Generally speaking, editing and proofreading are not topics that writers love to talk about. When people think of editors…they think boring. However, there is no denying that the editing process is a critical part of the writing process that can’t be over looked.
Blog posts, academic papers, films, books, and other forms of written communication must be edited. In this post, well teach you about the importance of editing and proofreading with some tips to improve.
5 Reasons Editing Is Important
Here are some of the main reasons why proofreading and editing are important steps in your writing sequence.
1) Catch Spelling & Punctuation Errors
The most obvious benefit of editing your writing is to catch spelling, punctuation, and grammatical errors! There are far to many grammar rules to cover in this post. In fact, I often recommend using software like Grammarly or WordTune to automatically proofread your writing!
For example, there are many rules surrounding how to utilize commas in your writing. Knowing when to use a comma after or before but is a rule that often tricks new writers. Carefully proofread your work to ensure common errors like this won’t slip through the cracks!
2) Organization
Editing and proofreading ensures that your writing is organized. Incoherent writing styles with random paragraph and sentence structure is distracting!
When you are proofreading with our checklist, check to make sure your writing is organized in a clear & concise manner. Use double check a few things when reviewing the organization of your writing.
- Repetition of Words
- Sentence & Paragraph Structure
- Correct Word Choice
As an example of word choice, writers will confuse the words reuse & re-use. They will alternate between spelling in same sentence!
3) Author Reputation
First impressions are important. And you only get one first impression! As an author, it is critical to strive on only publishing work that is error free. Taking the time to edit your writing & correct bad grammar is key to maintaining your reputation as a writer. If you’re a serious author, consider using the Writers Work Platform to make it a career!
If you can’t put the effort in to have your work reviewed by professional proofreaders, then the audience will doubt your professionalism. They may even doubt the accuracy or meaning of your writing altogether!
4) Creates Consistency
Inconsistent writing is distracting. Your reader will be lost if you constantly change your writing tone & constantly switch between grammar rules. Here are some things that should stay consistent in your written communication:
- Style
- Tone of Voice
- Spelling Rules
- Grammar Rules
We are not asking for much! But taking the extra time to proofread your work makes it read better & feel consistent. Your audience will know if you switch between spellings like more rare & rarer. Be consistent with your word choice!
You also do not want to constantly switch between formal and informal writing. Phrases like “see you on the flip side” should not be used in formal or professional writing!
5) Less Distractions
In today’s world, many authors get caught up publishing tweets and blog posts as fast as possible. In the world of social media, things move fast!
Unfortunately, this is causing editing and proofreading to take a back seat. Publishing a written piece that is littered with errors will significantly distract from an otherwise great message. Use online courses like the Proofreading Academy to master the basics!
Ensuring that your writing is free of errors gives your audience peace of mind, allowing them to focus on the content and not on grammar or spelling difficulties. Proofreading helps to ensure the reader focuses on the message of your writing & not on the mechanics of your written document.
Basic Tips For Proofreading and Editing
1) Take Your Time
The process of academic proofreading is important! Give yourself a few hours to thoroughly review your writing to catch all the errors. Rushing through this process can lead to unforced mistakes.
2) Keep The Message In Mind
Why did you write your piece in the first place? You need to keep in mind the main message of your writing and ensure your point is crystal clear.
3) Read It Out Loud
Read your writing out loud. This is a great way to catch errors that you may have glossed over. Also, reading your writing out loud allows you to second guess the flow of your writing to ensure it is organized coherently!
Having a friend read your work from an independent point of view is another great way to catch mistakes! Sometimes, as a writer we get too close to our work and need fresh eyes to catch all the errors. Also, consider using the Chegg plagarism checker to make sure your work is unique!
Frequently Asked Questions
Editing is an essential part of media writing because it helps to ensure accuracy, clarity and completeness. Of course, editing makes sure your writing is free from basic grammatical mistakes. However, the editing process also ensure that you are communicating the essential message of a story to your audience.
Editing is critical to ensure a written document is free from grammatical errors and spelling mistakes. The editing and proofreading process makes your writing easier to read by ensuring compliance with basic grammar rules.
Editing is also important in film. In fact, it is one of the most important aspects of filmmaking that dramatically impacts the quality of a film. A film editor decides how to shape any given sequence of shots to draw out the intended emotional response. They often edit both the shot length and pacing.
As a reader, you know an editor did their job if the writing flows and is constructed in a coherent manner. You audience will easily get distracted by frequent grammar and spelling errors. If there are too many mistakes, the audience will stop thinking about the message of your writing and start focusing on these careless mistakes & typographical errors.
Final Thoughts
By now it should be clear that editing should be the final stage of an serious writing process. Editing and proofreading are critical to ensure you writing is error free, has proper sentence structure, and utilizes a consistent writing style throughout. You should also read our post on why proofreading is important for a new writer! Take the time to carefully proofread your writing and even read aloud to catch every grammatical error! And if you need some extra help, consider using our online grammar check tool for FREE!