Great writers know that editing is where the magic happens. Whether you’re self-editing, hiring an editor, or using AI tools like Grammarly, every part of the editing process helps heighten the quality of your content.

The reality is: first drafts are never client-ready and require a few rounds of editing. Knowing how to edit effectively will help you take a first draft and turn it into a more compelling piece of content.

Different layers of editing

Editing is a broad term encompassing various techniques and approaches depending on the specific needs of a project. The different layers of editing include:

Proofreading and grammatical editing: This layer of editing is the most basic and important, and includes checking for errors in sentence structure, verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and punctuation, among other things. Thanks to emerging technology, this tedious layer of editing can now be completed with the help of tools like Grammarly Pro. As great as these tools are, it’s still important to know the basics of proofreading because Grammarly doesn’t always catch every grammatical error or makes suggestions for edits that don’t match the voice of your piece of content.

Structural editing: Editing for structure is not to be skipped. Structural editing serves the readers and makes it more likely they’ll want to keep reading longer pieces of content. This layer of editing involves improving writing for coherence, context, and logical flow. To define and solidify the structure of your piece, create an outline and ensure that the content follows the outline while editing.

Voice/tone: The most advanced layer of editing involves choosing the right words and phrases to convey meaning and emotion to the reader. For example, in the editing process, you may change the word “happy” to “optimistic” to better communicate the emotion you are writing about. Check for overused or ambiguous words and replace them with more precise or engaging alternatives. At the end of the day, it is about simplifying complex ideas and using everyday language that is easy for your target audience to understand.

“Editing is taking something that has been written and working to improve it and perfect it.”

Tips to become a better self-editor

There are no shortcuts to becoming a better editor, and you aren’t going to become one overnight. Effective editing is a continuous learning process that will provide you with great dividends over the course of your freelance writing career.

Here are a few of our tips to help you grow and improve as an editor:

Say more by saying less. Look for how many words you can cut out and still say the same thing.
Have an editorial guidelines document on hand. This could be a crash course on English, a list of common mistakes, or a checklist for standard editing practices. You can customize this document to your unique needs.
Check for context. Your audience doesn’t have the same knowledge as you on the topics you are writing about. As a writer, your job is to provide them with context to convey whatever it is that you want to say.

“I check for questions that would naturally arise in the minds of the reader and try to address them.”

Outsourcing your editing

Sometimes, it's beneficial to have a second pair of eyes looking at your content to give a fresh perspective. Writers are often the worst critics of the content we produce ourselves as we are attached to what we create. An outside editor brings in objectivity.

“Having an editor is a value add to your clients.”

A writer-editor partnership is successful as long as there is good actionable feedback from the editor, met by a positive response from the writer. The writer and editor share a common objective—to ensure the final output is outstanding. Embracing this shared goal fosters collaboration between the two parties, allowing the writer to work closely with the editor to refine and enhance the content.

Our sponsor, Editor Ninja, offers flat rates, fast turnaround times, and a hassle-free process. Using Editor Ninja is an efficient and reliable way to outsource your editing needs.

Dealing with bad feedback

While good editors will help you become a better writer, bad editors can be demoralizing. Remember, an editor’s feedback is not always a good reflection of your writing. More often than not, bad editors aren't really writers. They are usually marketing managers or founders who are looking at your content from a different perspective.

For many freelancers, these are our clients and have the final say about the output. It is crucial to help your clients understand the difference between good feedback and bad feedback. Your onboarding communication is a great time to get on the same page about your mutual editing process.

How to Become a Better Editor