Top editing tips will surely help magazine editor to tighten up both their own writing and the writing of anyone else they’re editing. Especially these days, the global magazine publishing industry has had a 4.9% decrease in annual growth between 2012 and 2017 due to competition from online magazines. This has made it more important than ever that every word counts, and magazine editors are at the top of their game.
As a magazine editor, you are aware of the importance of creating quality content. To achieve this, editing is key.
In this article, we will provide powerful editing tips to help you improve your magazines. We’ll also cover formatting tips and proofreading essentials to ensure error-free content production.
Revise for Clarity and Consistency
Clear and compelling content is essential for any magazine, whether print or digital.
As an editor, it’s important to revise your work for clarity and consistency. One way to do this is by checking for the overuse of adverbs throughout your writing. Adverbs can become distracting and take away from the message you are trying to convey.
Another tip is to connect each section of your copy with a clear transition. This will guide the reader through the piece. This ensures that your writing flows, making it easier for readers to follow along.
Check for Jargon
Give explanation for industry-specific terms and avoid technical language.
These are crucial steps to take when checking for jargon in your content. Adverbs and other unnecessary words can also hinder clarity for your readers.
Here are some tips to keep in mind when checking for jargon:
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Define any industry-specific terms used in your writing
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Avoid using technical language unless it is necessary
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Ensure that the intended audience can comprehend the language used
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Cut down on adverbs or other unnecessary words that may hinder clarity
Ensure Proper Grammar and Spelling
Use tools like Grammarly to check for grammar and spelling errors in your content. It’s an effective way to catch simple mistakes that can go unnoticed.
Additionally, do a thorough read of the article. This ensure clarity and clear wording that may hinder the effectiveness.
Not only this will help with readability, but also to make sure your content can connect to your audience.
To improve further, ask a colleague or professional editor to review your work.
A fresh pair of eyes can provide valuable insights into areas you may have missed. This step can also identify issues with tone and voice consistency.
The key points under ‘Ensure Proper Grammar and Spelling’ are:
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Use tools like Grammarly
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Do a thorough read-through
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Ask a colleague or professional editor for feedback
Maintain a Consistent Voice
Identifying the tone and style is crucial for maintaining a consistent voice. It provides clarity in content and copy, helping readers to connect with the message. Avoid switching between informal and formal tones to ensure consistency.
Consistency in tone helps articles achieve their goals while following their editorial guidelines.
Edit for Readability
When it comes to editing for readability, short sentences are key. Avoid run-on sentences, as they can confuse readers and make your message less clear. Instead, aim to keep your sentences concise and easy to understand.
Breaking up long paragraphs is another effective editing tip for improving readability. Walls of text can be overwhelming and often cause readers to lose interest fast. With this, you allow readers to digest information at their own pace and reduce eye strain.
Using subheadings is a great way to organize content and improve the flow of your writing. They also provide a structure that helps guide your reader through each section.
In summary, remember these three simple tips when reviewing any written work:
1. Use short sentences
2. Break up long paragraphs
3. Use subheadings!
Use Short Sentences
When it comes to powerful writing, using short sentences can make a big impact. Avoid complex sentence structures and focus on one idea per sentence. Cut down on unnecessary words that don’t add value to your message.
Here are some tips for using short sentences:
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Keep your sentences under 20 words
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Use active voice instead of passive voice
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Start with the subject and verb
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Break up long sentences into shorter ones
Break Up Long Paragraphs
Limit each paragraph to a most of five sentences, as long blocks of text can be overwhelming for readers.
Vary the length of your paragraphs for visual interest. Shorter paragraphs can create a sense of urgency. Longer paragraphs can provide more in-depth information.
Start new paragraphs when introducing new ideas or transitioning between topics. This will help to make it clear where one idea ends and another begins.
Consider these tips as well:
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Use bullet points to break up dense blocks of text
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Avoid using complex sentence structures that may confuse readers
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Read through your work to ensure that sentences flow from one to the next
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Experiment with different paragraph lengths until you find what works best for you.
By breaking up long paragraphs into smaller chunks, you’ll make it easier for readers to read. Remember: good writing is not what you say but also how you present it!
