Editing for Everyone: Seven Do’s – Part 2

Read Part I in our Editing Series HERE.

Editing is a must in nearly every area of media. No matter what your job description is, chances are at some point you’ve had a co-worker, manager, or employee come to you and ask if you’ll read through and edit something he or she wrote. It’s good to have a working knowledge of how to edit and give feedback in a way that’s both constructive and efficient. So, whether you’ve never edited another person’s work or you do it all the time, here are helpful tips to make the process a little smoother:

1. Ask the writer what kind of edit he or she is looking for.Just general feedback? Or a more detailed examination? Grammar and punctuation? A proofread only? This will help you use your time in a way that’s most advantageous to both of you by allowing you to focus on what the writer really needs.
2. Read the whole thing as a unit. This is an important step for several reasons. First, it allows you to understand the piece as a whole and what the individual is trying to communicate. Secondly, you get a grasp of what kind of changes need to be made. Do a few sentences need to be moved around? Or does the entire thing need to be reworked? This can be hard to see if you’re stopping to make copious notes the first time you read it.
3. Identify what you like about it.Whenever you’re in a situation that requires giving negative feedback, the “management sandwich” is a great technique to follow. If you’re not familiar, it involves giving the negative feedback (as the “meat” of the conversation) sandwiched between two pieces of positive feedback (as the “bread” on the front and back end). Getting critiqued in any area can be difficult to take, so building up the individual during this process can encourage the confidence he or she needs to tackle making those corrections.
4. Track your changes. Rather than typing or writing out a list of corrections the writer needs to make, it’s helpful to make your changes and comments within the text itself. Either print out the piece and use a red pen to mark it up, or use an electronic software with a change tracking tool such as Microsoft Word.
5. Be kind.Although honesty is essential in editing, try to word your comments in a way that keeps the writer’s feelings in mind. Instead of “this sentence is a mess,” try “I didn’t quite understand your point here.”
6. Give ideas to improve.If you can, it’s helpful to give specific direction to the writer regarding what needs to be fixed. Instead of just pointing out what’s wrong (e.g., “You didn’t include all of the information”), try to tell them how they can do it right (e.g., “Be sure to add information about signing up and donating”).
7. Don’t impose your voice.There is such a thing as too much editing. Remember that there’s often more than one way to say what the writer is trying to communicate, so just because it isn’t the way you would say it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the wrong way to do it. Of course, when the writer is needing to match a company brand, this doesn’t apply.

As with all skills, editing well takes practice. If it’s too much to remember all of these tips at once, pick one or two you can apply the next time you edit something. You’ll find that over time, they’ll become second nature to you.

Editing is an important skill in every media area. Whether you’re planning for on-air content, updating your station or ministry website, sending out funding letters or even internal and external communications and newsletters, you are writing!

Want to step up your game? Start with self-editing.

Let’s be clear that having to edit your work doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer! First writing drafts are rarely ready for print.  Professional authors go through several editing rounds before their works are released.

Editing is simply part of the process of developing what you want to say and how you want to say it in the best way.

Yes, ideally, it’s helpful to have someone else read your work and give you feedback. But learning to edit your own writing is a highly desirable skill for two reasons: First, no one else may be available to read what you wrote right now. If you’ve got a quick deadline and everyone’s busy, it’s up to you to make sure what you wrote is ready for your reader. Secondly, even if someone else is available and willing to read it for you, it’s helpful to make sure it’s as close to final as possible so he or she isn’t spending unnecessary time and effort on extensive edits.

But editing your own work is hard.

It’s not the most natural thing in the world for you to edit something you wrote. We are often blind to our own flaws. Additionally, it’s hard to get outside of your own head to determine whether what you wrote will make sense to someone else.

Unintentionally garbled communication is a problem that dates back to the Tower of Babel! If this sounds like you, here are tips to help you edit your own work.

