10 Unsexy (But Effective) Self-Editing Tips I Learned in Editing School

And 1 that I figured out on my own

(Photo by Ron Lach from Pexels)

In editing school, I learned a rule no one follows: Never edit your own work.

But, of course, we all do. So today I’m sharing the 10 unsexy (but effective) self-editing techniques I learned in school — and one little bonus trick I figured out myself.

1. Don’t be your only editor.

But wait — isn’t the whole point of this article to learn how to edit your own work?

Yes, but that’s really not the best way.

There’s a reason you didn’t pick up on that obvious typo until after you published your last story — and it’s not that you’re a bad writer or editor. After planning, writing, and editing your own content, you’re too familiar with the material to be able to see it as it truly is. Your eyes can’t help but skim over mistakes when you’ve been working on the same draft for hours.

Us writers are often insecure about our craft as well. Your eyes are most likely more concerned with confirmation of a job well done than detecting errors.

You may have even made some big assumptions in your planning phase, which is how biases creep into the writing process. Let a trusted friend or…