5 tips on how to become a professional editor and copywriter

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A lot has changed about writing. And gone are the days were writers heavily depended on editors to help fix their writings. Today, copywriters have started grooming their editing skills, owing to the need to deliver quality work to encourage repeat patronage. The point is most clients are not ready to take up the extra cost that comes with hiring a copywriter and editor separately. So whether you are writing from home or have a full-time writing job, you need to develop not only your copywriting but editing skills. Here are tips to help you achieve that in no time.

  1. Don’t stop writing

Copywriting is not an innate skill. It is something you develop over time by writing repeatedly. The same thing goes for editing skills. Engaging yourself in editing work, irrespective of how small or cumbersome the task is, it will help develop your skills and build confidence in your writing.

However, writing regularly does not signify that you have to write academic materials or something outside your niche. Instead, focus on your niche so that you can develop your knowledge in that particular area of copywriting.

  1. Make your content concise

Remember you are writing for people and not robots. Therefore, ensure your content is easy to scan through. One way to achieve this is by using shorter sentences and paragraphs. And an easy way to do that is to look for unwanted sentences and phrases and eliminate them.

Using short sentences and paragraphs will make your content neat. And finally, avoid using fluffs to make up your word count.

  1. Get ready for criticisms

It is hard for an individual to get to the pinnacle of success without facing criticism. Ask those who have made it to the top. So if you want to be a professional copywriter and editor, be ready for positive and negative feedbacks.

Let your friends and family read your work. Also, ask them to give their honest opinion. You can also befriend top editors. You can even ask them to review your work whenever they are less busy. Their feedback will help you grow as a copywriter and editor.

  1. Take advantage of professional editing tools

You can edit your articles manually. But who says you shouldn’t use other professional editing tools? You can gain massively by combining manual edit with such instruments. Examples include Grammarly, Hemingway, and a couple of others.

However, using tools like Grammarly can help develop your vocabulary. It can also help you make tremendous improvements to your contents, regarding readability. You can use it to detect errors such as overused words, spelling mistakes, and a couple of other grammar mistakes. But it’s good you start editing manual before moving the content to a premium editing tool.

  1. Don’t proofread immediately after writing

It is possible to start editing after writing. Many writers get away with it. But if you want to edit like a professional, don’t buy into this. Try to leave the document and walk away for a certain period. Then return after a couple of minutes to edit. You will have fresh eyes and a crystal clear mindset when you do this.

Conclusion

These tips can help you curate great contents and edit like a professional. You will also build confidence in your writing ability or niche in particular. But you must accept the fact that being a professional copywriter and editor demands a lot of work. And you must also aspire to be a better version of yourself as long as you still handling writing jobs.