Ready to edit?
Have you just finished writing a post or an article and are itching to publish it?
I would advise you against doing that, unless you want to be called out on some typos or grammatical errors you made in your piece.
I know what you are going to say. You have read it – twice.
That’s fine. However, I would really encourage you to let your piece rest for at least 24 hours. Just leave it and do not try and go over it again.
The post is still very fresh in your mind. Your mind knows what is coming next and trying to edit now won’t prove very fruitful. In fact, if you try and edit, you are more likely to skip over typos.
It might feel like you are editing, but in reality you are not.
This is why it is a really good idea to create some space between you and your piece. For a blog post, 24 hours are enough. Fiction writers tend to leave their work alone for longer.
OK, now that you are ready to look at your piece with fresh eyes – literally – you can start editing. And it won’t take long, I promise.
Step 1: Aim to Make a Single, Clear Point
By definition, blog posts are short. Ideally they should be less than 1000 words. Now if your post is around 500 words, you don’t have lot of space available to make lots of relevant, well thought out, detailed points.
Pick one clear message that you want to get across to your readers and do it well.
You could compose that message in the form of a list – just like I am doing. (Message: How to edit your blog post quickly and effectively.)
Or you could choose a topic and go into detail. It is much better to go deep, rather than wide, unless you are writing an ‘epic’ post. (Posts usually going over word count of 3K, in case you are wondering.)
Check to see that everything you have said ties in to your main point. Anytime you find yourself going off on a tangent, scrap that. You don’t want to sound like you are babbling. Keep it tight, keep it relevant.
Step 2: Make Your Headline Work Harder
When you start writing your post, start with a working headline or a headline in progress.
This means write down the main idea of your post in a sentence or two. What do you want to say? Say it in one sentence. This is your working headline.
Going back to Step 1, after you have read the entire post, see whether the premise of your headline still holds true. If not, go ahead and tweak it.
Ideally, your headline should accomplish these three goals.
1. Make your readers curious. You want them to click on your post if they come across it via any social media platform such as Twitter. Also, you want your email subscribers to open it.
2. Spell out the benefit clearly. For instance headlines like these work really well:
- How to master Twitter in 10 minutes a day
- 5 ways to get over your writer’s block
- This is how I gained 500 subscribers in a month
3. And lastly, it should self-select the audience. So the wording needs to be tight and specific. It shouldn’t be so general that people don’t know if the post applies to them.
For example:
- How to succeed … in what?
- 5 tips for getting over your doubts … about what?
- I won’t be eating Fish again … creative, yes, but busy people who are pressed for time might not find it compelling enough.
As you can see, the top three tell you exactly what you can expect, while the next three are vague and incomplete.
Step 3: Pay Attention to Your Intro and CTA
Your lead is very important. Nick Usborne, the legendary online web writer, says it is crucial to get your first five words right.
Not only do they come up in search engines and sometimes in social sharing, people often decide if they wish to continue just by reading the opening sentence.
Use hooks to grab your readers’ attention. Ask them a question. State a startling fact or statistic. Make a shocking statement. Reveal something about yourself. Make a big promise.
Also, don’t forget about your call to action (CTA). Many bloggers finish their posts leaving their readers without any action to take. They just read and move on. You need to add specific calls to action. These could be:
- Ask a question and ask your audience to respond.
- Ask them to share on social networks.
- Ask them to check out a similar post.
- Ask them to subscribe to your list.
- Ask them to purchase a product or service.
Step 4: Read to Catch all Typos and Other Errors
Change the font style, size or even color of your post before you start proofreading. The post will come across as if written by another writer. It will just make it that much easier to proofread. You will be truly amazed at the difference.
Read your text aloud to catch any awkward phrasing or passages that just don’t seem right. Even if your eyes miss it, your tongue won’t.
Try your best to correct any misspellings, grammatical errors and misuse of commonly confused words. But hey, if you still end up with one, mark it as human error and go back and fix it. That’s the beauty of it – at least when publishing on your own blog.
Step 5: Make Your Posts Screen Friendly
A lot of newbie bloggers often make this mistake. I know I did. They write using big chunks of text.
Often the whole post takes the form of a HUGE paragraph. And that makes the post not only difficult to read, but harder to scan.
Let’s not forget that in the world of web, a vast majority of people scan your post. If they see they can’t, they simply leave and go on to something else.
The easiest way to make your posts screen friendly is to write short paragraphs, use bulleted lists and subheadings, bold numbered lists, and lots of white space within your post. It makes it easier to read and digest it.
Don’t forget to use an image at the start of the post. Many bloggers use multiple images and sometimes even screen shots to break up their text.
Sit back and see if your post looks appealing and attractive. If not, continue with formatting till you achieve the result you are happy with.
So there you have it. This process won’t take you more than 10 minutes, provided your main message is solid. Otherwise, your post might require another round of edits.
What do you think? Is it worth leaving your piece alone for 24 hours? How long do you think it would take you to do the final edit?
Marya Jan is a blogging coach and an online copywriter at Writing Happiness. Grab her Free ebook 9 New Rules of Blogging . Follow her @WritingH.
