Self-Editing Tips for Non-Editors

Writing is hard. Editing and proofreading is even harder. The processes are related, but require very different skill sets to generate a final draft a writer can be proud of.

Let's break each role down and look at some of the necessary skills required for each.

Writing—Necessary Skill Sets

· Grasp of the story. Do you understand the angle of the piece you are trying to write?

· Storytelling ability. All stories have a beginning, middle, and end. But how do you know which details go where? How will you make it sound compelling?

· Creativity. Anyone responsible for writing--whether a novelist, journalist, or content creator--will tell you keeping the idea well filled is no small task. It's not enough to churn out one great story. What about next week? Next month? Next year? Idea generation is a big part of writing--dissecting that idea into a sellable story is another part. It's great if you can do both!

· “Wordsmithery”. Is this a word? Well, it is now. What words convey your message most accurately?

Content Editing—Necessary Skill Sets

· Ability to see the big picture.

· Ability to look for a new angle, or ask a question about something in the piece.

· Slightly obsessive about word choice, punctuation, and correct grammar

· Focused on how the readability and "flow" of the story

Proofreading—Necessary Skill Sets

· An eagle eye for details

· More than slightly obsessive about spelling, grammar, and punctuation

· Pro-Oxford comma or not? Willing to debate anyone on the merits of either side

· Able to spot redundant or repetitive words

· Gets a slight thrill tightening up a piece of writing

Whether you check all of these boxes or not, you may have to wear more than one hat at times. Even if you are a writer, unless you have the capacity for an in-house editor or proofreader, these tasks may fall to you, as well.

I’ve put together a list of quick self-editing tips that can work for non-editors. These are tips I’ve shared with my English comp students when tasking them to self-edit, so I’m sure they can work for you.

· Print out the document. I would argue there is no more effective editing method than a hard copy of the document. I adore “Track Changes” in Word, but I definitely put a hard copy document through the paces first.

· Grab a colored pen. Any color will do—this is how you make note of your edits!

· Read over the document. Note any areas that don’t “work” for you. I scan the piece broadly, looking for areas that jump out at me. Circle, highlight, or make them stand out in some way. Sentences that don’t quite fit with a paragraph, items that need to be fact-checked or spell checked, or anything that reads awkwardly will get flagged at this stage. Go back later and do a closer read of these items.

· Read the document again, this time more critically. One of my favorite self-editing tips is to look for over-used words. Lately, I’m homing in on the word “that”. Other common victims of over-use include “really”, “very”, and “many”. Don’t believe me? Use the “Search” function for any of these words—you might be surprised how often you use them in your own writing! Cutting or substituting over-used words is a great way to tighten up the entire piece, and a quick method to bring you closer to your word count if necessary.

· Fine tooth comb the whole piece. Tighten up run-on sentences. Include more or less backstory. Look for ways to clarify your message throughout—do you need more detail in certain areas? Are there spots that can be trimmed or cut completely? And let’s not forget the pesky grammar, punctuation, and spelling areas.

· Incorporate edits into digital doc. Now is the time to transfer your notes from the hard copy into the digital doc. I turn on the Track Changes just so I can see my edits in front of me. When all of the Track Changes have been added, I suggest printing out another hard copy to ensure the piece flows, includes enough information, and most importantly, will be of interest to your readers.

What are some of your favorite self-editing tips?