Where Do You Go for Editing?

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   agilitymachposted 11 years ago

   I just wrote a hub, and I have edited it four or five times.  Still (and as always), I'm finding errors with each editing.  I know I am not alone in finding it difficult to edit my own work. Do you edit your own work, or do you have someone who edits for you?  Has there ever been an unofficial editing "exchange" type program set up on Hubpages where writers can offer editing advice to each other?

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      bigfeetposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I just re-read carefully.  Sometimes, you have to reread multiple times.  Its best to have someone else read it as well to see if everything is coherent

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      Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I have difficulty editing my own work. What I find works best for me is writing it, leaving it for a few days then go back and reading it fresh. Sometimes after publishing I read again. Then go back a few weeks and reread. I have no one close by to edit so I rely on good hubbers who will point out my errors.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I write my hub in 'notebook' on my computer, read it, edit, edit, edit. Then I upload it to Google Docs and edit it there. Google docs will highlight and underline grammar and spelling that is wrong.  Then I divide the article into sections for  capsules and title each capsule and edit again. Then I upload to HubPages and edit it there again and again with each capsule I save. After I publish it, I read it again. Usually by then it is all correct -- still, sometimes I spot an error and edit it. Editing is so important to present a good hub. I get really embarrassed for a hubber and for HubPages when I read someone's hub that has not been edited and comes across as though someone does not care.

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   Silver Fishposted 11 years ago

   I like to edit my own work. I find that using  little time helps me to be objective about my work. A piece may feel finished but leave it a week or so and the errors or  needed changes become far more obvious.

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   Robbie C Wilsonposted 11 years ago

   I agree with Silver Fish, I edit my own work. I also write the initial Hub text in Word so that it is spell checked etc. I then leave it for a day or so and then re-read it. I then check it for the last time when I upload it all into the hub itself. I find that this allows me to get it pretty much perfect. I also edit my hubs every 6 months to once more check and polish them.

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   Nicole Henleyposted 11 years ago

   I edit my own work as well. I from time to time notice I have missed something.  Thank goodness for the edit button on all of our hubs.  A correction is just a click away.
   
   The one tip I have taken with me from my numerous English classes is to read your writing aloud. If it sounds clunky, change the punctuation. If it sounds like gibberish, check the grammar.
   
   Good luck!

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   Nicole Henleyposted 11 years ago

   PS, I do like your exchange idea. I think it would be nice. I'm new and don't know anything about an exchange, but it might be worth a shot finding someone to do it with.

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   fpherj48posted 11 years ago

   HI THERE......Dont' be discouraged.  Even the very best and most professional writers, EDIT and/or have their work, edited by someone.  This is actually a GOOD thing.  It's not unusual at all, to find errors aplenty, that lessen with each editing.  I always do my own.....more than 2 or 3 times.  I have also been glad to edit for others, whenever I am asked.  It's an activity we should make habitual, for the beneficial end result.

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7. 85

   jansharesposted 11 years ago

   I edit my own work. I edit as I go, making so many changes, even after writing it in Word. It takes a while before I hit "publish" after many re-reads. I don't even use a spell checker. If something doesn't look write, I actually pick up a dictionary (yes, old school ). I use a Thesaurus, too. When I first started at HP, my sister would read my hubs. I could always count on her to find typos for me. She's always been my best editor. I still, as recently as this weekend, found a typo in an older hub. But I've gotten much better as I'm really obsessed with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. I don't freak out about it anymore after seeing so many hubbers with mistakes. I just fix it and keep it moving.

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      Phyllis Doyleposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Ohmmm, Jan -- you need to edit this sentence of yours: "If something doesn't look write, ...."     You silly girl.    Did you do that on purpose to see who would catch it? You did, didn't you?  hahaha
      It is perfectly ok if you tell me of any errors you may find in my work.

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         jansharesposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         AAAAHHHHHH!!!! HA, ha ha ha, LOL, lol, lol!!!! Too funny, can't believe I did that in THIS thread, no less. No Phyllis, that was NOT done on purpose, clearly a real mistake. Thank you for catching it. You can edit my work anytime my friend.

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            Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

            I want the 7-year-old to edit my Hubs and the 10-year-old to write them.  Too bad I can't afford the fishing trip to pay for their services.

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               habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

               lol. The ten-year-old just won an essay contest, so he got to be mayor of the day for our town. Those two grandsons are fishin' nuts!! Jonathan even managed to work fishing into his winning essay.

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   rainsanmartinposted 11 years ago

   I write my Hub then let it set for a few days. The Firefox browser has a built in spell checker so this helps. My articles must be read over about 5 times to catch spelling and grammar mistakes not caught by the checker. If I write an article for an article broker site, then I would use an editor or trusted person who excels in grammar. My goal is to continually improve as a self editor, often this means taking the time to look up the exact meaning of a word that sounds the same yet is spelled 2 ways.

