7 simple editing tips for crisp, clean copy
In today’s world of short attention spans, it’s crucial to convey your message quickly and simply. Make your writing tighter and more effective with these easy fixes.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a New York Times best-selling author or a blogger from Kansas—you have to edit your work.
Every writer’s goal is to save time while polishing his or her content. When you finish your first draft and it’s time to edit, use these seven strategies to hit all the right literary notes and end with a perfect final draft.
1. Cut filler words.
Phrases like “it takes,” “here is” and “there will be” detract from a sentence’s power. These phrases combine with other filler words such as “who” and “when” to pad out and weaken sentences.
Look for phrases like these, and train yourself to correct them:
Original: It’s fun to blog.
Better: Blogging is fun.
Original: There are many people who blog.
Better: Many people blog.
Original: Here are some ideas for you to try:
Better: Some ideas for you to try are:
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