Est Read Time: 5.5 Minutes
I know that when you read through my copy you will find little to no errors. How can I say that so confidently?
Because I have a process in place that allows me to look over my copy and catch spelling and grammar errors. I also have found when I go through my process entirely I am inspired to delve deeper into some parts and just completely eliminate parts that would confuse my audience.
Of course, though, I am human, so there are mistakes that I overlook. It happens to the best of us friend, so don’t be too hard on yourself when you spot your own errors –it is bound to happen!
Before I set up a process, I almost always found errors –multiple errors! Or worse, I realized that I came across unclear and scattered! 😱
Believe me, I want to die of embarrassment with some of the errors I’ve made…
But I always remind myself that no one is perfect and those mistakes make me more relatable. People can resonate with a mistake or two. However, you don’t want your copy to be littered with errors so bad that it makes no sense or people just straight up cringe at your lack of spelling and grammar abilities.
[I’m one of those people who cringe. #SorryNotSorry]
I mean, when I see a small spelling error in near-perfect copy, I’m like, “Yeah. I feel that. Been there, done that!” And it makes me immediately relate to that person.
But that’s completely different than trying to read through copy that is just jam-packed with spelling and grammar errors. I will almost immediately move on –heck, I will even unsubscribe.
Do you really want to lose followers because you won’t make time to at least read through your copy once before posting? It’s a very fixable thing to lose potential customers over –at least I think!
So without further ado, I will tell you about our process here at Razzle Marketing for our self-editing.
Solo-Editing Like a Pro
1. Schedule Two Days
When it comes to writing and editing, I schedule two days. On day one I sit down and WRITE. I just keep the flow going so I can hammer out a minimum of two weeks of content. Ideally, I like to have four weeks done, but sometimes that isn’t an option.
What’s very important to note, is that you do NOT need to have content for every single day. Is it ideal? Sure, yeah. But if you can’t do it then do not stress yourself out over it.
What’s important is that you show up consistently (3 times a week is a good number) and you are sharing content of value. You either want to inform, educate, or entertain. Don’t post just to post.
On day two, I go through everything that I have written and do my editing! By editing on day two, I find that I am looking at my copy through fresh eyes. I find more spelling and grammar errors than when I try to edit the same day that I write.
Also, I find when I’m reading it through the next day I can hear all the areas of my writing that can be confusing and where I can expand further. It’s truly beneficial to not just you, but also the audience that you’re serving if you edit your work.
[If you don’t have two days though, create in the morning, take at least an hour break, then go back and read through it.]
2. Use Tools Like Grammarly
On my editing day, I take everything that I have written into a Google Doc and copy and paste it into Grammarly.
I LOVE Grammarly! It’s an editing tool that goes deeper than your average spell checker. It looks at your spelling AND grammar! Suggesting edits to make your sentences more clear and lets you know when you’re using the wrong too, two, or to. (Trust me, this tool has been invaluable to my business! You should majorly consider getting it, it’s free.)
3. READ YOUR WORK OUT LOUD
I truly feel like a broken record saying this, but I cannot stress the benefits of when you read your copy out loud. You don’t have to read it to anyone but yourself. But I find when I sit down, copy and paste my work into Grammarly and then read it out loud, I catch my errors so much better. And I hear when I’m unclear. AND it also makes me feel like a superstar when I feel like I sound I know what I’m talking about, don’t you? 😉
Please trust me when I say that you need to read your work out loud. If you take no other tip from me today except this one, I am telling you, you will be better off –your copy will be better off!
4. Don’t Over Edit
Just like the saying, “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, “Too much editing spoils the copy”.
You don’t want to overthink and question what you have created, and editing a hundred times can do that.
Of course, you want to be clear and assure that your spelling and grammar is on point, but you don’t want to pick apart everything you have done. So I recommend giving it at most, three edits.
If you have time, read it after everything has been written. Then wait until your editing time the next day and give it an edit in Grammarly by reading it out loud. And then I’ll give it one final read-through before I hit the post button! That’s it. That’s all you need.
Sure, it sounds tedious and time-consuming, but the more you do it the better flow you will have.
Conclusion
Okay friend, now I want you to look at your calendar and schedule two days for content creation. Day one you write and day two you edit.
I am confident you will feel more confident in your writing if you take the time to edit. Even once!
Like I said, if you take away nothing else from this, just give your content a read-through OUT LOUD.
But for the best results, I encourage you to follow my four steps! 😁
Until next week my friend, I wish you success, happiness, and prosperity.
-Jordan
