Most writers are terrible editors of their own work. Not because they lack skill, but because they’re too close to it.
You wrote the thing.
You know what you meant.
So your brain fills in gaps that aren’t actually there and misses errors that are obvious to everyone else.
The fix isn’t to be harder on yourself. It’s to be smarter about the process.
Here’s what actually works:
1. Walk Away First
Don’t edit immediately after writing.
Give it at least an hour.
Overnight is better.
You need enough distance to read what’s actually on the page, not what you think is there.
2. Read it Out Loud
This is the single most effective self-editing trick there is. Your ear catches what your eye skips.
Awkward sentences, missing words, rhythms that are off… they all become obvious the moment you hear them.
3. Cut the First Paragraph
Seriously, try it. Most first paragraphs are just warm-up. Writers use them to figure out what they’re actually saying. Delete it and see if the piece is stronger. It usually is.
4. Look for Your Filler Words
Every writer has them. “Just,” “really,” “very,” “that,” “basically,” “kind of.”
Do a find-and-replace, see how many times they show up, and delete most of them. Your sentences get tighter immediately.
My filler word before was “sheer” and you know who caught it?
My wife.
Each and every article I did back in 2015 had sheer in it at least once. And I didn’t even notice it. So, there are at least 200 articles out there with a ridiculously sheer amount of the word “sheer” in it because of me.
This one included.
5. Check Every Sentence Does Something
Read each sentence and ask: does this move the piece forward, or is it just… there?
If it’s repeating something you already said, cut it. If it’s adding nothing, cut it.
Be ruthless here.
6. Read it as a Stranger
Pretend you have no idea who wrote this or why.
Does it still make sense?
Is the point clear?
Does it earn the reader’s time?
This is the hardest shift to make, but it’s the most valuable one.
Editing your own work will never be perfect. You will always miss something. That’s normal.
But the goal isn’t perfection. It’s getting the piece to a place where it’s genuinely better than your first draft… which, if you’ve been reading this blog, you already know is supposed to be terrible anyway.
Start there.
The rest gets easier with practice.