1. Walk Away. If you’re up against a tight deadline, this may not be possible. In that case, skip this tip and move on to the next one. But if you have the time, it can be helpful to give your mind a rest from what you wrote so you can come back and look at it with fresh eyes. This doesn’t have to involve a long span of time—a quick coffee break or chat with a co-worker at the water cooler is enough. And you don’t even have to literally walk away either. Simply working on something else for a short time will help you to switch gears before coming back to edit.
2. Read it Aloud.The biggest obstacle in learning to edit your own work is learning to spot the flaws. Even seemingly obvious spelling errors can become invisible, since your brain knows what you meant to communicate and the brain fills in the gaps as you read. Reading your work out loud forces you to slow down and seeevery word as you say it. Additionally, hearing yourself say what you wrote will better let you hearany awkward phrasing or wording that could be improved.
3. Use a thesaurus. If you find yourself using the same words over and over again, or if the words you’ve chosen aren’t quite conveying your meaning, go to thesaurus.com or some other synonym-finder to find just the right word.
4. Use dynamic verbs.A good way to spruce up your writing is to replace common, stale verbs (like sit, walk, or say) with verbs that really describe the action (such as plop, saunter, or declare). Again, a thesaurus is your friend here.
5. Avoid homophone mix-ups.Words like they’re, there, and their are easy to confuse with one another if you’re not paying attention, especially if you’re up against a tight deadline. If you already struggle with swapping similar sounds, keep a list handy of the problem words and which ones to use where. When you’re reading through your work, circle or highlight all the places you use a homophone, and then double check each one to make sure it’s in the right spot.
6. Kill your darlings.This phrase may sound unnecessarily violent, but it’s popular in writing circles because it conveys an important concept. Many times you’ll find you’ve come up with a brilliant sentence, paragraph, or idea, only to later find that it just doesn’t fit with the final product. Cut it, even if it’s on a tweetable level. If you find yourself hovering over the delete button because it is just so good, cut and paste the selection into another document to save for another purpose.
7. Know when to quit. Even though you want your communication to be as good as it can be, make sure to prioritize when it comes to how much time you spend editing. This may be easy for some people, but if you’re prone to perfectionism, it can be tempting to agonize over just the right phrasing and rewrite over and over. If this is you, ask yourself what the consequences will be if you use your writing as is. If the stakes are relatively low, set yourself a time limit and then stick to it.

These tips aren’t rigid rules for all editing. They’re meant to make things easier for you, so if one doesn’t work for you, skip it. Like most things in life, editing your own writing will take practice and patience before you become more comfortable with it, so give yourself grace as you develop this skill.

It’s said that Churchill read 5,000 books in his lifetime. Few would dispute that he was a gifted speaker. Most would suggest that there is a direct link between the content he continuously absorbed and his output. He’s a walking lesson for each of us as we prepare to talk, to minister, to connect on a near-daily basis—on our morning show or one on one encouraging a team member.

Here’s four practical ways you can begin today.

Save Key Website to Favorites. Radio show prep is easier than it has ever been, mostly due to online search being so very easy. There is powerful connective material to be found on these four sites, to get you started. Inspiremore.com sunnyskyz.com marcandangel.com huffintonpost.com/good-news

Keep track of others you find, and you’ll have an endless supply!

Ask Questions. Inspiration may not always flow – you may have to go after it. A few suggestions on questions to keep front of mind: What do surveys of listeners say? Coming soon: Finney Media Why Listen?® has ideas! What are your listeners talking about on social media? What are the books people are reading in Christian reading? See the Finney Fast Five on favorite books.

Outlining. No, not the kind we did in elementary school. But bullet points. Or circles of ideas. What exactly is it that your program or station wants to communicate? What do you want your listeners to take away from the 30-second break between songs? Listing these goals will help you focus and prioritize what airs and what doesn’t. A handy digital or paper journal is a personal treasure!

Personal Experience. Finally, personal experience ranks high as a great inspiration to your listeners. Never underestimate the power of stories – Jesus used them all the time, and the world has never been the same. Real life happens every week. Your struggle to forgive your sister, your joy at a recent wedding, and your grandchild’s efforts to speak clearly all provide powerful connective material.

How’s your inspiration quota? Take five and try one of these ideas this next week. We think you’ll be rewarded, and so will your listeners.

A public failure.  Who hasn’t that happened to?  A friend shared with us how she had hit “send” a while back only to discover that the targeted message had gone to an external database, not the intended target.

Or, there is the presentation that was jumbled, presented poorly—due to oversleeping, arriving late and not having a chance to get set up.

And then there was the dead air—while you were on coffee break.

It’s happened to us all, with some mistakes more public and widely impactful than others—but all embarrassing and potentially reputation or even job killing.

What’s a person to do?  There’s a few life rules that help with recovery.  And may even turn a situation into something positive and relationship building. (What we pray for!)

Rule #1.  Assess the damage.  Before rushing off to cry, wail or do something rash to fix the problem, take a deep breath and calmly assess the real extent of the problem.  Who was impacted, really?  How much of this audience needs a response, and how quickly?

Rule #2.  Own the mess.  Once you know the impact, let the people to whom you are accountable know.  Let the “buck stop here” with you.  Don’t shift blame.  (Don’t even think about it.)

Rule #3.  Investigate the cause and fix the problem.  If there’s something that needs fixing, promise to find out and then fix it.  Saying you will—and doing nothing is a recipe for losing your reputation and who knows what else.

Rule #4.  Make any adjustments as personal and relational as possible.  Depending on the size and scope of the problem, do what can be done in person, by phone or with the level of personal care that is practical.

Rule #5.  When appropriate, provide a “sorry” gift.  When something has happened in a smaller circle, an actual gift may demonstrate your sincerity—if the first four rules have been followed.

So, did my friend find out that she had not actually sent to the wrong group?  No.  She had to script a message that went out and publicly acknowledged the matter.  She lost some sleep but has a continued great relationship with her boss.

As to other public mess ups, the conclusion of book is still to be written.  And your story?  With these rules in mind, yours can have a happier ending.