The Self-Editing Checklist I Give Every Writer

By Kayla · KG Editing

Hiring an editor doesn't mean you stop editing yourself. In fact, the cleaner your draft is when it reaches me, the more my time can go toward the deep, meaningful work rather than surface fixes. Here's the checklist I share with writers who want to self-edit first.

Work in focused passes

Trying to catch everything at once is exhausting and ineffective. Instead, read through your work several times, each time looking for just one kind of issue. Here are the ten passes I recommend, in order.

1. Read for big-picture structure. Does each section earn its place?
2. Read for clarity. Would a stranger understand every paragraph?
3. Hunt for wordiness. Cut phrases like "in order to," "the fact that," and "due to the fact."
4. Check your verbs. Replace weak "to be" constructions with active, specific verbs.
5. Look for repetition. Note words or ideas you lean on too heavily.
6. Read your dialogue or quotes aloud. Your ear catches what your eye misses.
7. Verify consistency. Names, terms, capitalization, and formatting should match throughout.
8. Check transitions. Does each paragraph connect smoothly to the next?
9. Proofread slowly for typos, punctuation, and spelling.
10. Read it one final time from the reader's point of view.

Read it aloud, really

I cannot overstate this. Reading your work out loud is the single most powerful self-editing tool there is. You'll hear clunky rhythm, missing words, and run-on sentences that your eyes glide right past on the screen.

Give it space

If you can, set your draft aside for a few days before your final pass. Distance turns your familiar words back into something you can actually see clearly.

When you've taken your work as far as you can on your own, that's the perfect time to bring in a professional. I'll take it the rest of the way, with detailed feedback that explains the why behind every change.