1. Comb through each sentence in the manuscript, looking for places where you’ve repeated a word, over and over again. For example, I receive book reviews for the National Writing for Children Center every week. It’s surprising how often the word “book” can be repeated within a short, 250 to 500-word review. I spend a lot of time reworking sentences just to eliminate the word “book” as much as possible. A strong manuscript doesn’t overuse words unless they’re repeated to create rhythm or to emphasize something (as in the case of a children’s picture book, for example).

2. Look for lenthy sentences that muddle your meaning. If a sentence is too long, it becomes difficult for the reader to remember what you’re talking about. Aim for shorter sentences, as a rule.

3. Eliminate the word “that” whenever possible. How do you know when you can cut it? When the sentence makes sense without “that”, of course.

4. When you write for publication, often you’ll need to adhere to strict word limits. Learn to write things as short and simply as possible. Almost anything you write can be revised and shortened, yet I have writers all the time who tell me, “I know I need to get the word count down on this article. But I can’t find anything I can cut.” My answer to that is, “You’re just being lazy! Go back over every sentence looking for words and phrases you can trim.”

Here’s an example of a sentence that can easily be cut from 14 words to just 10 words.

14 words: Here are a few tips to follow in order to edit your manuscript effectively.

10 words: Here are a few tips for effectively editing your manuscript.

See how easy it was to smooth out that sentence and cut a few words?

It isn’t difficult to trim most manuscripts. Follow these tips and you’ll produce stronger, shorter, less clunky articles and stories right away.

Try it!

Suzanne
The Working Writer’s Coach

P.S. For a simple lesson each week that will help you Write Better, More Powerful, More Engaging Nonfiction, register for my 52-week e-course here now!

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