How to Pre-Edit Your Articles for The Talon - A Step-by-Step Guide

Before submitting your article to The Talon, it's crucial to review and pre-edit your work to ensure it meets the publication's standards and is as polished as possible. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to effectively pre-edit your article:

1. Check for Adherence to Guidelines

Start by reviewing the submission guidelines to ensure your article meets all required criteria. Double-check the following:

• Word Count: Your article should be at least 300 words, excluding the title and byline.

• Formatting: Make sure your article is formatted correctly (Times New Roman, 12 pt, left-aligned, indented paragraphs, etc.).

• Bias and Vulgarity: Ensure your article is objective and appropriate. Remove any biased language or offensive terms.

• Reverse Pyramid Style: Make sure your article starts with the most important information, followed by supporting details, and concludes with the least critical information.

2. Focus on Structure and Flow

• Clear and Logical Structure: Ensure that your article is well-organized and flows logically from one section to the next. The reverse pyramid style means that the most critical information should be at the beginning, followed by supporting details and background information.

• Check Transitions: Make sure the paragraphs transition smoothly. If necessary, add transition words or phrases (e.g., “In addition,” “However,” “As a result”) to ensure readability.

• Opening and Closing:

  • Opening (Lead): Does your opening grab attention? It should answer the "who, what, when, where, why, and how" right away.

  • Conclusion: Does your article wrap up the topic clearly and concisely without introducing new information? Ensure it provides a sense of closure.

3. Check for Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation Errors

• Spelling: Run a spell check using your word processor. However, also manually proofread the article to catch any missed errors, as spell check programs may not catch everything (e.g., homophones like “there” vs. “their”).

• Grammar: Review your article for proper grammar usage. Pay special attention to subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and tenses.

• Punctuation: Ensure that punctuation is used correctly, especially in quotations, commas, periods, and apostrophes. Misplaced commas or missing periods can change the meaning of a sentence.

4. Read Aloud for Clarity and Flow

Reading your article aloud is one of the most effective ways to spot awkward sentences and phrasing. As you read:

• Listen for awkward phrasing: If a sentence sounds clunky or difficult to understand, revise it.

• Check for sentence variety: Ensure your sentences vary in length and structure to avoid monotony.

• Ensure readability: If you trip over a sentence while reading aloud, it may be too complicated or poorly structured. Rewrite it for clarity.

5. Check for Consistency

• Consistency in Voice and Tone: Ensure that the tone of the article is consistent throughout. The voice should be professional but accessible, particularly for a school audience. Make sure you are not switching between formal and casual language.

• Consistency in Style: Follow the appropriate style guide for The Talon. For example, be consistent with the use of titles (e.g., Mr., Mrs., Dr.) and abbreviations.

• Pronouns and Names: If you mention someone by name, make sure their name and pronouns are consistent throughout. For example, don’t refer to “John” in one sentence and then switch to “he” without clear identification.

6. Verify Facts and Sources

• Accuracy: Double-check the facts in your article. If you're quoting statistics, facts, or historical data, verify that they are accurate and up to date.

• Citations: Make sure you properly attribute all sources. For direct quotes, ensure you include the correct attribution in the format: (First and Last Name, Grade Level or Teacher for Teacher).

• Source Credibility: Confirm that your sources are credible. If you're referencing a website or article, make sure it's from a reliable and reputable source.

7. Eliminate Wordiness

• Concise Writing: Avoid redundancy and overly wordy sentences. If a sentence can be shortened without losing meaning, do so. For example:

  • Wordy: “Due to the fact that many students were absent, the class was not able to continue.”

  • Concise: “Because many students were absent, the class could not continue.”

• Remove Unnecessary Adjectives/Adverbs: Use descriptive words only when they add value. For example, “really” or “very” can often be eliminated.

8. Check for Strong and Accurate Quotes

• Quote Verification: Ensure all quotes are accurate and correctly attributed. If you're quoting someone, double-check that their words are verbatim and the source is credible.

• Relevance of Quotes: Make sure your quotes are relevant to the topic and add value to the article. Remove any unnecessary quotes that don’t add meaningful information.

9. Get Feedback

Before submitting your article, it’s always helpful to get peer feedback. Have someone else read it and offer suggestions for improvement. Sometimes, a fresh set of eyes can catch mistakes you may have missed.

• Ask for specific feedback: When asking for feedback, be specific. For example, ask, “Does this paragraph make sense?” or “Is my introduction engaging enough?”

• Take feedback constructively: Don’t be discouraged by suggestions. Use them as an opportunity to improve your article.

• You will Turn in your Rough Draft and Get Feedback from the Editors to Fix.

10. Final Review

After making all necessary edits, give your article one last review:

• Ensure proper formatting: Double-check that you’ve formatted your article correctly according to The Talon’s guidelines.

• Final check for word count: Ensure your article is over 300 words, excluding the title and byline.

• Ensure a strong start and finish: Make sure your introduction hooks the reader and your conclusion leaves a lasting impression.

• Editors Will Give the Final Say So for Your Article.

Conclusion

Pre-editing your article for The Talon is an important step in the writing process. By following these steps—checking for adherence to guidelines, ensuring clarity and flow, verifying facts, and seeking feedback—you’ll improve the quality of your article and increase its chances of getting published. Remember, the more effort you put into pre-editing, the better your article will be in the final version. Happy writing!