The Ultimate Editing Checklist for Multilingual Writers

The most pressing issue that most of my coaching clients want to fix is the accuracy and efficacy of their writing in English. We need others to trust in our ability to deliver sound text.

Do you ever experience doubts like these?

• How can I know my work is 100% accurate?
• Who will check if my writing sounds natural?
• How much will it cost to hire an editor?

If this seems familiar, the following article could save countless rewrites and thousands of dollars in editing fees.

People want to invest time in themselves. That’s why your colleagues or writing buddies won’t spend hours helping you improve. They will just see your writing as extra work to correct.

For writers with English as a second language, editing can seem like a daunting challenge. The key is this: break the task down.

This comprehensive editing list will give you the tools to get started.

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My Editing Checklist for Multilingual Writers

1. The task

Does the piece hit the brief / Have you followed the instructions?

Does your writing conform to the expected parameters of the form?

Does your writing speak to its intended audience in an appropriate and engaging way?

Is the writing achieving your purpose of entertaining, persuading, inspiring, or informing readers?

2. Structure and coherence

Is the content in the most sensible order?

Are all topics and points included?

Does each paragraph make one well-developed point?

Are there any repeated points or sections you can remove?

Have you used appropriate in-sentence and between-sentence linking?

Are all the list items parallel?

3. English Accuracy

Have you checked for typical errors from your L1 — e.g. language errors common for Spanish/Arabic/Japanese speakers?

Have you checked for your typical errors — tense slips, comma splices, word order, etc?

Spelling. Have you checked for countable/uncountable errors, commonly confused words, and homophones?

Capitalisation. Are proper nouns (and only proper nouns) capitalised?

Are abbreviations, acronyms, and initialisms used consistently?

Are your commas used correctly?

Is your punctuation consistent e.g. with numbers?

Can you simplify your punctuation marks e.g. reducing semicolons?

Have you checked for false friends, overly technical terms, and faulty collocations?

4. Natural Style

Have you eliminated all repetition in content, sentence construction, or word use?

Have you used the active voice where possible? (academic and formal business writing excluded)

Have you removed consecutive sentences of the same length and sentences with too many one-syllable words? (robotic text)

5. Advanced Techniques

Have you used appropriate literary and rhetorical devices in the right quantity?

Have you read the work aloud? This highlights awkward formations and unintentional sound techniques (like alliteration or assonance) which trip the reader up.

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That’s it. You’ve finished your edit. Remember: don't start with the commas and spellcheck.

Go from big to small. That way, you won't waste time editing text you later cut.

At this point, it’s still a good idea to ask a trusted mentor or colleague to assess your work. You could join my low-cost writing community and receive feedback from other expert writers. If that’s not possible, you’ve still checked your work to the best of your ability.

Is there anything else you like to check with your writing? Let me know in the comments.

Catch the Replay of My Latest Webinar

A couple of weeks ago, I chatted about editing with pro editor Niels C. Kwakernaak .

Discover what editors really do and grab a few more tips on how you can self-edit and reduce costs.

Catch the replay on YouTube .

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Thanks for reading. See you next month.

P.s. For content writing or editing enquiries, zap me a DM.