Self-Editing Techniques for Clear Writing

I've been an editor for 7 years now. And here’s a truth bomb: 99% of editing advice online is generic. “Check grammar.” “Shorten sentences.” “Take a break.” Yes, but can we dig deeper? Today, I'm revealing the most underrated, unspoken editing hacks. No gatekeeping here: → Zoom Out to 50%: Sounds weird? Try it. Reducing text size makes formatting issues obvious. You’ll spot uneven line lengths and clunky layouts instantly. → Voice Note Test: Record yourself reading your draft aloud. Listen back without reading along. Awkward wording stands out painfully clear. → 'So What?' Technique: After every paragraph, ask “So what?” If there's no clear purpose—rephrase or remove. Keeps writing tight, engaging, purposeful. → One-Screen Rule: Keep each subheading's content fitting one screen. Scrolling mid-section causes reader fatigue. Break it down—short and crisp is key. → Color-Code Edits: Highlight different issues with different colors: 1) Pink for weak words (really, very, stuff). 2) Blue for unclear ideas. 3) Yellow for repetitive points. Visual cues speed up final revisions drastically. → Find-and-Replace for Punctuation: Search your commas, semicolons, dashes. Do you overuse them? Replace some with periods to punch up readability. → The Font Swap: Change your font temporarily. Your brain sees text as 'new' content. Mistakes and awkward phrasings jump right out. → Reverse Outline: Summarize each paragraph in 3-4 words. Is there logical flow? If not, rearrange or rework ruthlessly. Editing is surgery (don't question me). These hacks transform good content into remarkable content. But hey, I'm always learning. What's your top editing secret nobody talks about? Share it below 👇

Two decades ago I learned One Weird Trick for editing your own writing. Edit **from the end to the beginning of your document**, paragraph by paragraph. I still use it and it still surprises me how well it works. When I get my students to do it, it often amazes them. Try it! Why does it work so well? At least three reasons. A simple one is that you've probably looked at the beginning of your document way more often than the end, so back-to-front editing distributes attention more evenly. When we read front to back, our brains predict what comes next, smoothing over gaps and mistakes. That's especially true with our own writing because we're so familiar with the content — and because many of us hate reading our own writing! Back-to-front editing forces the brain to work more, so we notice more. And it's more fun. And finally, especially in academia, a lot of writing is unnecessarily complicated. That wouldn't be a problem if the reader progressed linearly through the text, maintaining a perfect memory and understanding of everything they've read so far. Back-to-front editing helps us see how jarring the text is to a human reader. The best way to edit your writing is to have someone else do it. The second best way is to put it away for a few weeks before editing it, so the text isn't fresh in your mind. Back-to-front editing is always worthwhile, but especially when the first two options aren't available. I first posted this on Twitter many years ago, before I was on LinkedIn. Many editors confirmed in response that this trick is well known among them. Too bad it isn't more widely known — it shouldn't be only professional editors who benefit from it! Some of the other suggestions: reading your writing out loud (can confirm), having text-to-speech read your text out loud (makes sense), and even changing the font so that it doesn't look as familiar (whoa!) I also learned from the responses that the same thing works for music and even for art—holding a painting upside down lets you spot problems. It’s obvious in retrospect but still awesome that disrupting familiar mental patterns is such an effective and general life hack!

