Final publishing review

Use these tips to help you edit like a pro, so your final content and design shine.

Hit the mark. Review the project brief and customer insights one last time. Did you nail the objective? Is the value proposition front and center? Are key messages and benefits clear?

Get a second opinion. Find someone completely removed from the work to offer feedback and act as the customer. (Or hire an editor.) No matter how well you write, a second set of eyes always offers a new perspective. And don’t take suggestions personally—keep an open mind and be flexible to new ways to get the results you want. If something trips up your reviewer, get rid of it, no matter how much you like it.

Read your work aloud. Read it forward, and then backward—one sentence at a time. It may sound silly, but potential edits will jump out.

Read only the headings, and then only the first sentence of every paragraph. Do they tell a story? Are there gaps? Repeated ideas?

Check for keywords in titles and headings. Titles and headings help readers scan and help search engines find your content. Make sure you include relevant keywords in the first few words. While you’re at it, read your first sentence to see if it will make sense as a search engine description. To learn more, see Search and writing.

Search for and remove unnecessary and redundant elements. Try removing words, sentences, paragraphs, headings, even entire sections. If you don't miss it, leave it out. It’s good for your opening paragraph to summarize the piece at a high level. But don’t repeat phrases verbatim, or include tips or notes found later in the text.

Pay attention to the spell checker. Those squiggly lines will help you eliminate a lot of errors. But spell checkers can’t think. It’s up to you to check each suggestion. Otherwise you might end up saying manger where you meant manager.

Take a break. Leave the finished piece alone for a day. Read it again tomorrow—you may see things you missed.

Evaluate the voice and personality. Before you call it done, read it one final time. Can you hear the fresh and modern Microsoft voice? Your writing should sound warm and relaxed, crisp and clear, and ready to lend a hand.