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We write. We publish. We wait for comments. Sounds familiar? It should.
Ah, but if there’s one thing I have learnt in the last few years of blogging, it’s that there are some cardinal rules to follow before your keyboard-happy finger taps that ‘Publish’ button. So, here are Β (at least) 5 things you must check before you let the world read your post.
- Your spelling: Yes, as simple as that sounds, you’d be surprised at the number of mistakes that slip through the cracks when you write in a hurry. Assume that you take 20 minutes to write a 500-word post. Spend five minutes on checking it for spelling errors, grammatical construction and overall meaning. To be sure, spend another five minutes doing it with a Spell check tool such as this one. I love this tool, because it also corrects my grammar and hey, I don’t just let anyone do that and get away with it! π Oh, and as an aside, it killed me to write that sentence you see below! (Click on the image for a larger view)
- Your internal links: Internal linking of posts is a great way to keep your readers on your blog for an extra five minutes. If your post is good, they’ll want to read another related post on the same topic or something similar, say, ‘Some advice for writers’Β or ‘Ways to break Writer’s Block’.Β See what I did there? I know that most WordPress and Blogger blogs have the ‘Related Posts’ widget at the bottom of each post. But, very rarely, will a blogger/ reader click on those to read more. It’s also a nice way to get some love for some older, neglected posts. π
- Use appropriate tags: When you write regularly, you tend to use similar tags over and over again. That’s fine, of course. But, sometimes, you may want to expand the tags to more generic search terms such as ‘Publishing’ or more specific ones such as ‘ Tips to improve your writing’. I am sure there is some SEO value as well for these, but I am still navigating those waters myself, so more on that topic when I manage to learn it better.
- Check Facts: This, of course, is pretty obvious when you write any post, but it can be seemingly glossed over if you write a blog like mine, which is mostly Fiction. Even here, I need to make sure that the facts within a story add up. A sentence at the beginning should not contradict a reference later on. For instance, if I start my story in Autumn, the timeline, the settings, the characterisation should all revolve around that. So, when IΒ refer to the ‘next season’, readers will immediately anticipate Winter.
- Always Preview the post: It’s so tempting to do the above checklist and publish right away. No, we’re not quite there yet. Always, always, always preview how your post looks before you put it out there for the world to see. Is the formatting okay? Do the images in the post look skewed in relation to the text? Have your bold-face and italicised fonts shown up correctly? Is the spacing between paragraphs looking good? You’d be surprised how different the post looks when you are in draft mode and when it is up on display. So, do yourself a favour and hit that ‘Preview’ button to the side. You’ll thank me. No, really! π
So, that’s my good deed for the day.
What about you? Have you got any tips to share on this topic?
A goods check list to keep in mind. I agree about preview which I neglect mny times.
Great post! I need to get better about using the right tags. It’s easy to forget to do them or to not give them much thought.
Such an apt list. Thank you!!
I’m always in a hurry to publish and sometimes to write.. the story has to just come out and has to be written!!
that’s when I make mistakes!
I should just print this out and hang it. π
Thanks Pixie π Sometimes it’s good to write that way. Publishing is another story π
Oh yes! All of them absolutely necessary.
Great post and super ideas. The preview one is most important, I think it shows up a lot of things.
Isn’t it? So many errors I have avoided because of that.
Hi! A great post and yes a very good indeed. A very useful post for all writers π
Thanks Reema!
And what a good deed it is! This is a helpful list even for a seasoned writer.
Softwear — that’s funny π
I know π Thanks Beloo π
And I thought it I was the only one who did the best proof reading after publishing the post! I see in the comments above that there are people like me.
Great tips Shailaja π
We live and learn eh? π
6. Write interesting posts!
7. Break the text up into paragraphs and bullet points.
8. Make a pinnable image.
But seriously, good tips Shailaja!
Write interesting posts! π Now, there’s an obvious one! Thanks Vidya <3
Wonderful tips, Shailaja. Thanks for sharing! π
Thanks Vinitha π Cannot believe I am taking so long to reply to this π
Thanks Shailaja for sharing this list. I somehow wanted to catch hold of something similar to this. http://blogatcynthia.blogspot.in/2014/10/9-tips-for-better-travel.html
Glad you found it useful, Cynthia π
The same tips I would find in any corporate communication tips. People JUST DONT LISTEN do they ?? π
PhenoMenon
http://phenomenal-cuisines.throodalookingglass.com/2014/10/sardine-curry-infused-with-curry-leaves/
And we try so hard, right, Pheno? π
I always check these things then hit publish. But I come back a few days later and my mistakes are glaringly obvious. lol
I know! It happened to me a few times and still does, on occasion π
The spell checker is interesting. And that preview is so crucial. Yet I always find myself re-editing after hitting the publish button.
Tsk, tsk. Tulika π
Thanks Shailaja for this…You are my blogging fairy π
Aww, stop π Thanks Naba!
Thanks a ton, Shailaja, for the tips..very helpful for people like me! π
Very glad to be of service π
Great tips! Although most of the times I hit publish only to proof read later π
Sigh.. why are all you people alike? π
Very good tips. So true that often when you preview it looks nothing like you imagined it would be.
Absolutely! Thanks for reading, Suzy!
U know shai
Aha I was so bad at editing my posts before wt n Cory happened π
Well, good to know that WT has helped, Meena. I am so grateful for finding them too π
Super tips! Would like to add another. When I post my daily blogs, I use the template from the previous post on my website as well as when I send my blog out to my list. Saves time in terms of structure and the constant settings. While this procedure saves time, you need always to remember to: CHECK your title. It has happened to me that I have sent out a new post using the title from the previous day. Kind of embarrassing and can affect the openings … CHECK that you have changed the photo … Sometimes we are so busy checking the text that we forget the other bits. Obviously, previewing helps, as Shailaja suggests, but oftentimes we just skim over it. Super THANKS π HUGS <3
And, dear Shailaja – when you figure out the #hashtags I will be your first and most dedicated reader!
Lovely tips, Judy! I use the templates too, but not the photographs. I delete those when I copy the template. Same thing goes for the title. I don’t send out newsletters, so I am safe there, for now π
When you say hashtags, do you mean the ones on Twitter and Pinterest or the ones you add to the bottom of your posts? There is a difference between them π
Hi Shailaja.
Thanks for this fabulous article. I’m going to check out the spell checker. Grammarly drives me crazy!
Always a pleasure to help out π
Very valid and must practice tips. But with me it’s like, I do the best proof reading after I hit the publish button π
Ha ha, Shilpa. I know what you mean. π
Great article to be considered for the newbies before publishing anything.
I have published my first blog; and I was just thinking you to just take look at it.
http://mydayblog100.wordpress.com/
Glad you found it useful, Srikanth π