How to Edit Your Own Writing

Being a freelance writer means you’re responsible for every step of the writing process, including editing. Editing your own writing can be challenging, but it’s necessary to deliver top-quality work to your clients.

In this post, we’ll discuss strategies for reviewing and editing your work and where editing sits in the writing process. We’ll look at:

1. Why it’s important to edit your own writing
2. When you should edit your work
3. What to include on an editing checklist
4. How Knowadays can help sharpen your writing and editing skills

Keep reading to learn more about how to edit your own writing as a freelancer.

Why Is It Important to Edit Your Writing?

Freelance writers know that the first draft is never the final draft; there are always areas for revision and improvement. It’s important to edit your writing to ensure it’s structured well and reflects the style guidelines and requirements given to you by your client.

If you don’t edit your work, you increase the risk of leaving distracting errors in the text or delivering disorganized content. And if a client feels like you’ve turned in sloppy work that’s not up to their standards, they’re less likely to give you a positive review or recommend you to others. This could damage your reputation as a freelancer and, ultimately, negatively impact your business.

When Should You Edit Your Work?

Where does editing fall in the writing process? Edit your work after completing the first draft but before proofreading. As the writer, you’re close to the material, which can make editing a bit tricky. To streamline the process and make editing your own writing a little easier, try to:

• Take a break between completing your first draft and beginning to edit it (this helps you look at the piece objectively)
• Print out a hard copy of the piece to edit
• Edit line by line, one section or chapter at a time
• Read portions out loud to get a sense of the flow of the writing
• Keep a copy of your content brief and style guide handy to easily refer to as you edit

After completing your edit, you should read the piece one more time to check that the content flows logically and is properly formatted.

Self-Editing Checklist for Writers

Editing encompasses a broad range of issues, from reviewing and revising the overall structure of a document to implementing the right tone of voice. Keep in mind that the extent of editing required can vary depending on the context and purpose of the content – and, of course, some pieces will require more intensive editing than others.

When editing your work, keep a checklist on hand; it helps you stay organized and ensures you don’t miss any major points. Here is a list of common editing issues that you can use to form your own checklist:

• Do the headings flow well and match the content?
• Is the content well organized and the flow logical?
• Are the transitions between paragraphs smooth?
• Have you used the active voice where appropriate to enhance readability?
• Are the sentence structure and length varied?
• Is there a consistent and appropriate tone, voice, and point of view?
• Have you eliminated redundancy, repetition, and filler words?
• Have you clarified any ambiguous and potentially confusing sentences?
• Have you eliminated unnecessary jargon and explained overly complex language?
• Are your sources properly formatted and cited (if applicable)?
• Does the introduction effectively engage the reader and set the tone?
• Does the conclusion effectively summarize the main points and leave a lasting impression?

Keep in mind this isn’t an exhaustive list; your own checklist may be more extensive and will need to be tailored to your specific subject and type of content. If you want to strengthen your existing skills and learn even more about the editing process, consider continuing your professional development through a course or webinar.

Becoming a Freelance Writer

If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a freelance writer, consider our Becoming A Freelance Writer course. We will take you through the entire writing process from beginning to end, including strategies for editing your own work. Claim your free trial today.