MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST HOW TO
MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST PDF
MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST MANUAL

Weak sentence: They were not enjoying the editing process. Replace “am,” “is,” “are,” “was,” “were,” “been,” and “being” with stronger alternatives. Using versions of the verb “to be” can weaken the words that follow. This is more effective:Įditing your own writing is fun.

The sentence formation weakens the writing with unnecessary words that lack focus. Use your word processor’s find functionality to search for “there,” “here,” and “it” to find redundant words and phrases. Use a word frequency counter to find repetitive words and scan a thesaurus to find alternatives. Try not to rely on certain words or phrases to make your point readers will notice when you repeat yourself. If you use phrases like “seems to be” or “could be a reason for,” you sound indecisive and it weakens your message. Good communication sounds authoritative, so avoid wishy-washy sentences. The best writing sounds smooth, so if you find yourself stammering through poorly worded sentences, you know it needs improving. To discover the rhythm of your writing, read it out loud.

When you return to it, you’re more likely to spot awkward phrases and obvious mistakes. Putting a literal distance between you and your work also creates an emotional distance. Let your writing rest for a few hours or overnight. These techniques will help you see your content from an “outsider’s” perspective and give you a more critical eye.

MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST PDF

Alternatively, convert your Word document to PDF format, or change your text to a different font, color, and size.

MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST HOW TO

You’ll learn how to improve the structure and style of your writing, communicate more clearly and eliminate grammatical errors.Ĭompanies want copy that reflects well on their business, provides value to their readers and drives sales, so well-edited content will also look more attractive to content buyers.Īre you ready to become a better editor? You may not have access to a professional editor, but you can use the following tips to help you edit your own writing more effectively. The Importance of Self-Editingīecoming a good editor of your own work takes time and practice, but it’s worth it. It’s one of the most important aspects of the writing process, but a surprising number of writers underestimate its value. New York: Henry Holt, 2009.Good editing can transform a mediocre piece of content into something great. The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right. For more information about how he can help with your writing projects, email Atul. James Gallagher is a copyeditor and the owner of Castle Walls Editing. I also talk about the tools I use in my editing business in my post “Five Tools That Help My Editing Business.” In the above, Toggl is a time-tracking application, Editor’s Toolkit is a collection of macros, and PerfectIt is a consistency checker, all of which I find highly useful.  Send follow-up with info on referral fee  Send edited manuscript with tracked changes  Insert comments praising author’s craft  Insert comments questioning logic, continuity, etc.  Check for close quotes after em dashes in dialogue  Delete commas before “too” and “either” at end of sentence or clause  Turn straight quotes to curly (Editor’s Toolkit)  Close space around em dashes and ens (editor’s Toolkit)  Remove double spaces (Editor’s Toolkit)  Delete spaces around returns (Editor’s Toolkit)  Delete extra returns (Editor’s Toolkit)  Set automatic indents and delete extraneous tabs with Editor’s Toolkit  Set up chapter-breakdown sheet (Google Docs)

MY WRITING EDITING CHECKLIST MANUAL

The following is a typical checklist I’d use for a manuscript to be edited in accordance with the Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition) and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate, but it’s easily adapted for other styles or editing requirements I’m charged with. (For more information on style sheets, click here.) There is some overlap, but the checklist simply helps me roll through the steps in my editing process without forgetting anything, whereas the style sheet records such things as proper nouns, variant spellings, and unusual usages. Unlike a style sheet, which goes to the client, the checklist is just for me. Even after spending forty or more hours on a manuscript, it’s easy, for example, to send off a final package to the client and forget the invoice. When used by doctors and air-traffic controllers, checklists save lives by ensuring that critical steps aren’t missed during high-stress situations.Įditing doesn’t involve life-or-death stakes (usually), but checklists are still helpful for reducing complexity and lessening the burden on memory for routine tasks.

My writing editing checklist