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Before You Hit Publish {4 easy editing tips}

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When I wrote my ebook, I had an editor that checked my grammar, fixed typos and advised me on general readability. Some changes she suggested were small and others involved moving entire chapters around. The end product is vastly different (and much, much better) than my original book. I love my editor. 

Unfortunately, I can’t afford to hire her for every blog post that I throw out into the world. And I’m guessing you don’t have a budget for an editor either. But the good news is that a blog post is much more forgiving than a book. (yay!) 

I’ve spent a lot of time reading blog posts about writing blog posts (think about that for a minute… 🙂 ).  And I have been convinced that SEO or other traditionally important “blogging tips” are minor compared to one important feature. What really matters is simply, readability. 

 

You can have a hilarious, touching or incredibly insightful story to share… but if your post is not readable it won’t go anywhere. So before you hit “publish” on that amazing story of yours, check out these four things:

  • Is your post formatted properly?

Check for any long paragraphs. Utilizing white-space is extremely important. That means there should be blank areas around your writing. (i.e. short paragraphs, not too many advertisements, etc…) A paragraph that goes on and on is extremely difficult to read online. 

Are your paragraph lengths varied? Twelve two-sentence paragraphs = boring and monotonous. Split things up a little. If there are more than 2 or 3 paragraphs of the same length in a row, add to or take away until they vary. 

Is your color scheme a hindrance to readers? Not to be boring, but black/very dark words on a white/cream background is almost always preferred. I understand if you love bright yellow. Just don’t let it touch your words in any way. 

  • Read your post out loud at least twice. 

Reading out loud will identify the places that trip up your audience.  If you stumble on the same sentence both times change it.

It also utilizes your other senses (i.e. hearing) to locate any words that you may be unintentionally repeating. When at all possible, do not reuse the same word in a paragraph (unless you’re doing it very purposefully) and definitely not in a sentence. 

  • Ask yourself, “Is this paragraph necessary?” 

I love reading blog posts.  I especially love reading real-life-stories. I have a very short attention span. Pretty much, you have to be an incredibly engaging writer to convince me to actually read a long post. That means there should be no wasted words. Look at each paragraph and pose the question:  Does this paragraph serve a purpose? If it can be cut and the story goes on without it then cut it. 

  • Highlight key thoughts.

See how I used bold and italics in this post? Utilize this feature. Don’t overuse it, mind you, just utilize it. A reader should be able to skim your post and catch the most important parts of the story. (And hopefully, be drawn in. 🙂 ) 

What makes you read or not a read a blog post? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

In Him, (and always for Him), Natasha

  

Comments

  4. That was well and kindly written, Natasha! It makes me warm toward the idea of getting a little friendly blog-audit sometime.

    • Have you thought of joining or starting a blogging mastermind group? I’ve received most of my best feedback from the women in my group and it is incredibly helpful.

        • Hi, Monica! I’m with a group called the Ladder Bloggers. Right now we have twenty members and that was the limit we set so as to not get too many. Trina Holden has a lot of resources on her blog to help people start a group though- and she’s more than willing to answer any questions (she was the “mastermind” behind our group. 🙂 http://trinaholden.com/ladderbloggers/

          Hope that helps!

  5. Thanks for sharing this! And I agree with everything you have mentioned in regards to reading other blog posts. Now if I could just remember these things when writing my own…

    • I hear you! I wrote this and then had to go back and edit several blog posts I’ve been working on. *laughs*

  6. So good, So good! I have been watching and learning from you “pros” for a while and what I’ve been churning out here lately is VASTLY different from when I first began. But hey–if you have any constructive criticism for me, I’d appreciate your earnest honest opinions. Thanks!

    • Oh, Lorretta, you’re so cute. 🙂 Some of us only sound like “pros” because we have the driving force of Trina Holden behind us. Lol! I enjoy your blog immensely… I’ll keep your request in mind next time I’m there.

  8. Great post, Natasha! My favorite – read it out loud. I’ve found so many errors that way. I also appreciate the warning for superfluous paragraphs.

    The hardest thing for me as a reader is slogging through huge blocks of texts. I don’t need a dozen images, but it’s so helpful to have shorter paragraphs.

    Blessings to you and the Allume crew this Christmas!

    • I love that terminology “slogging through huge blocks of text”… wish I had thought of it. 🙂

      May your Christmas be delightful as well!

  9. This is so helpful. I’ve never considered myself a particularly good writer so every bit of practical information is greatly appreciated. Thank you for laying this out so clearly.

  10. I find most of my errors when I look at my post in “preview” mode. It formats the text so that sentences are broken in different places and my eyes don’t skip over the things I missed the first time.

    I also like some bold or italic text for important points, as well as lots of white space. Thanks for the tips! (oneradianthome.com)

  11. Yes. Love all your points, and have been trying to implement them in my own blogging. But I have never heard anyone else say to read your writing out loud twice. I will have to try that. Thanks for the idea. I also, really REALLY love the graphic with the quote.

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