Use Subheadings to Organize Content
Choose clear and descriptive subheading titles.
This will help readers understand the content of each section. To maintain a consistent formatting style, use parallel structure for your subheadings.
Use easy to read fonts
Choose a font that is easy to read, such as Arial or Times New Roman, and stick with it throughout your article. Avoid using many fonts or font sizes, as this can make your content appear unprofessional.
Consider using bold or italicized text for emphasis. Make sure that your font size is readable, to ensure good reading experiences.
These will help you to create powerful engaging content that your readers will enjoy.
Improve the Flow of Your Article
Smooth transitions between ideas are important. This will help to improve the flow of your article. One example of improving the flow of your content is by varying the length of your sentences.
Another example is by cutting unnecessary information that doesn’t add value.
Organize Your Thoughts
Planning an outline before starting to write is a crucial step. It helps you stay on track and ensures that all important points achieved.
Using headings and subheadings also helps to organize your content. It also makes it more readable for the audience.
Headings give readers an idea of what each section is about. Subheadings break down complex topics into smaller chunks of information.
By using clear headings and subheadings, editors can provide quick access for readers. Especially those who already know what they’re looking for.
Cut Unnecessary Information
Avoid repetitive information, irrelevant details, and filler words like ‘that’, ‘just‘, etc.
Here are a few more tips to help you streamline your content:
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Use shorter sentences to break up longer paragraphs.
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Delete any sentences or phrases that don’t add value to the story.
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Keep your tone concise and direct without sacrificing clarity.
Include Smooth Transitions
Use transition words or phrases such as ‘however‘, ‘therefore‘, etc.
This helps to connect one idea to the next and create a cohesive piece. This also ensure the paragraphs flow logically from one to another.
Another way to create natural rhythm is by varying sentence length and structure. Using short and long sentences can add interest and keep readers engaged.
Formatting Tips for Digital Magazine Editors
Clear headlines and relevant subheadings can improve the readability of your digital magazine.
Add media such as images, and videos to break up text-heavy articles and engage readers. Also, optimize your content for search engines
Incorporate Visual Elements
Adding relevant images to your article can enhance the reading experience. Having pictures to break up blocks of text will make it easier to read.
Infographics are super useful when you want to explain complex data in a simple way. Lastly, don’t be afraid to include videos or multimedia elements when they’re appropriate.
Optimize for SEO
Research target keywords before writing content. This ensures that your article aligns with what people are searching for.
Use keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs. Identify high-volume, low-competition terms that you can target in your content. Incorporate these keywords naturally throughout the article without overstuffing them.
Write descriptive meta titles and descriptions. This help improves improved click-through rates (CTR) on search engine results pages (SERPs).
Your title and description should describe your article and enticing readers to visit. Includes target keywords in these elements. By optimizing for SEO, you can drive more traffic and improve your visibility online.
Proofread Your Work
Ensure that your work is error-free by proofreading it.
Another effective way to ensure quality is to have a second set of eyes look over your work. Ask someone else to review and provide feedback on your writing. This fresh perspective could bring attention to issues that you may did not notice.
Read it Aloud
Pause and take a breath when you see punctuation marks like commas or periods. Change the tone of your voice to match the style of writing so that it sounds natural.
Listen for awkward phrasing and make notes about what needs improvement after reading aloud. Reading out loud helps identify clunky sentence structures that can be difficult to spot otherwise.
Use Editing Tools
Grammarly, Hemingway Editor and ProWritingAid are powerful editing tools.
Grammarly identifies spelling errors, grammar mistakes and provides suggestions. Hemingway Editor analyzes written words. They highlights issues like passive voice usage, adverb overuse, and complex sentence structure. ProWritingAid allows editors to check their grammar mistakes and plagiarism detection.
Ready to Use These Editing Tips?
If you’re editing for magazines, you probably have thousands of words on your screen each week. By using the above editing tips, you’ll be able to make sure that every article is as powerful as possible. This will also demonstrate to writers what they should be aiming for before they send it to you- making your job easier in the long run (hopefully).
Ready to make your magazine digital? Get in touch today to learn how we can help.