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   FatFreddysCatposted 11 years ago

   I edit my own stuff. I like to think that I usually do a pretty good job. Occasionally, though, I'll glance over a Hub that I posted weeks or months before and I'll notice a comma out of place or some other minor punctuation error... "D'OH!"

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    rebthomasposted 11 years ago

    I use word and hub actually picks up stuff too, but I find things I have missed down the road too.

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11. 81

    agilitymachposted 11 years ago

    It's interesting that everyone edits their own work.  Coming from a newspaper background, I really like having editors review my work for content and spelling/grammar.  I am, unfortunately, left with myself.

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    VegasVacationposted 11 years ago

    Same here agilitymach,
    How about printing the content and using a good ol' fashion pen and paper. I see my own errors much more clearly this way.

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       Deanna-Balestraposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       That is a really good suggestion Vegas!

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          VegasVacationposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          Thank Deanna!

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          agilitymachposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          I agree.  That is a good idea.  As I learned to write using only pen and paper, this may make my brain work more efficiently during editing.

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    lovebuglenaposted 11 years ago

    I always edit my own hubs. If there is a typo in it my friend usually points it out when he reads it... i wonder though if I spot a typo in someone else's hub is it wrong for me to point it out in the comment...?

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       Deanna-Balestraposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I like it when one points out something specific I can fix (but I hate it when people say something generic like "I found a few errors" leaving you with no idea where they are or if there really are any ha!)

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       agilitymachposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I agree.  I want to know if there is a missed typo or something else even.  I'm happy if someone points it out.  We all have typos.

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    Deanna-Balestraposted 11 years ago

    I edit my own but I always find a small typo or error days later it's annoying!
    I'd love to do an exchange with someone!

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    Mark Ewbieposted 11 years ago

    I have found errors in Hubs more than two years old.
    
    Not my own obviously - some other loser who can't type.
    
    I will admit to having once put an apostrophe in the wrong place.  Fortunately a little colonic therapy sorted it all out.

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    MDavisatTIERSposted 11 years ago

    I edit my own, using all of the available spells checks, etc. mentioned.  I let a Hub sit for a couple of days as well.  Spell Check is not going to flag "it", "is", or "if" as incorrectly spelled but they may be contextually wrong.  If I have revised it several times, I know what it is supposed to say and can miss those types of words as well, so letting it sit means I am viewing it with a fresher pair of eyes.
    
    I then run it through PaperRater.  Catches cliches, alerts me to transitional phrases that I might add to have better flow, does a good job on vocabulary/thesaurus checks and a few other features.
    
    There are other grammar checkers, but this one is free.

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    Greekgeekposted 11 years ago

    Tip: listen to your articles read aloud. There's text-to-speech built into Mac and iOS, so I assume Windows has it. It's easy to hear many mistakes that the eye glosses over, such as "the the" or "id" when you meant to type "is."
    
    Like many folks here, I edit my own articles. It often takes me an extra day to see the typos I missed. Also, I keep polishing and trimming the prose to fix flow and structure.
    
    We're not making enough money to pay an editor.

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    habeeposted 11 years ago

    My seven-year-old grandson edits my hubs...after his ten-year-old brother writes them for me.

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       Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       What do they charge?

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          habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          They work for homemade brownies, pizza, and fishing trips.

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             Cardisaposted 11 years agoin reply to this

             lol..

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    notyouraveragealposted 11 years ago

    I edit my own work, but I've found that I catch more mistakes if I read it out loud.  As long as I take my time and make sure I am actually reading what I wrote (and not what I wanted it to say), I usually can catch the errors.  That might help you.  Also, if you are worried about spelling errors or typos, try reading the sentences from finish to start.  That way, you are focusing on each word instead of the sentence.

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    annasantosposted 11 years ago

    I agree with notyouraverageal.  I also edit my own work and I would normally proofread it several times and then stand up for a moment and drink some water.  When you go back, you'll for sure find some more minor errors.  You need to refresh for a moment to start anew.  Take things easy and never rush to publish unless you're pretty confident with your work.  It pays to go back and forth your work thousand times (just exaggerating), but I want to say is make it your way to edit and read as much as you can before publishing.  Hope this helps...

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21. 81

    agilitymachposted 11 years ago

    Thanks for the tips everyone!!
    
    As a former newspaper reporter, editor, columnist, etc., it's not HOW to edit that is my concern.  I've had years being paid to do that.   It's simply that having a second set of eyes other than your own to edit makes for an article that truly flows, especially if that second set of eyes is a talented editor.
    
