This post is based on Episode 168 of the ProBlogger podcast.
We talk a lot about being a great writer. But most great writers are great editors too, because their first drafts were probably far from perfect.
Here’s how to be a great editor of your own work and make people believe that you are a great writer too.
Step 1. Plan what you want to write
Okay, technically that’s not part of the editing process. But plan what you are going to talk about In front Once you start writing, the editing process becomes a lot easier. It’s much easier to set up good structure in the beginning than it is to rearrange entire paragraphs later to try to create one.
I usually start with an outline of the content I am creating. I write down the main points I want to cover and then arrange them in a structure so that I can easily move from one point to the next and take the reader on a journey.
Everything is very analytical and logical during the phase.
But once I have my outline, I can get more creative because I don’t have to think about structure anymore. I just follow my design.
Sometimes a new idea pops up in my head while I’m writing the content. In this case, I’ll take a step back and see if it fits into the structure I’ve created. If I can, I’ll add it to my outline and keep writing. And if not, I’ll write it down (if I can use it in a future post) and get back to writing.
Step 2. Let your contribution sit for a while
Our brain has two hemispheres. The right hemisphere is concerned with creativity and imagination and is most commonly used when we are in the flow of writing. Editing, however, is a much more analytical and logical process that the left hemisphere of our brain is concerned with.
(Have you ever tried to edit while you were writing and got frustrated? It’s because both sides of your brain are practically fighting each other.)
However, switching your thinking from the creative side of your brain to the analytical side takes time. When you’ve finished writing your post, let it sit for a while before you start editing. It can be an hour or two or a day. But try not to think about it too much during this time so that you can come back to it with a clear head and logical mind. Just don’t leave it so long that you lose interest in it.
Another benefit of letting it sit for a while is that when you return you won’t feel so locked into your words. And this is Really important when it comes to editing because chances are many of them will have to leave.
Step 3. Look at the bigger picture
You have left your contribution a little and can now start editing. Before getting into the details, however, it’s a good idea to ask yourself these questions about your post from an overall perspective. And then edit your post until you are happy with the answers.
Does it have a point?
Is there any benefit to my readers? Maybe you just wrote it to get something off your chest.
Will it change my readers’ lives in any way?
Is it “meaty” enough? Maybe it needs a little more depth, another example, or maybe a few links for further reading.
Am i too repetitive? Could you combine some of your ideas to eliminate the repetition?
Are my ideas in the right order? Do they flow logically? This is where planning your structure pays off before you start writing.
Have I got involved in a tangent or have I taken in information that doesn’t really fit? For this reason, it is good to let your contribution sit a little. You don’t mind discarding this unnecessary information so much.
Would you like to read this piece if it had been written by someone else?
Step 4. Focus on cutting things out
No matter how well you think you’ve written your post, the chances are that you can cut words, sentences, or even paragraphs without losing the good things.
So cut off the fat and keep the meat.
Take a few paragraphs to explain what your post is about? You really need to get your reader involved in the first paragraph. So try to edit those introductory paragraphs into a strong paragraph that gets to the point quickly.
Is your conclusion a little waffled? Also, try to reduce it so that your readers will remember it long after reading your post.
Are there any sentences that don’t add useful information? Get rid of them.
Step 5. Look at the details
So far, you’ve looked at the overall structure of your post, adding and removing large blocks of information. Now is the time to take a closer look at your post, line by line and even word for word.
Unfortunately, by now you are probably so familiar with the words that as you read it, your brain does the corrections for you. You need a way to see it with fresh eyes.
One way to do this is to use someone else’s. I often ask someone to read what I’ve written and find out about any problems they find. But when I can’t get anyone to read it, I’ll print out a copy, read it slowly sentence by sentence, circling any problems I find with a red or green pen.
I also read my piece aloud. Not only does this help me find problems I haven’t read, but it also makes it clear if a sentence is too long or doesn’t sound as chatty as it might be.
If it’s a really important post, I’ll read it to someone else too. You will become very aware of how it sounds and it can alert you to issues that you may have overlooked.
Finally, I do what I call visual editing by clicking the Preview button in WordPress to see what it will look like when it’s published.
Step 6. Do an SEO edit
You should always write for your readers, not search engines. But before I hit publish, I think about the words people would type into Google to find my post. And then I’ll try to weave some of those words into the title, first paragraph, and maybe even the URL.
Step 7. Publish your post
You should definitely take the time to edit your posts before posting them. But don’t be too obsessed with it. At some point you need to finish editing and click “Publish”.
Because it will never be perfect. And you can always go back and fix problems that you find later.
What is your process
Do you follow a similar process when editing your blog posts? Or do you have additional steps (or completely different ones) that you follow? Tell us about your editing process in the comments.