Editing your own work is tricky. That’s why people like me stay in business! The most efficient way to achieve the 5 Cs of copyediting is to hire a copyeditor.

But professional copyediting isn’t always an option. Even when it is, you get a better product in less time (that is, more cheaply) if you hand the editor relatively clean copy to begin with.

So, with or without a professional editor, it’s a good idea to edit your own writing. I offer here one way to get better at editing right now and two ways to get better over time.

1. Interrogate every sentence.

Editing is detail-oriented. Look at each sentence individually. Ask:

• Do the verbs match their subjects and the pronouns their antecedents? (If you don’t know what those terms mean, see #2 below.)
• Who or what is the actor? Make the actor the subject of the sentence to avoid passive voice.
• Can I pare down wordy constructions?
• Have I used acronyms or jargon?

The rules for correct grammar, word choice, and mechanics like punctuation and capitalization are way too many to cover here. Which brings us to the second tip.

2. Learn better grammar.

One great online source is Grammar Girl. Sites on English for language learners can also be good. Do not, under any circumstances, take grammar advice from a crowdsourced site like Quora.

Here’s a concept: You can also learn from books. Buy a college writing handbook – secondhand, because those babies are expensive. When I taught college writing, I swore by The Little, Brown Handbook. (There’s a comma between the adjectives in that title because the book used to be published by Little, Brown & Co. If this comment makes no sense to you, get the book.)

3. Read good stuff.

We internalize the rules we see other writers using. So read good writing. In print or online, look for reputable publishers with editorial staff and editorial standards. If you want news, for example, read The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, not blogs or social media.

Do what you can! And then, if the stakes are high, hire a copyeditor. If you can’t afford one, tap the person in your shop who corrects people’s emails. As annoying as that behavior is, it’s what you’re looking for in an editor.