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Hi Marya
Great article.
I am new to blogging and will be sure to wait 24 hours before editing my posts!
I also really like your tip about changing the font of the article before editing. I will definitely try this out on my next blog post.
Have subscribed to your blog :)
Joe
Thanks Joe. Glad it was helpful.
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Hello Mary,
I have a blog and the posts in it are quite impulsive and instantaneous.
Its more like I have a thought and suddenly I want to document it. I make a blog post of around 100 to 200 words and then post it immediately.
But then again, I am not really writing for traffic. I am just writing these posts to track my life. I would like to know in three months from now, what stream of thought was I on today. I am going through a very spiritual phase these days. I want somehow to document it.
I also keep another document – that is personal and not shared on blog – which I write every evening. I have been doing this for the past 4 to 5 months regularly. Keeps me sane.
I tried downloading your e-book and pdf says it’s a corrupted file… ? Anything I can try differently?
Mid recently posted..Sing and Rejoice, Daughter of Zion!
oh, that’s not good. I’d better check it out …
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
It seems to be working fine at my end. Do try again, otherwise email me at marya.writinghappiness at gmail dot com and I’ll send you a copy.
Thanks, Mid.
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Hi Marya
great advice! I used to write a blog post, give it a quick scan, and then publish it.
But once it was on the blog page, it looked different. Grammatical errors and typos would stick out a mile, and I would end up editing it at least twice, until I was happy with it.
I now try and write something then walk away as you suggest, before editing it later in the day or the next day. The mistakes show up immediately then, and before I publish!
Very difficult to do though. Once you have written the article, then temptation to get it out there is huge (for me, anyway).
I now need to work on the rest of your steps!
Angie recently posted..How to improve your communication skills
I know exactly what you mean, Angie. It is really hard for me, too. So I try to get my first draft down at night and then do a final edit in the morning. It works – most of the time. ;)
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Love this sentence — that had to be on purpose :)
Try you best to correct any misspellings, grammatical errors and use of commonly confused words.
I was thinking the same, but wasn’t sure whether to point it out or not!
ooops!
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Hi Marya,
I like what you’ve said in this post — especially steps 4 and 5. Not enough writers pay attention to how their work appears to the reader. We should be trying to make it easier for them to read and understand what we write.
I have a quibble, though. I would argue that steps 1 to 3 are really planning and writing phases, not editing. I would say, though, that steps 1 to 3 should be on an editing checklist.
Looking forward to more of your posts!
Carla
Your email keeps coming back, so that’s not working either. I’ve tried several times to down load to no avail.
Thank you for your help with this. :)
Mid recently posted..Sing and Rejoice, Daughter of Zion!
That’s strange. Could you get in touch via contact form on my site? You will find it on the About Marya page, scroll down. Make sure you enter your email addy and I’ll shoot one. Hope this helps.
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Hi Marya,
So many good points here. But I like #2 and #3. I think they’re things that new writers typically lack in. Butt they’re very key:
- Your header gets a reader’s attention, without that no one reads your post.
- Your intro keeps your reader reading
- Your call to action engages your reader.
All very well said.
Liz
Liz recently posted..Blog Post Checklist for Publishing and Sharing
Marya, my blog is a nightly transcription of the diary entries I wrote as an Iowa farm girl and high school student and then as a college student. I like to publish each post 50 years to the night after I wrote it. I read each entry in the morning so I can be mulling over an idea for that night’s headline. I don’t read ahead in my diary. That way I can experience it as my readers do – one page at a time.
I don’t care for them [sic] style of transcribing. Does my familiarity with the “s” word show my age? I haven’t found many spelling errors in my original content but when I do I correct it before publishing it.
Marya, I’m glad you presented a view of editing AND revising. It’s not enough just to check for typos. As you say, we need to make sure our ideas are as clear as possible.
For specific editing, I agree that reading the piece aloud helps.
I’m often in coffee shops “whispering to myself” to help me catch missing words, awkward phrasing, and general typos.
Thanks!
Sarah L. Webb recently posted..The Runaway Writer
Ah, so that’s you then :)
:)
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Great stuff Marya.
I would normally type my post at night, and read it over the next day, at which point I see things that I swear weren’t there before. So I guess I usually wait about 12 hours.
I never thought about changing the font or color. I’ll be sure to give that a try.
Jevon recently posted..Great Regular Places to Think
You will find it really eye opening. Do give it a try … Cheers.
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Marya,
You covered so many great points. Proofreading is truly related to a pattern you have in your brain and as time elapses the pattern dims and you SEE your mistakes.
Bottom line: I like that you are advocating perfectly crafted paragraphs and sentences with good grammar and correct spelling. Even on major websites you will see errors. Not good. All of us should aim for perfection. We’ll get there.
Thanks. Beth @ Boomer Highway
Beth @ Boomer Highway (twitter) recently posted..How Virtual Friendships Save Lives
There is no harm in aiming for perfection, Beth. I aim for excellence … if I get there, I am more than happy.
Have a great day!