*The “red pen” trick to improving my writing* I once had a manager who reviewed my work in an unusual way. They’d ask for a printout (?!), and then they’d take a red pen from behind their ear and cross out words, sentences, even entire paragraphs without mercy. No inline questions or happy faces — just lines through anything they thought was unnecessary. Believe it or not, this was not particularly fun! I had to watch as all the creative thoughts I was so proud of were littered with red strikethroughs. But as it turned out, those brutal edits were the best thing that ever happened to my writing. When my ideas were surrounded with filler, it was hard for the reader to know what the real point was. But when I distilled my message down to just a few, carefully chosen words, the ideas cut like a sharpened knife. Most importantly, this process forced me to take a stance. As someone with a deep-seated fear of being wrong, I’d hedge my ideas with extra data, alternate ideas, and softeners so every reader could choose their own takeaway and no one could criticize me. But these red pen cuts forced me to sharpen my own thinking until I built a message I had conviction in. What worked for me? 1. Cutting too much and seeing what fails. If my writing still works when I remove a phrase, I don’t need it. I imagine I have a character count limit (like I do here on LinkedIn!) and delete words or entire paragraphs. It’s okay if I don’t answer every question — that’s what followups and appendices are for. It’s more important that the main points are undeniably clear. 2. Removing unnecessary “I” phrases. How often have you written “I think X happened” or “I think Y is not going well” just to make a difficult statement more palatable, when in fact it’s clear that “X happened” and “Y is not going well”? Not only does removing these phrases make writing cleaner, research says it makes the writer seem more powerful. Objective writing is easier to read, and it highlights what is truly an opinion that’s up for debate. 3. Making lists. If I don’t know where to start, lists are a great stepping stone. Each idea has a separate line, and each line is numbered. That forces me to clarify the priority of items both for myself and the reader. (This is a trick from Naomi Gleit, the GOAT of execution.) Now anyone can follow my thinking step-by-step or show me exactly what idea they disagree with. Those ruthless red pen edits transformed not just my writing but my thinking. For a new product, what features can I cut to clarify what the product is for? When I’m describing a team’s performance, what should I state as objectively true, versus something that’s open for debate? I owe so much to that manager’s ruthless focus on clarity. What once felt like destruction turned into a powerful tool, not just for my writing but for helping me and focus on what’s important across my life. (For regular updates on product, leadership, and scaling, subscribe to amivora.substack.com!)

I am often asked why it takes so long to edit a manuscript or grant proposal. Here's why... With every sentence I read in the document, I ask: 🔹 Does the sentence support the core idea and story of the document? 🔹 Does the sentence align with the topic of the paragraph? 🔹 Does the sentence make the point the author intends? 🔹 What does the reader already know and need to know at this point? 🔹 What do I (or the author) want the reader to think after reading this sentence? 🔹 What do I (or the author) want the reader to feel after reading this sentence? 🔹 Are the sentences organized logically? 🔹 How does this sentence connect to the preceding and following sentences? 🔹 Would the sentence be better placed somewhere else in the text? 🔹 Is the sentence parallel internally and with neighboring sentences? 🔹 Is the subject of the sentence clear? 🔹 Is the verb strong and accurate? 🔹 Does the verb agree with the subject? 🔹 Is the verb close to the subject? 🔹 Are the terms consistent with those used elsewhere in the text? 🔹 Is the sentence too long or overloaded with information? 🔹 Does the sentence contain unnecessary nominalizations that can be simplified? 🔹 Does the sentence contain unnecessary noun strings that can be broken up? 🔹 Does the sentence contain any long words that can be changed to shorter words? 🔹 Does the sentence contain the most accurate words for the intended meaning? 🔹 Does the sentence contain wordiness than can be condensed? 🔹 Does the sentence contain redundant or repetitive details? 🔹 Does the sentence use inclusive language? 🔹 Are the words spelled correctly and consistently? 🔹 Is the grammar correct? 🔹 Is the punctuation correct or confusing? 🔹 Could the sentence be written more persuasively? 🔹 Is the tone, formality, and readability appropriate for the intended readers? 🔹 Does the change I want to make maintain the same meaning or strengthen the intended meaning? 🔹 If I make a change to this part of the text, will that change affect another part of the text? 🔹 Is the formatting consistent? 🔹 Does the text align with the required style guide? And all these questions do not include the critical thinking needed to analyze the data, frame the interpretations, and clarify the conclusions made in the text. Editors carry a tremendous cognitive load as they review and revise text. This load takes time, energy, and attention to process and refine. What would you add to this list? #editing #medicalwriting #science

Most "editing advice" over the internet is s**t You've heard it all before: "Take a break and then edit your content."  "Read your content out loud." "View it on a different device." Sure, those tips are good to start with but not to live with! Here is my 3-part editing process that covers everything you need to know - 1) Developmental editing 2) Copy editing   3) Proofreading I tackle them in that order - big picture stuff first, then zeroing in on the details. For the developmental edit, I evaluate: • Does this really answer what the reader wants to know?  • Does it accurately reflect my perspective/stance? • Are all the key points and arguments fully fleshed out? • Is the narrative structure and flow logical? • Is this catering to the right knowledge level? Then I move into copy editing mode to smooth out: • Paragraph transitions and flow • Use of active vs. passive voice • Removing redundancies  • Ensuring I've explained the "why" behind the "what" • Adding clear takeaways throughout Finally, I proofread with a picky eye for: • Spelling, grammar, awkward phrasing • Proper spacing and formatting of the posts The editor's mindset is moving from "this is good for the readers mostly" to "what's missing?" Following these 3 editing stages helps me catch all the big issues and polish the finer points. What does your editing process look like? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks!

