How to edit your own writing

In a perfect world, you’ll always have a brilliant, thoughtful editor who can dissect your work and give you quick, incisive feedback on every word you write.

However - as many of us know - in the real world, we’re often left scrambling to improve our own work and praying we catch all the stupid typos we’ve made.

When you find yourself in this situation, try these simple tips for editing your own work.

✒ Take a break
Editing your own writing can feel like listening to your own voice on a tape recorder — it’s an awkward experience that makes many cringe. Because of this, one of the very best self-editing techniques is to put as much distance between yourself and your writing.

When possible, I try putting my writing aside overnight before giving it a strong edit the next day. By the next day, the words feel less personal and more expendable.

If you don’t have the luxury of being able to wait overnight, then step away for as long as you can. Go for lunch, or even better take a quick walk. Even a small break can help you see your piece with fresh eyes.

✒ Change the format
Rather than struggling to focus on your words in the same Word document with the same font, consider mixing things up. You may prefer to print out the item (yep I do that when I’m stuck. I’m old school) and go at it with a red pen.

You can also change the font or try a new colour. Again, the idea is to help yourself see the words from a new perspective.

✒ Read it out loud
When you re-read something you’ve already written, your brain thinks it already knows what’s in there. That means it’s easy to assume that what’s supposed to be there, like a missing conjunction, is actually on the page.

To thwart your brain, try reading the piece out loud. You’ll engage a different set of senses and spot omissions, or other mistakes. Many Word processors (and email) have this as a function – and it’s a life saver!

I also recommend editing your work backwards as an exercise to shake yourself out of complacency and make sure you’re seeing the words individually instead of what you expect to see. Depending on how important the piece is, you may want to do both.


And remember, no matter how carefully you edit your work, you’re likely to miss something. Accept it and move on. Just try not to let it happen on anything too important.