Close

03/08/2018

Text editing rules for non-professionals

Get the perfect text from the copywriter is not easy, which is due to the complexity of the topic or work specification, the inattention of the author, etc. That is why every text necessarily goes through the editing stage, during which all possible errors are eliminated. But how to edit the text without being a professional editor, and what should I pay attention to? Use the cheat sheet of our editor-in-chief, which will allow you to find all the flaws in the text in just 5 minutes.

Basic methods of text editing

  1. The main task of the text (for what purpose the text is written, for which section of the site, what the audience is), so you determine its main idea. As an example, consider an information article on how to place a corner sofa in the room. The main task is to acquaint the audience with the rules for placing corner sofas in an apartment. At the same time, information on how to choose a sofa in the store is superfluous.
  2. Structure. Read the text carefully and make sure that the information is presented in a clear sequence. It can be the following: a description of the problem – solutions – conclusions. Avoid long sentences (more than 3 – 3.5 lines). Long sentences should be divided into 2 or more, as they complicate reading.
  3. Avoid repetition and words that increase water content. The principles of text editing at this stage are reduced to removing repeats (frequently used words in one or neighboring sentences). Reduce the number of words that create water: undeniably, other / in other words, the main, etc. The percentage of water content can be checked with the help of essay editor that could be easily found online.
  4. Typographical errors. Editing text includes and eliminating typos. In this case, you need to carefully read the article, part of the typos is highlighted by text editors. Particular attention should be paid to the names (cities, regions, companies, etc.) and terms. In these words, mistakes are most often encountered.

There are many methods of editing texts, including, depending on the genre. For example, advertising will necessarily require a call to action, appeal to the audience. At the same time, information can be limited only to the disclosure of the topic.