Before you start editing, determine what your final reader needs to learn, believe, or do with your text. Does that sound more useful than, “Is the draft well-written?” Even if it has correct grammar, excellent vocabulary, and a few good ideas, it can feel unfocused if it lacks a purpose. Before you edit sentences, an editor must first know a text’s goal and audience.
Read the short text aloud once, without marking edits or punctuation. Then close the text and from memory, write a one-sentence description of its purpose, something practical like, “This article provides a tutorial for building a garden on a balcony,” or, “This page gives first-time consumers the ability to choose between 2 service packages.” If you have to use multiple sentences, if your description lists unrelated goals, or if it does not read like your summary, the piece might be overloaded with aims, which is an ideal starting point for a structural revision.
Next, read through the text comparing each paragraph with your purpose statement. A paragraph belongs when it provides context for the main point, elaborates on the main point, cites supporting evidence, shares an example, addresses an anticipated question, or leads the reader to your desired outcome. An engaging yet irrelevant paragraph could undermine the piece as a whole. It may need to be deleted, saved for another piece, or changed so its relevance is obvious. This step might prove far more valuable than editing individual sentences.
Establishing purpose also prevents you from revising according to personal style preferences. Let’s say the purpose of a newsletter is to offer a quick update, so turning it into a fully-developed article would make it more involved but less functional. A long, explanatory passage could be shortened by the editor if it risks becoming too dry for its intended purpose. In short, a text shouldn’t necessarily be edited simply to make it better in the eyes of an editor.
A reader’s goal and profile also help define the purpose. “The draft provides a short introduction to the proofreading process to new proofreaders” is more helpful than “The draft is a proofreading guide.” It tells you what level of detail is required, what definitions might be needed, and what terms might be too specialized. If a passage seems to be aimed at one reader, but another passage could be directed at another reader, note the differences. Keeping in mind a specific reader can keep the style, vocabulary and content consistent.
Next, write the one-sentence purpose description again without looking at the first version. Compare the two drafts. If the second sentence is clearer, the editing might have strengthened the message. And be able to easily answer, Does each major section in the draft provide content necessary to achieve the purpose and reach the reader? If you can confidently check “yes” on both the above questions, you can begin to edit each sentence.