There’s lots to consider when you want to put together a loyal group of readers for your blog. You need to find an audience and write to them or write from the heart and find the people who think just like you.
It’s important to know how to write well and find a voice that is fluid, unique, and conversational so your readers share in a genuine experience. All that happens when you publish clean, concise copy and self-editing is an important part of the matrix.
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Here are a few tips to get you started.
For whatever reason (and I don’t pretend to know why) the fewer the words the clearer the message. That translates into the old adage I’ve used as a subhead and while there are a few words like ‘that’ you can usually remove without changing the meaning of a sentence or paragraph, other editing techniques require more thought.
For example, sometimes bad grammar makes for good copy. If you’re quoting someone in your blog who just happens to be from the tougher side of town, cleaning up their language might change the message completely. Colloquialisms have their place in a conversational piece too; in fact, if you self-edit with too formal of an eye, you could very well bury your voice in the process.
Mastering the Art of Self-Editing
Self-editing is a crucial skill for bloggers, ensuring that your content is unique, concise, and error-free. In the ever-advancing world of technology, with a multitude of tools at our disposal, self-editing has become more efficient and convenient for bloggers in 2023. Here are some exclusive tips and tools to aid you in self-editing your blog posts:
- Take a breather: Once you finish writing your blog post, allow yourself some time before diving into the editing process. Stepping away temporarily grants you a fresh perspective when you return to it.
- Read aloud: Reading your blog post aloud helps you identify awkward sentence structures, grammatical errors, and inconsistencies. It also enables you to assess the flow and readability of your content.
- Utilize spell-checkers and grammar-checkers: Several advanced tools are available today that significantly assist in catching typos, spelling errors, and grammatical mistakes. Grammarly, ProWritingAid, and Hemingway Editor are renowned choices among bloggers.
- Verify clarity and coherence: Ensure that your ideas are presented logically and coherently. Review your content for any unclear or ambiguous statements and revise them to enhance clarity.
- Eliminate unnecessary words: Trim your sentences and paragraphs by removing redundant words and phrases. This makes your content more concise and impactful.
- Maintain consistent tone and style: Preserve consistency in your writing style throughout the blog post. Make sure the tone, language, and formatting are consistent to provide a cohesive reading experience.
- Proofread meticulously: Even after employing editing tools, it is essential to proofread your blog post manually. Pay attention to punctuation, capitalization, sentence structure, and any other errors that may have been overlooked.
- Seek feedback: Consider having someone else read your blog post and provide feedback. Fresh eyes can identify errors or areas for improvement that you might have missed.
- Review formatting and visuals: Check the formatting of your blog post, including headings, subheadings, bullet points, and paragraphs, to enhance readability. Ensure that any visuals or media used are relevant, properly formatted, and correctly attributed.
- Edit for SEO: If you are optimizing your blog post for search engines, review your content to ensure the natural incorporation of relevant keywords. However, be cautious not to sacrifice readability for the sake of keyword optimization.
Remember, self-editing is an iterative process. It is beneficial to go through multiple rounds of editing to refine your blog post further. By incorporating these tips and utilizing available tools, you can elevate the quality of your blog posts and provide a superior experience for your readers in 2023.