Need help editing your articles and essays? Here are a few tips gathered from freelancers who learned the hard way.
1.
Save every version before revising.
Make sure you do it with a different filename.
The last thing you want is to replace an entire paragraph, only to realize that the original is actually better, and finding out that you don't have a copy anymore.
2.
Focus on one thing at a time.
Want to revise for content? For cohesion? For grammar? For flow? Go through the text with only one of those in mind every time.
Go back later for the rest.
3.
Be strategic.
Go after the major mistakes first (e.
g.
a bad main thesis, poor arguments).
After you've settled those, begin revising for pacing and other less significant issues.
When those are done, turn your attention to writing style.
If you're happy with that, then jump right in and begin fixing mechanical issues, such as grammar and sentence structure.
You can use an English editing software for the last process.
4.
Learn to stop.
Too much rewriting can suck the life right out of your work.
The trick is to stop when you've already done enough.
Don't aim for perfect - there's no such thing.
Even if you won't admit it, editing has been a very important part in the writing process.
Therefore, you need to edit your writings every time you're done with your first draft.
I've seen a lot of writers who don't want to edit their writings and submit it automatically after they are finished with their first draft.
Now, what would you get as a result? Think about it.