Almost everyone has a blog nowadays or is actively writing content for the internet. However, how many bloggers actually do get famous? There are also numerous writers who have really good ideas but their content never gets noticed. Most companies also create newsletters and send it to prospects and clients but they go unnoticed or unappreciated most of the time.
For a serious writer looking to be successful on the Internet and even earn some bucks writing online, learning editing techniques is a must. Here are some editing tips that can take your content from good to great.
Quick editing tips
• Learn grammar and language rules – Sadly, most online writers these days either do not know the rules of grammar or are willfully ignoring them. Although their ideas are excellent, readers are unable to understand the content because of poor grammar and vocabulary. Learning grammar and language rules can be boring but it is absolutely necessary for any writer.
• Choose the right words – Every word in the English language may have a synonym but there are always very subtle distinctions between words that have similar meanings. Use the right word when describing something so that you can get across the right message to your readers. Also, there are many confusing words like “lose”, “loose”, “effect”, “affect”, etc. and you need to think twice before using these words. Contractions can also be very confusing. So always pay extra attention when using contractions like “it’s”, “you’re”, “aren’t”, etc.
• Proofread thoroughly – You cannot miss out this step and it is recommended that you proofread your article a couple of times. Take your time and do something else before sitting down to proofread. This way you will be able to spot errors and awkward sentences quicker.
• Write in active voice – Although this may not always be possible, try and use the active voice as much as possible. Writing in the active voice allows content to be concise, clear and easy-to-understand.
• Don’t try to please everyone – There will definitely be a group of readers that is going to hate your writing. If your target audience is happy with your content, then you should not worry about the few criticizing your writing. Keep true to the style of writing that works for you.
• Avoid verbosity – This is especially true for online and business writing. When you can rewrite a sentence and make it shorter and more concise – please do so. Being verbose will only confuse and frustrate readers.
• Forget outdated phrases – Avoid using formal and stiff phrases in online content. Such phrases may have looked good in old letters and literature, but people do not have the patience to read them anymore. Similarly, try avoiding clichés, outdated metaphors and proverbs.
• Try not to repeat words and structures – Sometimes writers tend to use the same words repeatedly in the article or use the same sentence structures many times. This can make your content seem amateurish. When you find yourself unable to remember synonyms or specific words, wait a while before you continue writing. Also, change the sentence structures in your article to make it more interesting. Many writers use the same subject to start a sentence and you need to eliminate this in your articles.
• Jot down important points – To ensure that your article flows well, is cohesive and is informative – create a rough structure of the article before you start writing. Note all the points you would like to cover in the article and in which order so that you are not stuck in the middle of writing an article.
• Don’t overuse buzzwords – Using trending phrases and buzzwords could make you sound cooler but overusing such industry jargon and buzzwords can make your writing look desperate. Your objective should be to educate readers and not tire them with weird words.