8 Tips For Editing Your Copy
“Examine every word you put on paper. You’ll find a surprising number that don’t serve any purpose.”
The most important part of writing is editing.
Not even the professionals get it right the first time, and behind every polished manuscript lies a mountain of revised drafts.
Make no mistake, your goal is to make things as easy as possible for your reader.
It’s important to be ruthless and make your final copy almost unrecognisable from your first draft.
Ultimately, it is a process of simplification and below are seven ways to do just that.
1. Remove the unnecessary
You will always use more words than you need. As you read over your draft, don’t be shy about removing whole sentences. Most of the time, you can lose at least 25% of the words and retain meaning.
2. Read it back to yourself
They say talking to yourself is a sign of madness. When it comes to editing, however, it helps you identify copy that sounds unnatural. Remember, good writing flows like normal speech.
3. Cut out any fancy words
Whilst complicated words might make you feel clever, they make life harder for your reader. So review your word choice and substitute anything fancy-sounding with a simpler alternative.
4. Make use of grammar tools
Tools like Grammarly help with identifying unnecessary words and suggesting ways to shorten sentences. It’s like having a professional editor but at a fraction of the cost.
5. Get a second opinion
Even the best writers need help with choosing what to leave out. There is no shame in asking a friend or colleague to read over your copy. Ideally, you want someone unfamiliar with the material to weed out bias.
6. Use the active voice
Generally, your writing sounds more confident when you use the active voice. For example, ‘the dog ate the biscuit’ flows better than ‘the biscuit was eaten by the dog’. There will be cases when you need to use the passive voice, but it’s best to avoid it where possible.
7. Avoid repetition
Have you said the same thing repeatedly in a slightly different way? If so, it’s time to ditch some words to avoid sounding like a broken record.
8. Give it the overnight test
Your brain does its best thinking when it’s not actively trying. This is why it pays to take a break and return to your copy with fresh eyes. You will inevitably spot things that you missed before.
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