    Also, and as a former reporter/editor, I know when I read an article with any grammar errors, spelling errors, typos, etc., I do not give that article any credence.  I will immediately leave it and move on to something that is more professional - and therefore in my eyes more credible.
    
    I started this thread to see if others had that second pair of eyes on their work.  Apparently, the answer is no.  I do have a friend that is a former journalist who edits some of my work.  He catches things I miss - like the proper use of "feeling" vs "thinking."  However, most of my work is self-edited. I also have friends who edit my work for content, which is also a great help.
    
    After reading so many hubs with poor writing, spelling, grammar, content and research, I'm "thinking" it might not be a bad idea to have some sort of editing exchange thread.  I'm not sure how it would work, though.

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       DrMark1961posted 11 years agoin reply to this

       That is a great idea. None of my friends speaks or reads English so I have no one to look at my hubs before publishing. I would like someone to read my articles before publishing, and would be willing to read other´s work for typos.

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       MDavisatTIERSposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Thank you for making the point about feeling versus thinking. 
       
       I would welcome an edit exchange.  I'm not sure if we are allowed to give out personal email information, but would be interested in something like this.  I know others have mentioned it, however, I cannot seem to find anyone who is actually doing it, nor if Hub allows us to communicate.  Any ideas?

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    Angie Martinposted 11 years ago

    I like to do my own editing as well, but sometimes it takes four or five reads to make sure I've gotten everything. The reasoning behind this is that as the author, I already know what I'm trying to say, so sometimes mistakes are accidentally overlooked. If I forget to insert a word, I may read the sentence as if it's there. Sometimes misspellings can also go unnoticed because your brain will automatically correct it as you read. By editing it several times, I find that it's easy to read it too fast because editing is more of a chore than anything. That also contributes to missing grammar or spelling mistakes.
    
    One thing that really helps me to edit before posting is reading it aloud. If I read my writing to myself, it forces me to slow down and really hear what I've written. I catch far more mistakes that way versus just reading it silently and editing from there. Another idea is to not publish it the same day you write the hub, but to let it sit overnight and read it in the morning. You'll find more mistakes that way because the writing is fresh in your mind. The only time that really becomes an issue is if it is a time-sensitive hub, like trying to get a review out on a movie the same day it's released.

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    blueheronposted 11 years ago

    Okay, this "answer"--if it is much of an answer--is a little over the top, but here's how editing was done in the old days: Proofreaders--also called copy editors--went through books (and I guess other works) with a hard-bound copy of the Chicago Manual of Style at their elbow.
    
    Want to know the rules of commas, citations, capitalization in languages other than English? Want to know the correct number of elipsis dots to use?  Want to know when it is permissible to use a hyphen or how to use an em dash? It's all in there.
    
    There are other manuals of style, such as the New York Times Manual of Style, but most of the old-time editors preferred Chicago.
    
    So if you are really hard-core when it comes to editing, get yourself a copy (or online subscription) of the Chicago Manual of Style.
    
    Here's the way we used to proofread, for written materials for use in-house: One person read the material aloud to another person. The other person read silently with a pencil in hand, marking errors. We didn't refer to a style sheet in those days for that kind of material; we just winged it. Or maybe we wung it. Wung is the past perfect of "wing," right? Today I wing; yesterday I wang; I have wung....

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       agilitymachposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       When I began working as a journalist 27 years ago, we used the "AP Style Manual."  I still use what I remember of that manual, although what I remember is now very passe.  I'm sure there's a "for writing on-line" type of style manual out there now.  I loved my style manual, and still have it.

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    Carola Finchposted 11 years ago

    You can actually subscribe to the Associated Press Stylebook online these days.  So much easier to find things and the information is always up to date.  Most newspapers use AP style.

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    Writer Foxposted 11 years ago

    The 'Yahoo Style Guide' is the one Website content editors use. Unfortunately, they pulled the online version, but you can see parts of it here:
    http://web.archive.org/web/201210140549 … yahoo.com/
    
    To get a copy now, you have to buy the print edition:
    http://shopping.yahoo.com/9780312569846 … yle-guide/
    http://www.amazon.com/The-Yahoo-Style-G … 031256984X
    
    (The new HubPages Style Guide wants us to use the guide from the American Psychological Association "or another comprable [sic] publication."  Don't know why that's the case because we aren't writing research papers, but there you are.)

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       habeeposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       I always used MLA for research papers.

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       agilitymachposted 11 years agoin reply to this

       Interesting...

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          Writer Foxposted 11 years agoin reply to this

          In more ways than one . . .

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    blueheronposted 11 years ago

    Familiarizing yourself with one of the manuals of style might be a good project for your local writer's club. Or someplace should offer classes or something. People are often daunted by ten or twenty pages on the correct use of commas. (You thought you could put them any old where?)These books are dangerous. You will shoot yourself.

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