Being Your Own Editor: 5 Tips That Can Help Get the Job Done Right

By Terri Lively

Editing your work yourself has some great pros, like the editor's availability and what they expect you to pay. However, there are some definite cons, like being rusty at it or, worse, terrible at self-editing.

To that end, here are five tips to improve your self-editing skills.

Tip #1: Sleep on it.^*

One of the best ways to ensure that your article/paper/passage/essay says what you think it does is to sleep on it before you try to edit it. The time away does wonders for your objectivity. You see what's written, not what you think is written.

Tip #2: Take it in stages.

Editing text in one fell swoop is challenging. Instead, try it in stages with different goals for each stage. Per Grammarly, an AI writing assistant, three stages of editing exist: 

1. Substantive Editing: Make sure your introduction aligns with the points made throughout the document. Verify that all evidence supports your arguments. Ensure the document is logically organized and reorganize similar elements together. Remove repetitive or confusing language and cut extraneous or redundant content. Clarify vague sections, maintain a consistent audience perspective, and ensure uniformity in tone. Pay attention to sequencing and transitions for smooth flow.
   
   
2. Copyediting: Shift focus to detailed improvements. Read the text out loud to catch repetitive words and awkward rhythms. Choose words thoughtfully and vary sentence length and structure. Use a dictionary and spell-checker to correct spelling mistakes. Fix punctuation errors and resolve grammatical issues. Ensure proper use of verb tenses, conjunctions, and prepositions. Verify the accuracy of dates, titles, and company names.
   
   
3. Proofreading: Conduct a final readthrough to catch any remaining typos or errors. Ensure consistent formatting throughout the document, confirming the uniform application of italics, font treatments, headings, subheadings, margins, indentation, line spacing, and color.

Tip #3: Experiment with highlighting.

Writer's Digest suggests highlighting alternating sentences in two colors. Then, you can see your sentences and their corresponding length. The pattern shows you run-on sentences or sections with too many choppy sentences that might need combining. 

Tip #4: Always choose active subjects and vivid verbs.

Avoid passive voice; it weakens writing by obscuring the subject that is acting. Instead, the University of Penn writes that you should use active voice to convey cause-and-effect relationships. For example, replace "The Geneva Accords were not seen as tolerable by the Eisenhower Administration" with "The Eisenhower Administration refused to adhere to the Geneva Accords." 

Tip #5: Familiarize yourself with style guides.

Use the style guide that's best for what you are writing (Masterclass suggests AP for copywriting, Chicago Manual for fiction) and follow its rules. The style guide improves your editing skills and makes you a better writer by ensuring proper punctuation and formatting. 

Editing is an essential part of being a writer. The bad news is that most of the time, you self-edit your work, which can be tricky. The good news is that editing gets easier with practice—and by following these five tips.

* This one will not work for procrastinators. If this is you, consider this pre-tip tip: start earlier. However, even an hour or two away can make a difference in what you see written, so start there.