How To Boost Your Editing Skills: 5 Useful Tools For Freelancers


Being a freelancer is more than just about writing. In order to write good, decent content you not only need to have a strong grasp of the English Language, but you also need to have at very least some basic editing skills if you are to stand out from the crowd. There is nothing likely to make a client cringe more than the prospect of paying someone to write an article or a report and then knowing that they are either going to have to edit the document themselves or hire someone else to edit it.

There is also an abundance of copy-editing work to be found, so it is in your interests to take steps to boost your editing skills. Hopefully, my useful tools will help you do just that:

  • Read through your work carefully
  • Many of you will be raising your eyebrows, and saying “Well, isn’t that a given?” No. You would be surprised at how many freelancers just rush off their content and then submit it without even given the most cursory of read-throughs. One of the best ways to boost your editing skills is to read meticulously through your completed work line by line checking for and correcting errors.

  • Microsoft Word
  • Most office packages come with a built-in spell-checker as standard. You also have the option to change the language from say, Standard English to American English. So long as you don’t get lazy about this, and then this can be a fantastic starting point for getting to grips with your spelling. If the system flags something up, don’t just auto-correct it. Think about it. Look at the spelling. Memorize it.

  • Grammar Checkers
  • There are several reliable, downloadable tools on the market that you can get a monthly subscription. These should bring your editing skills up to the minimum acceptable requirement. They come full of pointers as to where you are going wrong and you can learn as you go.

  • The Chicago Manual of Style
  • If American English is your thing, then you need to get a copy of this little gem pronto. You don’t have to splash out for a new copy. You can easily source reasonably priced second-hand copies. Even if you are elsewhere in the world.

  • A Home Study Course
  • Home study courses are brilliant for people with busy lives as they enable you to study at a time and pace that suits you. Make sure that you do a little due diligence before parting with your hard-earned cash.

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