5 Editing Tips for Non-Editors

As a professional, there is a really good chance that eventually you are going to have to edit something – even if you do not work in marketing or communications.

Don’t believe me? How about annual reports, executive reports, product descriptions, sales materials, web content and business proposals. Oh, and media alerts. And employee communication materials. All need a myriad of eyes on them before they are blessed and unleashed to the world at large.

Don’t feel anxious. Even non-editors can be great at editing.

First, make a commitment to read through the text you’re editing three times (you can do it!).

The first read through is for general content and structure. Second time is the nuts and bolts, editing for grammar, spelling, style and fact checking. The final read through is to make sure all your edits make sense in a larger context, and to ensure you haven’t missed anything. The details can get you.

Editing isn’t (too) scary. Here are five tips to help.

1. It’s not all about grammar – Yes, grammar and spelling is important. Got it. But, more important is the overarching goal and content of the piece. If the goal of the piece was to explain to colleagues a new benefits program, did it? In short, does the communication say what is supposed to? At the end of your first read through you should be able to describe what the communication was supposed to be about and if the text clearly stated that purpose (did the headline and first paragraph deliver?). If you are left with overarching questions about the topic or purpose of the text, odds are good you won’t be alone in your confusion.


2. If in doubt, look it up – not sure about the spelling of a word? Check it out. Also, it’s always a good idea to double check spelling of names. I’m a big fan of double checking numbers and other details as well.


3. Short and sweet – Deep down, people don’t like to read. Especially not work stuff. Thus, big blocks of text will scare us away. Long, explanations scare us. In a world fueled by blogs and tweets – brevity is a necessity.


4. First thing’s first – Due in part to point three, you want to put the most important things first. Journalists do this for a reason. People are less likely to read content that is lower down in a story. Whether it is right or wrong is irrelevant. It just is. Know this, and put your key points first.


5. Tighten up that headline (making sure it is accurate and interesting) … and, don’t skip the final read through!

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