Most people think they're "bad writers". But they're actually bad editors. Here's what I mean: The most underrated copywriting rule in the world? Cut the fluff. We're conditioned to elongate and waste time with our writing. Here's 5 tweaks I'm constantly giving clients to write concise content: (+ hold reader engagement) 1. Delete “just” The word "just" often dilutes the impact of the sentence. It suggests less of or a reduction. And that devalues whatever statement you’re making. Erase it. Let your statement/opinion/point of view stand (confidently). 2. Delete ‘I think’ "I think" weakens your authority. You sound less convinced. So your reader thinks you’re speculating. You’re no longer the expert. Drop it and present your statements as definitive to build credibility. 3. Delete ‘also’ "Also" disrupts flow. It feels additive, not important. It signals an afterthought. You don’t need to prove you have another point to add. Make each point strong and stand alone. It might feel direct - brutal, even - but it adds power. 4. Delete ‘I doubt’ Showing doubt disrupts persuasive momentum. It suggests uncertainty. And then, your reader starts to question you. Be bold or show other sides to your point, without being skeptical. 5. Delete ‘really’ "Really" is used for emphasis. But it’s unnecessary. It takes away from the emotional description to come. “It was really bad”? Or “It was bad”? Don’t lean on “really”. Instead, lean on heightening the emotional description. Make each word earn it’s place. Every word should serve a purpose. And add clear value to your sentence. By deleting unnecessary fillers, you create with clarity, concision and impact. Remember: On social media, attention is brief. Concision is your friend in holding reader engagement. TL;DR: 1. Delete “just” 2. Delete ‘I think’ 3. Delete ‘also’ 4. Delete ‘I doubt’ 5. Delete ‘really’ Remember: you're not a bad writer. You just talk too much. ↓ 👋 Want free copywriting templates, guides and cheat sheets? Join 11,000+ on my newsletter: https://lnkd.in/e9ppAnJu You'll get 7 days of templates, my ultimate hook writing cheat sheet and more, free.

Ever feel like editing your writing is endless? That it never feels quite right? You’re not alone. ↳ Most people don’t know how to edit effectively. ↳ They go in circles, unsure what to fix, or worse, fix everything at once. But here’s the truth: editing doesn’t have to be chaotic. You just need to follow a process—a clear, repeatable, focused one. 1️⃣ First pass: STORY. ↳ Does every word serve the story arc? If not, cut it. ↳ Coherence isn’t optional; it’s essential. 📝 Pro Tip: ✔️ First, figure out your core message from your 2 to 3 key findings. Cut out everything that doesn’t align with the core message. 2️⃣ Second pass: STRUCTURE. ↳ Look at your paragraphs. Too long? Too short? ↳ Does each thought build on the last, or does it wander? ↳ Does it start with a declarative sentence? end with a summary? 📝 Pro Tip: ✔️ Use the 1-3-1 technique (You can view it here: https://buff.ly/40Hionb) 3️⃣ Third pass: SENTENCE. ↳ Sentences should be crisp. If you can say it in fewer words, do it. ↳ Omit jargon. Rewrite clunky phrases. ↳ Go for simplicity, not complexity. 📝 Pro Tip: ✔️ Use varying sentence lengths— small, medium, and long to give a natural flow and tone with emphasis on the main points. 4️⃣ Final pass: DETAIL. ↳ Formatting, figures, references. ↳ Check author guidelines. ↳ Attention to detail shows you care. 📝 Pro Tip: ✔️ The audience is giving you their attention — you owe it to them to make it as polished as possible Ready to elevate your work? ▶️Grab the last thing you wrote. Give it these 4 passes, one focused lens at a time. ▶️Take it slow. Be ruthless. ▶️And watch your writing transform. ___________________________________ P.S. If you want my manuscript outline blueprint, you can get it here: https://buff.ly/4cnaH8Z Please reshare 🔄 if you got some value out of this...

