Revisions and edits are part of the writing process–there’s no way around it. But it’s also good practice to help improve your writing skills. The more you edit your own writing the easier it is to see your weak points and avoid them in the future. It helps you to write stronger.
Good editing skills give you a professional edge. People will be more likely to consider you an authority if you edit your work to remove everything that’s unnecessary.
It allows you to stretch your confidence and builds confidence in your writing skills.
Edits and revisions can be a daunting task, especially if you’re working on lengthy material. The best way to cover it is to break it down into tasks. Don’t try to edit everything in the first run-through.
Read over the material first. Don’t edit at this time unless you find an obvious mistake.
Go through it again paying attention to grammar.
Go through it again paying attention to spelling and punctuation.
Let it sit for awhile.
Read over it again to see if you’ve missed anything.
One writer I know has 9 finished novels. She writes like there’s no tomorrow. But she’s never entered the editing and revision stage for those works. Editing and revising those works will take some time, but it’s time that has to be taken if she ever wants a finished and polished product.
The same is true with non-fiction works and writing. Allow yourself time in your daily blogging and writing schedule to edit and revise your material. You’ll come out a better writer in the end.
Need more experience? Offer to edit someone else’s work–a close friend or colleague. If you enjoy the work and get good at it, you can even start charging for the service.
Image courtesy: http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2072/2238851942_3f4a1ab3d7.jpg
USeful tips for proofreading