Upgrade Your Writing in 15 Minutes with This Simple Editing Checklist

This is your chance.

Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash

My writing process was slow.

So slow, even a snail was faster.

Until I borrowed the approach of 3 top writers.

I didn’t understand how Tim Denning, Alex Mathers, and Derek Hughes deliver top-quality articles every week. I decided to find out. And studied everything they said about their writing process.

I found 2 key things that gave them speed and quality:

1. they have powerful processes and systems

2. they separate writing and editing

My process was harming my writing. And I was doing writing and editing together. It was a mistake.

The Power of Systems

Many writers think that the most crucial writing skill is creativity.

Having a system seems the opposite of being creative.

That’s why 80% of writers never succeed in writing.

But successful creators notice what works, focus on using that more often, and automate it with a process. That’s how they win. And you can do it too.

You need strong systems to deliver high-quality writing.

My editing process made a significant difference. It helps me produce articles twice as fast with a remarkable upgrade in quality.

I will give you all the details of how to use it.

Because if you develop only one process, let it be an editing one.

My Editing System

I have 5 stages in my writing process:

1. Decide on a topic.

2. Create a headline.

3. Choose an outline.

4. Write a first draft of an article.

5. Use the editing checklist to enhance the article.

I use this process to strengthen my writing.

Here is what I have in my editing checklist:

1. Power up headline

Firstly, I ensure that the headline is compelling.

Why do I start with a headline?

Because if it’s weak, no one will see the article.

Key questions I ask:

• Does it grab attention?

• Is it specific and curiosity-driven?

• Can the reader tell what the benefit is for them in reading the article?

These are vital questions for powerful headlines.

If any of the answers is “No,” the headline needs improvement.

2. Look at the big picture

After the headline, I step back from the detail and review if the article is holistic.

To access this, I ask the following questions:

• What is the value for the reader?

• Is the article’s structure clear, and do the key points follow one another?

• Does it deliver on the promise of the headline?

It’s easy to get lost in details when you write the article, but after all, you need to make sure that the article works well as a whole and delivers a clear message.

If I find big problems, I fix them and only then go into details.

3. Make the article concise and impactful

I want my writing to charm readers and keep them reading till the very end.

This is why I check these 3 things:

• Cut the fluff: remove sentences that add no value, drop weak words, and make sentences sharper and shorter.

• Check the use of passive voice and negative statements. See where possible to replace them with active voice and positive statements.

• Make your language stronger by replacing ordinary words with their stronger alternatives.

Many writers get confused by the popular advice that says, “Write the way you talk.”

This advice sounds great. And I tried to follow it for a while. Does it work?

It works, but just to a point.

The thing is that personal conversations and writing are different.

Being soft and gentle works well in conversation. But it doesn’t work in writing. Writing requires strong and direct language.

4. Upgrade it to the next level

I get overwhelmed by the writing advice I read.

However, I want to become a great writer and book author. That’s why I use my editing process to apply what I’ve learned.

This one will be individual for you. But here are things I want to use for my writing.

Captivating intro

40% of your readers leave before the end of the intro.

So, without a strong introduction, you lose almost half of your readers straight away. I don’t want that.

Make sure you are clear on the following questions:

• Is the hook powerful?

• How to strengthen it?

Here, I usually prefer to use one of my 11 intro frameworks. Or one of the 5 hooks to grab the reader’s attention with the first sentence. They help a lot and make the process much easier.

Powerful flow

You don’t want the flow of your article to be as ragged as a mountain river with rapids because you can sail through it, but this is hard. Most readers will skip reading it because they want easy, not hard.

So, check the answers to these questions:

• Is it easy to follow?

• Did you create a rhythm?

• Are there sentences that spark curiosity and keep the reader reading?

Your article flow should be easy to follow, but it needs to keep the reader’s curiosity.

Clear call-to-action

• You can catch the reader’s attention.

• You can captivate them with your story.

• You can keep them reading your writing till the end.

But without a clear call-to-action, all these become a waste of time.

Your reader is ready to move forward, but they don’t know what they should do if you don’t tell them. If they are unclear what’s next, even for a moment, they are lost for you. Because they will just move on, leaving you with your brilliant writing but without a new subscriber, hot lead, or even a sale.

Add one clear call-to-action to every article you publish.

Double-check that it’s attractive enough.

Listen, your writing can help you sell paid products without being salesy. Just add a call-to-action.

5. Think long-term

Many writers treat their articles as something momentary.

Something they publish, get a few readers, and move on. This is the wrong approach. It leads nowhere.

I think about every article as an asset and treat it accordingly.

I focus on the long-term benefits the article can bring. I answer these questions to make sure there is value in it going forward:

• Does the article increase your authority?

• Does it improve your reputation?

• Does the story build trust?

You can have hundreds of published articles that just entertain your readers but don’t create any long-lasting positive effects.

Change that.

Then you will see your audience grow, people will come to you for advice, and your writing business will prosper. Create a long-term asset with every published piece.

6. Use AI to check

I use Grammarly to check my work.

It helps fix spelling and grammar errors quickly. Saves me hours, considering that I publish 20,000 words per month. I am grateful to one of the publication’s editors on Medium who advised me to use Grammarly to check my work when I was a new writer 2 years ago.

Using such tools to support you in writing is a necessity if you don’t want to get left behind.

7. Don’t forget about SEO

This is another part of getting long-term results from your articles.

I spend some time on 2 key things crucial for this area.

You can do it too:

• Prepare SEO description for the article, focusing on the keywords you target.

• Add article links to increase views, improve user navigation, and strengthen SEO.

It will help you get traffic to your articles for months or even years after you publish them. What’s more important is that these effects compound over time. That’s how you get your growth snowball rolling.

This is my 7-step editing checklist.

As soon as I complete going through it, I publish my article. And my work is done.

It only takes me 15 minutes and improves my writing significantly.

Use these ideas to create your own checklist. Or you can use mine.

Have a fantastic day!

Talk soon,

Maxim

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