11 editing tips from a professional

At the ACES conference, one session had many editing tips for editors and writers. Here are some:

• Check all quotations (to see if it is a verified source)
• Don’t ignore your inner voice (when it says something’s wrong)
• Omit needless words
• Favor active voice (because we need passive voice sometimes)
• Edit out loud
• Advice is not an edict
• Give your eyes a rest sometimes
• Fix sentence if you have to read it more than once (to understand it)
• Be wary of absolutes (ex: never, always, every, nobody)
• Read backward
• Never stop paying attention (because you’ll miss mistakes when you’re comfortable)