Ever wonder what great editing actually looks like? Here's a few real edits I've had recently: 1. Find 200 words to trim from the set-up. I was doing a big thought leadership piece - narrative intro, thesis up top, all that. And...I got a bit carried away. 200 words lopped off, got to the meat much quicker, everything better. 2. The H3s don't match. If you're writing a list of H3s, you want the same wording throughout to make it flow. Before: H2: Why BOFU content is so tricky for content marketers H3: It's highly context dependent H3: It's time-consuming H3: You can't go it alone After: H3: It's a completely artificial concept to begin with H3: It's time-consuming H3: It's impossible to create in a silo Better, no? 3. Paraphrase your quotes. I'd gathered a lot of interview content for a piece. So much, in fact, that I left some of it as a bit of a word dump. Spoken content doesn't always translate well to the page, even if you've trimmed out the "ums" and "likes". My editor suggested it would be much better to paraphrase and just keep a short juicy phrase or two from the SMEs. 4. BLUF throughout, not just in the intro. Putting the bottom line up front applies to paragraphs too. My editor pointed out that I'd ended the paragraph with my main point, instead of leading with it. With my weaker opening line, I'd missed out on an opportunity to give the reader a compelling reason to read that paragraph. 5. One comment that just said "noice." Definitely the best edit I've had in a while :D Also, joking aside, the best editors flag what they like (so I'll do more of it) as well as what needs fixing. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I'm sharing these edits for a few reasons: 1. Maybe you, like me, need the reminder! I already knew all of these things but still made the mistakes :) These things happen. 2. I've been writing content for nearly 10 years now. I don't make many mistakes these days, but I still get a bunch of edits. Everyone needs editing, no matter how long you've been doing this job or how good you get. In fact, the better I get at writing, the more edits I get. Clients that hire top-tier writers care even more about quality and differentiation. Edits are less about "this sentence doesn't work" and more about "how can we make this piece stand out, connect more, perform better?" So, if you're a newer writer and you just got a draft back covered in red lines - congratulations! You've found yourself a client who genuinely cares about quality content. 3. If you want to get better at writing, don't take a course. Do whatever it takes to work with editors like these. Everything I know about content, I learned from working with amazing editors. 4. "No notes" is a lovely thing to see. But so are a ton of well-articulated edits. They make you better. What's the most helpful edit you've had lately?

“I think sometimes the simplest of tips can be the most effective. “One thing I always do when I’m editing is to read my work aloud. “You can pick so much out that way – basic errors your inner voice glosses over, problems with the rhythm of a sentence or the flow of ideas. “It’s harder to hide from mistakes when you hear them spoken. “I recently discovered that my computer will read my work back to me in a number of different voices. I set it up so a different computer voice reads back a chapter each and I’m amazed at how much I’ve picked up from doing that. “The dispassionate voice of a computer doesn’t gloss over any of your mistakes – it can be quite brutal, to hear your words spoken like that, but it’s effective.” These words on editing your own work are from Wyl Menmuir. _________________________ Wyl Menmuir (1979-) is a British author, journalist, and lecturer best known for his Booker Prize winning debut novel, “The Many”. Along with his second novel, “Fox Fires”, he has published two non-fiction books, “The Draw of the Sea” and “The Heart of the Woods”.

Editing Your Own Work: The Underrated Trick Editing your own writing is tough, but not impossible. If you don’t have someone else to review it, trick yourself into being your own editor—read your work out loud. It’s one of the most basic yet powerful editing techniques, and here’s why it works: 🔹 You’ll spot awkward words – If you hesitate or stumble over a word, it might not fit. 🔹 You’ll catch long, confusing sentences – If you can’t remember how a sentence started by the time you finish it, it’s too long. 🔹 You’ll notice missing or odd punctuation – If you’re unsure how to vocalize a sentence, the punctuation might need fixing. 🔹 You’ll hear unnatural pauses – If you have to take a breath in the middle of a sentence, it likely needs restructuring. Next time you edit your work, read it aloud. It might surprise you how many issues you catch! Do you use this technique? #EditingTips #WritingSkills #SelfEditing