Check your writing with this editing checklist

One of the best ways to improve as a writer is to have an editor who can go through your articles and make corrections accordingly. There are automated online services that do this, but none of them are partially effective. For those who don’t have access to an editor or find it too costly, here is a mini-checklist that can be used to check your writing and how it is placed on the page.

Headline – It needs to grab attention and should be placed in a prominent location at the top of the page

Metadata – The post meta data needs to be simple, placed somewhere under the headline and be smaller but legible.

Read the post – Read the entire post aloud to yourself. This will easily show most of the issues in the pacing and how the article flows and when it breaks.

Uniqueness – If uniqueness is a factor, then do so by telling a story. You can also share an opinion. For data or advice, spin it in such a way that it is from your perspective.

Subheadings – Don’t be afraid to break the articles into sections that use sub-headings. They should be scan-able and add value to the article.

Scan-able – Make the entire post scan-able by using the above sub-0headings and also use images, bullet points and short paragraphs if applicable.

Spelling and grammar – Double check the post for grammar and spelling issues. There are services online that can spot common issues. However, nothing will beat a person reading the article line by line.