4 offbeat ways to improve your editing

Do you remember playing in the backyard as a kid, pretending to be a famous, swashbuckling editor?

Editing is a fine and noble profession, albeit one that not many aspire to. It’s often a job people “end up in.” There’s not really a traditional path or pipeline that trains young folks on how to “edit the right way” from a young age.

There are guardrails, guidelines and ground rules, but learning our craft is not like going to tech school to memorize Frigidaire parts.

As we wrote previously on how to edit like a pro:

Unfortunately, there’s no comprehensive manual providing universal instructions for editors. Our work is neither math nor science. Much of what we do boils down to personal preference, stylistic nitpickery and the measured guidance of the Associated Press. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t be analytical, intentional, strategic and precise in our approach.

It also doesn’t mean we can’t or shouldn’t be flexible and inventive in the quest to become better editors. Try these four offbeat ways to improve your editing: