You can’t expect it to be perfect on the first attempt. And writing texts for blogs is no exception, as well as any other texts. So it’s not enough to write an article. After all, the first version of it is a rough draft. To make it informative and easy to read, you need to put it in order, that is, edit it. And in this article, you’ll learn how to do it.
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Why is Editing So Important
Before we get to the main topic, let’s take a look at an entertaining analogy that can be made about blog posts. We can compare this process to the rocket launch. Use your imagination and think of yourself as Elon Musk, who wants to launch Falcon Heavy into outer space. Agree that you can’t say, “Oh, we’ll work on it later in such a situation. Let it take off somehow.” Otherwise, the rocket won’t even move from the spot.
Thus, the text is as important as launching Falcon Heavy. Otherwise, it also won’t take off. That’s why it needs to be edited. Did you know that text is composed and edited in different brain modes? And many writers and bloggers aren’t able to switch quickly from one to the other, so it wouldn’t hurt to find out early on how capable you are of editing your work.
- The first reason is the thinking at the time of writing. Each text in the first stage of writing a priori has some inconsistencies and errors. When you write, your brain is set up only to create. And you don’t notice all the rough edges, weaknesses, and illogical connections at that moment. How many mistakes you find and fix depends on the smoothness and readability of your writing in the future.
- The second reason is more profound. Almost all authors are lazy. Editing is hard work, and not everyone can do it. So whoever is best at editing will succeed. Size doesn’t matter; it can be a small social media post, an article, or a book based on a blog like Mark Manson’s. The main thing is to use editing and proofreading techniques for blogs skillfully.
All You Need to Know to Create Brilliant Blog Posts
Want to achieve perfection in your blog posts? Then catch these ten valuable editing and proofreading tips that will help make your writing more economical and attractive.
# 1 Forget About Filler Words
If you often start your sentences with Here, There, or It followed by a form of the verb to be, get rid of this terrible habit immediately. You can allow this weakness in the first stages of writing, but cut filler words without pity during editing, including It is, It was, There is, There will be, It takes, It won’t, and many others. Remember that you should sacrifice something for influential and quality texts.
# 2 Erase Unnecessary Words
Any text can be shortened by 20% without sacrificing content. So if you want to make your writing strong, remove every word without which the sentence’s meaning doesn’t suffer. For instance, if we speak about introductory words, they are appropriate in oral speech so that the speaker can build the narrative thread in his head and not stray. But as for the written text, it is better to refuse such assistants because they weaken your writing.
# 3 Avoid Clichés
These phrases are used so often in blog posts that they have ceased to be means of expression and become standard and dull elements of weak writing. If you need examples, you can easily find texts with clichés in almost every third blog on the web. So if you want to create quality and influential articles, you should avoid such phrases.
# 4 Include Factual Data and Give Examples
Remember that the text should be 100% objective. And you don’t need any omissions, vagueness, or ambiguities. Instead, add only specific and accurate information. Of course, you can argue that you can write whatever you want on your blog. That’s what your blog is. However, if you respect your readers and want to earn their trust, you must carefully verify all the information you publish on your blog.
# 5 Make the Text Easy
Suggestions should be understandable from the first time and written in simple language. Ruthlessly paraphrase, and replace any turns of phrase that doesn’t sound good. The person mustn’t stumble while reading. If you’re having trouble at this stage of the editing process, imagine yourself in the reader’s shoes. And if you even doubt whether to delete a word, you should always choose the second one.
# 6 Don’t Abuse Leading Questions
Generally, writers and blog owners use leading questions to help the reader determine how helpful the article will be to them. In other words, they relate to a person’s problem. And suppose readers answered your question in the affirmative at the beginning of the article.
In that case, you shouldn’t repeat leading questions a second or third time because they make reading difficult. One such question per article is enough. So if there are more of them, remove unnecessary ones.
# 7 Break up Sentences
To keep the reader’s attention and not burden the text, divide long sentences into several short ones. This way, you’ll make the article more understandable, which readers will thank. Also, remember the golden rule: one sentence should be no longer than two lines. In such a way, you’ll make life easier for yourself and your blog readers.
# 8 Read Through Your Enemy’s Eyes
You can use this effective exercise in the last stages of editing. Imagine in front of you a person who doesn’t like you. Great, read it through their eyes. If this technique doesn’t work for you, however, you can use different services to improve your writing skills with the help of qualified and experienced professionals.
# 9 Read Aloud
A good practice is to read what you have written out loud or have someone else read it aloud to you. Then, change the speed of your reading. It helps to focus on different sides of your writing. For example, when you read at a high rate, you pay more attention to meaning and rhythm. A medium speed helps you see stylistic flaws better, and a slow one allows you to catch errors and typos.
# 10 Take a Break from the Text
Make at least a short break after each stage of work under your article. Quite ideally, read everything the next day. But if it is impossible, then distract yourself from your writing for at least 15 minutes. Otherwise, your eyes will get tired, and you’ll stop noticing apparent errors and typos.
Conclusion
Don’t be afraid to remove words and phrases that complicate your blog posts and negatively affect their readability. Remember that only practice will help you achieve perfection. Maximum benefit, minimum unnecessary information, and simplicity are the three pillars on which any quality test is built.
Only without fanaticism: be careful and do not overdo it so that your writing does not turn into a dry and concise article plan. Everything must be in moderation. After all, it’s easy to lose the individuality that distinguishes your blog posts from many others.
- 10 Text Editing and Proofreading Techniques for Blog Owners - February 15, 2023