Feb | 14 | 2008

How to Copyedit Your Blog

Posted by Andrew G.R. as Blog Tutorial, Tips

Rewriting and revising any written work is an essential part of the writing process. The question is, as a blogger, how much emphasis do you place on editing your work? With the assumption that any writer worth is his or her salt will review work before posting, I’m curious to know which of the following methods you most frequently use. Perhaps all of them?

Length. Do you find that your posts grow or shrink after writing a first draft?

Color. Do you pepper your words with adjectives, dialogue, metaphors, etc.?

Puzzle. Do you shift entire chunks around, reordering entire blocks of text?

Copyedit. While the term encompasses making sure your copy is clear, correct, concise, comprehensible, and consistent - here we’re talking about checking for punctuation and spelling errors.

Print. Do you print your stories, correct them with pen/pencil, make corrections and then post?

Second Opinion. Do have an editorial process in place where an editor, friend or family members reads your entry before you post?

Now help your fellow bloggers out. How do YOU edit?

Live Blogging: The Wave of the Future?

6 Responses

d.a. - allingoodhealth
14|Feb|2008

Copyediting: It’s rare that a draft post becomes longer when I review. Instead, I tend to find ways to make the idea flow better, and cut down extra verbiage. I also try to pare down self-references (unless it’s important to the post). I want to write in a way that feels inclusive to the reader.

I do this all in googledocs, so no dead trees. No second opinions, either :-).
Marc
14|Feb|2008

Here’s the cole’s notes:

length generally does not change much.

color: I use metaphors, etc, but whether or not they survive the proof read depends entirely on whether or not I’m actually as clever as I thought I was the first time around.

Puzzle: once in a while, but only on longer posts (800+ words).

Copyedit: always.

Print: Never

Second Opinion: usually.

It is my feeling that editing your work is a must, as whatever you put up will be a reflection of you. So, much in the same way that you comb your hair before leaving the house in the morning, it’s important that you comb your post for errors before presenting it to the public.
Live Blogging: The Wave of the Future? by Blog Tutorials
18|Feb|2008

[...] talked about the ways to edit your work, but what if bloggers were forced to blog live? Lacking the excitement of a live sporting event or [...]
Bloggers Can Write in Chunks With Paragraphr : The Blog Herald
13|Mar|2008

[...] blogger writes differently. We’re not talking stylistically, or from a copyedit standpoint. I mean the actual method they use to write. Some will choose to go freeform, writing [...]
Bloggers Can Write in Chunks With Paragraphr | Blogging Newbies
18|Mar|2008

[...] blogger writes differently. We’re not talking stylistically, or from a copyedit standpoint. I mean the actual method they use to write. Some will choose to go freeform, writing [...]
Internet. » Blog Archive » Bloggers Can Write in Chunks With Paragraphr
20|Mar|2008

[...] blogger writes differently. We’re not talking stylistically, or from a copyedit standpoint. I mean the actual method they use to write. Some will choose to go freeform, writing [...]

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