Editing Like a Pro: Polish Your Drafts for Maximum Impact

ChatGPT made waves a few years ago, and many writers wondered if AI would take their jobs. It wasn’t long, however, before Google began penalizing AI-written content. Turns out, content written by ChatGPT is similar to low-quality content written by a human. Oftentimes, what separates professional writing from AI and other subpar writing is the content editing process. In this article, we’ll show you how to edit content like a professional freelance writer for maximum impact. ChatGPT is about to eat your dust.  

Ensure the Content Serves Its Purpose

Sure, you want your writing to entertain, inspire, and influence its readers. But most importantly, all writing should serve the purpose for which it was written. The purpose of your writing is the reason your audience will click through and read it.

For example, this bit of prose you’re reading right now needs to make good on its core promise: helping you edit like a professional freelance writer. Likewise, your writing needs to fulfill its core

purpose for your readers.

Check That the Content Is Written for the Reader

Consider the industry for which you’re writing, your readers’ education level, and their most pressing concerns. Taken together, these elements influence your readers’ expectations, and meeting their expectations is a powerful way to earn their trust and keep them reading. 

An HR tech blog reader has different expectations than, say, a gardening blog reader. The reader of an HR tech blog will expect statistics and other “outsider” facts to back up the premise of the content. 

You can earn a gardening blog reader’s trust by demonstrating a thorough understanding of gardening. Your article may be about pruning tomatoes. But you’ll lose your readers’ trust if you mention transplanting seedlings outdoors without also mentioning hardening them first. 

Make Sure the Content Matches Your Client’s Brand Voice

Cinching the client’s brand voice is a content writer’s superpower, and it’s a primary skill that companies look for when hiring freelance writers. Before you begin every assignment, take a few moments to read the client’s website and blog to reacquaint yourself with their brand voice. 

Look for the Logical Flow of the Content

Reread your writing to ensure it flows logically. How your content flows depends largely upon the type of content it is. But here are some content editing tips to get you started.

• Does your numbered list follow a logical sequence, such as a countdown to the best or the order in which they should be performed?

• Does your main idea develop logically from one paragraph to another?

• Does your introduction clearly state what the content is about?

Ensure That the Content Matches the Style Guide

Revisit your client’s style guide to ensure you have all the required elements. Have you included the required links, bulleted lists, and images? Does the word count fit within their parameters? Is the call to action just the way they want it? 

Delete Unnecessary Sentences and Words

All of your words and sentences should serve a purpose. Their purpose can be to provide information, to transition to the next idea, or to entertain. Follow these content editing tips to delete unnecessary sentences and words.

• Are you stating the same idea with two sentences?

• Can you say the same thing with fewer words?

• Does the word give your content “personality?”

Make Use of an Online Thesaurus

Repeating common words can make your writing dull. Jazz it up by using a variety of words. Don’t be afraid to use a bit of easy-to-understand slang, if appropriate for the topic and client. An online thesaurus can help you mix it up.

Use a Dedicated Grammar Checker

We hate to break it to you, but the grammar checker that comes with your word processor is janky. It’ll tell you that you need a comma after the word “but” when you use it to start a sentence, or it won’t correct you when you place the question mark after the end quotation. A dedicated grammar checker will help you find hidden errors and reduce your content editing time. 

Click the Links

You’ll look like an amateur if you send an article with dead links. Yet, it’s so easy to paste the wrong URL into your document. For good measure, always click on the links to ensure they are going where they’re supposed to. 

Check Your Keywords

Finally, ensure you’ve included the article's primary and secondary keywords. Read them to make sure that they sound natural and make grammatical sense. 

Edit Like a Pro for Effective Content Your Clients Will Love

A great freelance writer will be in high demand for at least the foreseeable future. Brands are always looking for writers who can whip up content that resonates with their audience. Companies know that, at the end of the day, their content has to connect with their customers’ needs and emotions. And they’ll seek out exceptional writers who can deliver content that makes an impact. Use the above content editing tips to develop an editing process that will ensure high-performing content every time. 

Need more help honing your freelance writing skills? Find all the tools you need right here. Start downloading, and let’s get you writing!