Last Updated on: April 27th, 2021
Self-editing is a great option if you’re a blogger but can’t afford to hire an editor.
Editors aren’t cheap! Sure, they can improve your writing, and even teach you a few things about sentence structure and grammar. They can even boost your writing so that your post ranks higher.
However, you might not have the money to spend on an editor, especially if you are a new blogger, freelance writer or author.
But that’s no excuse for not editing your writing!
So what you should you do?
Self-edit! That’s what!
My guest today will show you 5 self-editing hacks you can use to boost your writing.
You can also download my bonus checklist of 17 Editing Tips for Writers!
Blogging – A LOT of Writing and Editing
If you’re a blogger, you know that blogging involves a lot of writing.
But, have you ever wondered why the pro bloggers are pro bloggers?
It’s because they send powerful messages and have had someone edit their work!
The most successful bloggers hire an editor to cut through redundancy and grammatical errors, who can polish every single piece of writing before they publish.
However, not everyone can afford to hire an editor, and that’s why you should learn the most important self-editing secrets. It is possible put more power into your words without hiring someone to help you!
Self-editing goes far beyond the reach of proofreading.
Some hacks breathe new life into your writing, some improve clarity, while others make your writing seem more interesting.
Did You Know You Could Become a Freelance Editor?
Being a freelance editor, in my opinion, is even better than being a freelance writer. First of all, it pays more. Secondly, it is the best job I could ever ask for. I love editing, I love words, and I love helping others. Finally, I love reaping the many rewards (check out the many benefits of being a freelance editor).
If you are not currently working at your dream job and want to be a freelance editor, then sign up to get on the “interest list” for my upcoming course!
I am in the process of designing a course that will teach you EVERYTHING about being a work-from-home editor and entrepreneur.
This includes:
– how to get paid up-front… ALWAYS! (before you do any work)
– how to get testimonials
– how to market yourself
– where to find work
– how to leverage social media for your business (because, YES, you will be actually running a business if you are successful!)
– how to keep accurate records
– how to easily calculate your costs
– how to communicate with potential clients so they turn into ACTUAL clients
– how to organize your time (so you can complete all of the tasks involved in running your biz)
– how to deal with difficult clients
– which projects to accept
– when to raise your rates
– AND MORE! (INCLUDING BONUSES!)
Plus, I want to get to know you so that I can give you EXACTLY what you need to succeed!
So, DO you want to know more about how to become a freelance editor?
If so, SIGN UP HERE.
Hack #1: Maintain Your Tense
It’s easy, when letting words flow onto a screen, to mix the tense in your wording. So, the first step, when editing for tense, is to be clear about when you’re coming from.
Are you in the past, present, or future in relation to your audience?
One statement can be said many different ways, with a few minor word-tense changes. Typically, you want yours to stay the same.
Past tense: “I wrote a blog post.”
Present tense: “I write a blog post.”
Future tense: “I will write a blog post.”
As you go through your work, looking for errors, make sure that you align the tense to flow from the same time reference throughout the entire post (unless, of course, your intention is to write a flashback or flash-forward).
Hack #2: Take Out Every Unnecessary Phrase
When you write a 3000-word short story, it should come to roughly 2500 words after editing. You will say goodbye to ⅙ of the original words used.
The same goes for blogging – if you need to submit a 1000-word post, the first draft should be at least 1100 words.
Amanda Patterson provides a list of 13 phrases to watch out for while editing, and what to replace them with.
What to search for VS. what to replace it with:
- “According to our data” VS. “We find”
- “Take into consideration” VS. “Consider”
- “Regardless of” / “Despite the fact that” VS. “Although”
- “Based on” / “Due to” / “In view of the fact that” VS. “Because”
- “It is often the case that” VS. “Often”
- “A majority of” VS. “Most”
- “Take into consideration” VS. “Consider”
- “A study was carried out to examine” VS. “We examined”
- “In most cases” VS. “Typically”
- “In a situation” / “Under circumstances” VS. “When”
- “Is able to” / “Is possible that” VS. “Can”
- “In an effort” / “In order to” VS. “To”
- “In the event that” VS. “If”
Please Tweet this post out and PIN ME!
Hack #3: Check Your Commas
Question: How many commas should you include in list statements?
Answer: Use one comma between each item you list.
Some people will tell you to use a comma before the conjunction, some will say you don’t need to, and the people who tell you to use it are right.
I remember arguing about this with a tutor, in high school, when I was out of school on medical leave. I will never forget how frustrated I became with my education when she insisted that I remove a comma where I didn’t need to.
My response was to stop the assignment, request that she take her grievance to my English teacher, and ask that we reconvene when she had an answer from an expert. She returned with a hung head and her tail between her legs.
When writing a list statement, you must use a comma after the word preceding the conjunction.
Correct use of commas: She only eats apples, oranges, and bananas.
Incorrect use of commas: She only eats apples, oranges and bananas.
(Do not argue that this is correct. It is often used, but Lorraine Reguly, the owner of this site who is also a freelance editor and a certified English teacher, will even tell you that she does not write like this!)
Each time you finish a piece of writing, go through and check your lists to make sure you’re using commas properly.
