes during the editing process.
Don't allow simple mistakes to hinder your content, whether it is a blog post, web page, or research paper. You can use online plagiarism software to check your work and to make sure it is completely unique and original to you. Editing isn't the same as proofreading or writing your content. As long as you follow these tips, you will catch your mistakes.