The Only Editing Checklist You Will Need in 2024

• Jul 09, 2024
• 5 min read

• Tags: Editing, General

Do you wish to develop engaging content but find it challenging to do so? If yes, do not be disheartened. With the right editing strategy, you can create content that attracts and inspires readers. With this in mind, we introduce you to editing checklists. They act as a helpful tool that strengthens writing by simplifying editing. 

Whether you are writing a novel, an essay, or a blog, make a writing and editing checklist when your first draft is ready. This will be your first step to self-editing your content piece. 

Here are 7 ways to help you develop an editing checklist that suits your writing style and meets your editing needs:  

• Set rules for grammar, tone, and vocabulary 
• Check for consistency across the content 
• Focus on improving content accuracy and search results
• Check if your POVs are clear and direct
• Include checks for improving clarity and readability 
• Eliminate repetitive content through editing checks
• Check for content flow and transition words or phrases 

Let us study them in detail. 

7 easy ways to create an editing checklist

1. Set rules for grammar, tone, and vocabulary 

Incorrect grammar and a vocabulary that does not acknowledge the target audience will hamper your chances of connecting with them. So, the importance of correcting grammar mistakes and improving the vocabulary of the write-up cannot be overstated. Here are some other things you should consider: 

• Sentence structure: To ensure clarity of thoughts and improve coherence, a good sentence structure is necessary. 
• Vocabulary: Your choice of words depends on your target audience. A good vocabulary makes a content piece sophisticated and interesting.
• Subject-verb agreement: Subject-verb agreement refers to the rule that the subject of a sentence must agree with the verb—singular or plural. This ensures grammatical accuracy, making the read enjoyable by promoting clarity in communication.
• Commas: Good punctuation can make a huge difference to engagement. With the right commas, you can establish an easy reading rhythm. 
• Dangling modifiers: Dangling modifiers refer to phrases that when inserted do not modify the intended part or phrase of the sentence, which may lead to confusion. Eliminating them helps maintain clarity. Assigning the right modifiers to the appropriate subject helps retain its intended meaning. 
• Tone: Adjusting the tone is important, as it will ascertain how your audience receives your message and whether it resonates with them in the manner you intended. For this, consider working with a writing and editing checklist. 

2. Check for consistency across the content 

Maintaining consistency is key while editing. Hence, an essay editing checklist or an editing checklist for any other content type must have points that help check the content’s consistency. You should include checks for consistent voice. 

The terminology used across the document must remain constant, especially for characters in novels or concepts in academic writing. Verify the use of the following to ensure the reader’s comfort: 

• Fonts: Good fonts enhance readability and help incorporate stylistic elements in the content well. 
• Spacing: A well-organized content piece with text arranged in a logical order will attract and retain a reader’s attention. 
• Headings: Proper headings allow readers to distinguish between various sections and read the content piece thoroughly without feeling overwhelmed by the vastness of information included. 

Checklist points for formatting and citation adherence are important if you are following a specific style guide like APA, MLA, or Chicago. Depending on your content, you might need checklist points to verify historical accuracy, technical terms, or other jargon. 

A writing editing checklist for a novel or creative writing must look out for errors that affect character sketches or the plot, which may result in the readers losing interest in your content. This is important while creating a novel editing checklist. 

3. Focus on improving content accuracy and search results

Before editing, give yourself some time to read through your first draft to ensure content accuracy, particularly facts and statistics. Ensure they fit into the overall picture well. You can also create a self-editing checklist from scratch to suit your editing needs. 

When you’re sure about the quality of your content, you can begin editing in earnest. It is important to note that by frequently revising and editing your checklists, you can deal with the following: 

• Evolving content needs
• Search engine optimization (SEO) best practices
• Fact-checking 
• Sources, references, and citations 
• Keyword relevance, internal links, and backlinks
• Meta information 

4. Check if your POVs are clear and direct

Nobody likes a blog or essay that sidelines the primary audience or beats around the bush. As readers typically have access to several online sources, establishing the right point of view (POV) at the beginning of the article is necessary. Hence, add a check for determining the effectiveness of your POVs in your editing checklist for writing. For this, add points for verifying the clarity, relevance, and suitability of your POVs. 

Once your POV is set, stick with it and allow your narrative or story to revolve around the central theme or idea. Portray emotions, feelings, and thoughts in a powerful yet subtle manner, particularly when editing a novel. 

A novel editing checklist can be very helpful here. Also, consider supporting your POV with dialogues and expressions that create an impact. For example, we all remember the iconic line from the celebrated novel The Godfather, “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse”. 

5. Include checks for improving clarity and readability 

Imagine reading a piece of literature or a blog where the content looks interesting but the style is off-putting. The voice and words play key roles in boosting engagement. They also make the content clear, cohesive, and logical. While revising and editing checklists, ensure you pay attention to these aspects of writing. 

Further, formatting ensures visual appeal and improves the readability of a blog or novel. For content that’s published online, proper formatting also facilitates SEO. 

6. Eliminate repetitive content through editing checks

An editing checklist for writing must promote originality and novelty. But even more important is cutting out parts that seem repetitive and, as a consequence, boring. Using different words to structure sentences and writing unique introductory paragraphs will, in all likelihood, feel refreshing to the reader. 

To do this, remove redundant ideas or sentences, rephrase similar-sounding concepts whenever possible, or change the language wherever needed. We understand repetition is needed for emphasis sometimes. So, when it cannot be avoided, paraphrasing the content without adversely affecting its essence can help retain your readers’ attention. 

7. Check for content flow and transition words or phrases 

By including points for flow and transition checks in your editing checklist, you can ensure a logical progression of ideas. This helps connect the various sections, chapters, or paragraphs in a sequence that’s easy to follow. 

A cohesive narrative will bring more traffic to your website or interest more readers in your essay or research work. Read your draft multiple times to see if transitions look good. 

Here is a sample editing checklist that you can use for documents, articles, blogs, or essays.

Sample Editing Checklist

Personalizing your editing checklist

While editing and revising checklists is a recommended method of ensuring good content creation, personalizing your checklist enhances the output. 

This is because every content piece comes with its independent requirements, including target audience and purpose. This means generic checklists will not work for such content. A one-size-fits-all approach may not help. Keep the following in mind: 

• Depending on the content being generated, modify the checklist to incorporate specific writing requirements like varying language and tone. 
• For technical documents developed in various fields, fact-checking is inevitable. 

We hope that this article will enable you to write your content piece with confidence. An editing checklist can transform your rough draft into a tasteful content piece. Personalize the editing process and save valuable time using editing checklists. 

If you need help editing your essays, articles, or novels, consider professional assistance with PaperTrue’s editing and proofreading services. 

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Rashmi

Rashmi is a versatile writer with a passion for developing engaging long-form content. With a keen interest in both academic and business spheres, she enjoys creating comprehensive content pieces that readers find informative and interesting. She endeavors to exercise her intellectual curiosity, explore new perspectives, and consider different possibilities through her writing.