Find Out How a Freelance Copywriter Really Crafts Your Copy

What Are You Paying for and What Are We Doing All Day?

It Starts with a Lump of Copy 

Editing is, like, really, really important. According to one famous writer: 

“Editing is everything. Cut until you can cut no more. What is left often springs into life.”

Esther Freud 

Editing is like sculpting a lump of clay into a vase shape  

But I’ve heard a lot of writers talk about how much they hate editing. So, by proxy, it’s something that, for a long time I dreaded in my writing too.

I guess it’s a daunting task, to go over all your hard work and take out words you spent precious time writing. But why do I have to do this?!

It was only about a year into my job as a freelance copywriter that I realised the truth… I bloody love editing!

It all has to start with a lump of copy – anything at all from copying and pasting some snippets from another writer to writing basic words in big font, or maybe even a bit of something from Chat GPT if that’s your thing. 

But as soon as you have thrown your lump onto the wheel, it’s time to start shaping it up without delay.  

Then You Sculpt

The day I realised this was the day that a client had sent me some copy that they felt was passable, but they just wanted someone to have a look at it. Urgh, OK gizzit here. 

The client’s copy was fine. But it needed some work. Some sculpting. I spent probably an hour on it and after an initial bit of huffing and puffing, I was flying. I was cutting and pasting sentences that made more sense if they went a bit more like this. It sounds great now. Yay!

Editing is something I’d done many, many times in my SEO copywriting career, but this particular day I realised I enjoyed the edit as much as I enjoyed writing in the first place – perhaps more.

After that, after realising my deep-seated love of editing (or let’s paraphrase that as ‘love of correcting shit’), I found that the thought of writing in the first place was less daunting.

Polish that Turd  

After that fateful day, writing became less scary because the old adage that says “you can’t edit a blank page” is true. You can polish a turd! Oh, the freedom that this realisation gave me was unbelievable.

I often treat creative writing differently from copywriting – because, for example, there are often many more words within it, and it’s regularly much more personal – but the thought of editing it is very exciting, because I can flex my honing muscles.

I can see the benefit and joy of making something I’ve written so much better.

The Obligatory ‘Top Tips’ Bit  

I guess if you have a fear of editing, these would be my generic top tips

1. Keep it casual

Before the editing stage, when you write your first draft, keep it really loose. Leave out words, add notes for later. Also, try and avoid reading it back constantly as you’re writing. Just get all your base work down first. This will make sure you can edit easily the first time you go back and read it.

2. Think of your first edit as the scaffolding

Forget my lump of clay metaphor for a moment. Look at the order of the copy, the flow, and see how it might hold the rest of it up. Don’t worry about changing any specific words just yet. Keep notes on a pad or in the margin if you need to. This one is all about the structure.

3. See your second edit as the content check

Is everything you need to say in there? Anything missing or surplus to requirements?

4. Now think of your third edit as the nuts and bolts bit

Is the tense consistent? Are you including keywords, if it’s for Search Engine Optimisation?

5. Your next edit is the style

The arty bit. Is ‘cow-like’ best or ‘bovine’? ‘Loo’ or ‘toilet’? Keep in mind all your notes so far and really think of the reader at this point. Do the words you’re using suit their style? The brand voice development work you did before putting pen to paper should now come perfectly into play. 

6. Give it a whirl aloud

When the copy starts to get tighter, and you think you’re getting closer to the final draft, read it out loud to yourself. Maybe even record that and listen back when you next go for a walk.

7. Stick it in a drawer

When you really think you’ve finished, put the writing away for a bit. If it’s a novel, leave it for a couple of months. If it’s copywriting for a client, leave it for a few hours or a day. You will definitely make better final judgements when you read with a fresh pair of eyes.

8. Now add the flags to your beautiful sandcastle

Once you get it out of the drawer, you might need to go back to step 1. Don’t cry. It’s all gonna be OK. Because, in the end you will be able to put your finishing touches onto this beauty. Add your name and dedications, then perhaps some pretty pictures. Think of this moment now and then during the process and enjoy it when it arrives. 

Got any more top tips? Let me know over on LinkedIn

Notes from the editor

So basically, my lesson here is to look at editing as writing, but writing it better. 

Whatever you have already – a lump of copy, some notes or even a full ten-page document – pass it to a professional to polish, hone and edit. After all, what is a copywriter for if not to make your words shine?

Editing is still writing!

Whether it’s for work, pleasure, or something in between, you can make your writing a thing of beauty. You can sit back at the end and know you’ve cooked up something great that half an hour, an hour, a day, a year ago was just ingredients.

Remember you’ll have created a beautiful thing, and you’ll have used your skills to hone and polish something that no longer resembles a turd.

I’m not saying it’s always easy, but it’s a great skill. And a skill that not everyone has.

Use it!

Now: go and edit your last thing.