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Bah! There is no easy method to editing. Only pain and sorrow and lots of empty whiskey bottles!
And yet…. your points are excellent. I’d say waiting is the most important part of editing. I’ve written whole stories. They were brilliant. Then I set them aside for a few weeks. When I came back, I hated them. I realized I needed to change everything from the POV to the way the characters spoke. Not fun. But my stories grew stronger because of it.
Your points on the intro hit home for me. I recently finished an article I’m hoping to get guest posted (is that the right phrase). The opening stinks, I’ll need to change that. Among other things. The development of our pieces is fascinating isn’t it? We write something, hate it, love it, change it, improve it, make it worse, botch it all up, make it seem divine, and loads more. Someone should study the psychology behind the editing process. Just saying.
Jack Dowden recently posted..Week 17: How I Get My Brilliant Ideas
Jack, you sound really hardcore … right brain .. true artist. You guys have it tough! ;) I am primarily a business writer, although I do try and get some creativity in. It’s a tad easier for me personally .. :) Appreciate all your compliments, mate.
Cheers.
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Marya, thanks for the good advice! I will put your points into practice. BTW: In your last sentence of point # 2, the word ‘see’ was left out. …….As you can see….
Thanks again, Oddy
Thanks for the share. This is a great help!
Love this post Mary, thanks. It’s really insightful. In fact just yesterday, I was looking for what now seems like these very same ideas on how to improve my blogs.
I find #4 & 5 particularly interesting bcoz those are the main things that applies to my blog. By the way, Mary there is a tiny li’l error in #4 with “Try you best to correct” instead of try your best.
And it really goes to show how the brain works and how we need to step back and have another look at it at some other time. What I find critical as well is to have someone else read my blogs for me before publishing.
Thanks a million :)
Shelly-Ann roper recently posted..PR ~ Marketing ~ Sales: So What?
Thanks Shelly-Ann. Lovely comment and thanks for pointing out the typo. I know you are only trying to help. I would go back and fix it but I can’t as it is a guest post. Thank you again.
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Another trick to help spot typos: Read backwards from the end, so your familiarity with the phrasing won’t be there to make you gloss over words.
I agree, thanks for sharing Mauser. Cheers :)
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Marya,
Great post, but hard to take seriously since, as Oddy has pointed out, you’re missing the word “see” in the last sentence of Point #2.
Vinita Zutshi recently posted..Violent Children: What if Your Child Hits You?
Vinita, I apologize for the typo. If you read my post, you probably also read the part where I say, “But hey, if you still end up with one, mark it as human error and go back and fix it.”. I know there have been a typo or two in this one, but the vast majority of my readers have appreciated the content and have been more forgiving.
I guess, since I talk about not making typos, I probably deserve it. However, I would imagine that there are four other points I write about (other than not making typos) which are worth something.
Just my opinion. Thanks for sharing yours.
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Marya, you don’t need to apologize! And yes, I certainly did read the point about putting it down to human error and moving on. I also appreciate that you can’t fix it because this is a guest post. But there are two things here that I am beginning to get:
1. You made a mistake and have been open enough to admit it, and very graceful in dealing with comments that point it out to you.
2. Had you not made that mistake, you mayn’t have got quite so many comments, and might not have made such an impression! :-)
Silver lining! :-)
I am impressed by how well you’ve handled all this, and it will be a pleasure to see keep reading you and see your blog grow. All the very best!
Vinita Zutshi recently posted..Violent Children: What if Your Child Hits You?
Thank you Vinita. What choice did I have? To die with embarassement or to admit the mistake and move on. I chose the latter.
Your kind words made me feel a whole lot better. Thanks again. :)
Marya
Marya | Writing Happiness recently posted..3 Unexpected Ways to Quickly Find Your Next Blog Post Idea
Er – I’ve added an extra ‘see’ in the last sentence! ;-)
Vinita Zutshi recently posted..Violent Children: What if Your Child Hits You?
Great steps and this will help me a lot on how to edit in a proper way. By the way thanks a lot for sharing this this is very helpful for me.Thanks!
Danyelle Franciosa recently posted..Allkind Joinery Brisbane – Upholding a Proud Tradition
Thanks for the article and great tips. I think letting the article rest for 24 hrs is great advice. I’m just starting out blogging so I’m on the lookout for help as I develop.
Dean Whitling recently posted..Speedlight Portraits with Shallow DOF
Heh. I have one better. I recently dug up a short SF novel and several short stories I wrote in the 1990s. I had totally forgotten I had written them — the oldest was from 1995, and written in something like Word for Windows (Win 3.1) format. They were on a 1.4 mb diskette, and I had to buy an external drive to read the disks. Fortunately, I was able to translate the files.
I found myself reading the stories very carefully — because I literally had no idea what was going to happen next! LOL.
Hi Marya,
It’s great to be keen in editing our posts, I’d just like to add that we also need to be resistant to editing while we write. Editing eats up our time and slows down the writing. I’m just learning this now because I really want to get more done in a day, especially in terms of writing assignments (personal and professional).
Thanks for the pointers :)
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