Hack #4: Cut Out the Flab
It’s easy to overuse words when writing, so pay close attention. For example, if you’ve used a descriptive word in more than one sentence in a paragraph, edit out consecutive uses. Replace repeat words with synonyms, or cut them out completely.
Additionally, several “weak words” in the English language are used too much by everyone. You should avoid some, and others should be used sparingly.
Words to Avoid:
- Stuff
- Things
- Got
- Was/Is/Am/Are
- Went
Words to Use Sparingly:
- Just
- Have Got
- Small
- Big
- Almost
- Often
- Think
- Seem
- Feel
- Never
- Every
- Used To
- Important
- All
- Very
The only purpose that peppering your writing with weak words serves is to add excess weight. They create “flab,” and should be replaced whenever another word will suffice.
Hack #5: Fine-Tune Your Call-to-Action (CTA)
When writing for a blog, you should be ending each post with a clear call to action (CTA). The final editing hack is to check that the call to action used is relevant to the post itself.
You want readers to take a specific action, as a result of reading your post. So, let them know what to do, and make it easy for them to do it.
Here are some examples of possible scenarios and their CTAs:
1: When writing on your own blog, you may want readers to subscribe to your newsletter. If so, include a subscription form that is visible from the post page, and direct readers to it.
2: If you want readers to continue moving through your site, include a link to another relevant piece of content.
3: When writing a guest post, you might want to ask readers to take action pertaining the advice you’ve just given them.
Effective CTAs don’t just say “click here.” They are descriptive and urgent, yet simple.
Writtent shares 15 examples of CTAs that convert, explaining that there are a lot of different directions to send readers upon completion of a blog post. The point is that you need to say something, and it should be in alignment with the rest of your post.
Conclusion
When self-editing a blog post, the first thing to check is your tense. Next, remove and replace unnecessary phrases. Then, check your commas. After that, cut out the flab by taking out overused words. Finally, make sure your post has a clickable call to action that makes them want to take the next best step. Next time you write a post, integrate this advice and increase the power of your words.
You can use these 10 Awesome Editing Tips + 10 Best Editing Tools for #Writers and #Bloggers to help you, too.
Don’t forget to download this in-depth bonus checklist of 17 Editing Tips for Writers!
Have Your Say! (MY CTA)
What do you have problems with when self-editing?
Will these self-editing hacks help you?
What else can do you to edit your blog posts?
Share your thoughts in the comments, and share this post on social media!
And if you really need an editor (or a writer), then hire Lorraine. 😉
She’ll be happy to help you!
Did You Get Your Free E-book Yet?
Be sure to pick up your FREE copy of 20 Blog Post Must-Haves.
Janice Kersh is a writer and editor at EssayWriter.Pro. She strives to improve the performance of her content with each and every post.
Did You Know You Could Become a Freelance Editor?
Being a freelance editor, in my opinion, is even better than being a freelance writer. First of all, it pays more. Secondly, it is the best job I could ever ask for. I love editing, I love words, and I love helping others. Finally, I love reaping the many rewards (check out the many benefits of being a freelance editor).
If you are not currently working at your dream job and want to be a freelance editor, then sign up to get on the “interest list” for my upcoming course!
I am in the process of designing a course that will teach you EVERYTHING about being a work-from-home editor and entrepreneur.
This includes:
– how to get paid up-front… ALWAYS! (before you do any work)
– how to get testimonials
– how to market yourself
– where to find work
– how to leverage social media for your business (because, YES, you will be actually running a business if you are successful!)
– how to keep accurate records
– how to easily calculate your costs
– how to communicate with potential clients so they turn into ACTUAL clients
– how to organize your time (so you can complete all of the tasks involved in running your biz)
– how to deal with difficult clients
– which projects to accept
– when to raise your rates
– AND MORE! (INCLUDING BONUSES!)
Plus, I want to get to know you so that I can give you EXACTLY what you need to succeed!
So, DO you want to know more about how to become a freelance editor?
If so, SIGN UP HERE.
I have to mention, but, that hiring an editor from Fiverr might be not the high-quality idea. You won’t get the same satisfactory of work from the editors there as you’ll with someone inclusive of myself, who is an authorized English instructor!
I agree with you, Amelia.
That is why it is best to hire a professional editor such as myself!
Thanks Janice and Lorraine. Great tips that I pinned.
You’re welcome! 🙂
Lorraine,
You are the live saver for every blogger out there, and now you are in my bookmarks.
Every blogger should first follow your blogs and then they should start writing an article.
thanks a lot
.
.
Rahul
Thanks, Rahul! 🙂
This is very important for any bloggers and i find it very useful to me personally , as i just kickstarted my blogging stuff few months back and the information about what to write and whats not in the blog post and informative article for helpful seo stuff. Thank you so much
You’re welcome.
FYI, use “I” instead of “i” when referring to yourself! 😉
This is awesome blog post for specially new bloggers.
Thank you. Many bloggers need to edit their posts before publishing them!
Thanks Janice and Lorraine. Great tips that I pinned.
Nancy, you made my day! This was so nice to hear. 🙂
Nice tips for beginners and pro bloggers. I ve always like to make my posts simple and concise.
