Nowadays, a blogger can be anyone with a computer and an Internet connection. Creating a blog is simple, yet once you do, it’s possible to reach millions of people. Sadly, the simplicity of blogs and blogging frequently encourages a reckless attitude while creating a post. The excitement of sharing their story or opinion sometimes keeps bloggers from adequately editing or proofreading their work.
The majority of bloggers these days choose the subject for an article, compose the piece, and then publish it on their own. Editing is a vital stage that is frequently omitted in this procedure. It is detrimental to a blog’s credibility and reputation to publish a poorly edited piece that is full of errors since once tarnished, those reputations are difficult to repair.
1. Take a Break
It’s a good idea to take a short break when you’ve done writing and feel ready to begin editing. Your mind is currently much too accustomed to what you’ve been writing for you to properly modify it.
You’ve been reading this piece of writing for a time, so you’re more inclined to overlook any errors. If you have the luxury, return with fresh eyes a few hours or even a few days later. By editing with new eyes, you may truly read the words as they are rather than what you intended to write, viewing them with a sense of detachment.
2. Conduct extensive research on the topics you choose
Never begin writing on a subject without conducting adequate research first. Picking a topic and reading a Wikipedia page is not sufficient. The creators of marketing content must have taken the time to research the subject, what people are talking about it, and how your business or current events are relevant. Additionally, now is the moment to confirm that the names and locations, the data and statistics, and the factual dates are all spelled correctly.
3. Read it slowly
Consider reading more slowly than you usually do. If you can read a blog post in its entirety in two minutes, try reading a proofread article in three. Pretend to be explaining the text to someone who didn’t fully grasp it when you initially presented it to them.
4. Punctuation is especially important
The use of improper punctuation is ugly. Apostrophe and full stop placement should be observed. Another thing that many seem to have trouble with is semicolons. You should always use a semicolon to connect two independent clauses that are closely related to one another.
The decision of which words to capitalize in a header or title is another issue that bloggers occasionally run into. Chicago style, APA style, MLA style, and AP style are the four main title capitalization methods. Though there is no right or wrong option, pick one and stick with it so that your writing has a consistent feel.
5. Have another person review your writing
Ask someone who can read to proofread your content. Even if you double-checked your post for typos, chances are they will still find mistakes you overlooked. Someone who is new with your content won’t automatically overlook any errors because they won’t have previous expectations about how it should sound.
Additionally, they’ll tell you if your post makes sense, which is a wonderful indicator of how your blog readership will likely view your piece.
6. Do not rely on the spell check feature of your word processor
There are many good spelling and grammar checkers in the market. If you want perfect material, though, they are rarely the greatest option. You must familiarize yourself with the specifics of the English language because sometimes automatic suggestions may even be inaccurate. Additionally, you must make use of other, trickier proofreading tools. And never forget that nothing, not even software, can replace the human eye.
7. It’s better to proofread in the morning
Giving your writing the attention it requires is something you should do. The best time to proofread is in the morning or at the start of your workday, when you are fully awake and focused. You need to focus on the process and pay close attention to it, as well as remain free from outside distractions.
Bottom Line
Good proofreading is the difference between looking like a professional or a newbie, and readers will judge accordingly. Luckily, there are plenty of proofreading experts on our platform to help you proofread and edit all your written content. Here’s to not looking like an amateur!