Thanks for this guide!!!
Joseph, that’s great to hear!
Simple posts are easily digestible. 🙂
Hi Lorraine and Janice,
Smart tips! Following these steps helps you create crisp, clear posts. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Ryan
Hey, Ryan. I hope you picked up the 17 additional tips, too! 😉
Having blog writing is a good as it helps to build relations and your blog gets more raise through their social accounts.
Yes, true!
Hey Janice and Lorraine,
It’s really important to check the tense and the comma. Though I am not a great writer but I do the proofreading. The tips you have provided are awesome.
I am sure, people would learn a lot from these 5 points.
Thanks for sharing with us.
~Ravi
Ravi Chahar recently posted…BloggingLove Theme – A New Era For BloggingLove And Its Readers.
Ravi, they will learn more from the 17 tips I provide! (I wrote that freebie myself!)
Thanks for stopping by.
Also, congratulations on creating your new theme. I’m happy I know smart people like you! I’m not techie!
I AM, however, great with words. Grammar, too. 😉
Have to say I agree on everything but #3. Not including a comma before “and” in a list is acceptable (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/engagement/2/1/43/). It’s just not very common. I think it’s more important to do what looks natural and to follow through with the precedent you set throughout the piece. And of course, if you’re writing for another site, if they have punctuation guidelines follow them.
Anyway, as for editing, if you can get family or friends to read through the draft, they might catch more of your mistakes. If you can’t get someone else to edit, I would recommend sleeping on the piece and editing the next day. Maybe even reading the piece out loud.
Samantha, while it may be “acceptable,” it is better to include the extra comma. It makes more sense to do so.
Did you know that most people ignore the importance of commas?
Commas can change the meaning of a sentence!
Consider this sentence:
“Let’s eat, Grandma.”
Without the comma, it would be:
“Let’s eat Grandma.”
Who want to eat their Grandma?
I certainly don’t!
Clearly, comma usage is extremely important!
By the way, your two suggestions for editing are included in the freebie I am giving away in this post (along with 15 other helpful suggestions).
Thanks for your comments!
Here’s another example I hit upon, when reading about “Oxford” comma:
“I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty.” Without an extra comma it sounds like parents are Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty 🙂
Nick, thanks for the great example.
I sure hope Samantha sees this comment!
Thanks, too, for letting me know the upgrade/freebie was not working. I’ve fixed it and all should be working fine now. 🙂
Thanks for the comment, too! It’s always a pleasure to see you over here.
Since English is not your first language, I’d love your feedback on my 17 additional editing tips. Email me, or comment here. Thanks!
Samantha, thanks for your editing advice.
There’s a nice quote from Hemingway “Write drunk, edit sober”. While I don’t encourage drinking, I still love the quote. For me it means that I have to do the editing the next day, when my brain is not tired from all the writing.
Hello Lorraine and Janice,
Great post… I especially like “Hack #2: Take Out Every Unnecessary Phrase.”
Basically, just cut out the fluff and get to the point, which is something I agree with 100%.
One quick tip I can give is if you’re looking to hire an editor, you can do so pretty cheaply at Fiverr.com.
Thanks,
Kevin Ocasio
Kevin, thanks for your comment and suggestion.
I have to say, however, that hiring an editor from Fiverr is probably not the best idea. You won’t get the same quality of work from the editors there as you would with someone such as myself, who is a certified English teacher!
Kevin, I agree with Lorraine on this one: it’s better to hire a certified professional. Prices on Fiverr might be much lower, but the quality will suffer a lot.
Adding to “Hack #2: Take Out Every Unnecessary Phrase.” there is a good quote from Stephen King: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs”. This is a rather radical thought, but it does make some sense. Try to avoid using too many adverbs. They do not add that much value after all.
Janice, I just want to point out that the period should go INSIDE the quotation marks in your example. 🙂
So it would read: “The road to hell is paved with adverbs.”
Thanks for replying to the comments left here. I appreciate it.
Hi Janice and Lorraine,
I agree that if the budget allows, a certified professional would be a great choice. However, some people are on a very tight budget and it’s still possible to find a gem on fiverr with a little research.
For example, I quickly found this person with over 1,000 feedback and a positive rating of 100%…
https://www.fiverr.com/mrproofreader/be-your-novel-editor-and-guarantee-the-fastest-turnaround-and-lowest-cost-edit
If I were in the market for an editor, I would definitely give this guy a try.
Kevin Ocasio recently posted…[CASE STUDY] $0 to $10,000+ Per Month Case Study Begins
Kevin, I know that money is tight for many people. That is why I am approving your comment!
Great find!
Hi Janice,
Useful post for me. Because sometime I get confused between tenses, which one should I use and it got mixed.
I know what people thinks when they see a bad grammar and poorly written post. This post will help me a lot.
Thanks
– Umesh Singh
Umesh Singh recently posted…6 Free Content Discovery Tools to Skyrocket Your Blogging Efforts
Umesh, I am glad you found this post useful.
When English is not your first language, it’s easy to make mistakes.
Do you use any tools to help you with your grammar? Which ones?