peer editing checklist for creative writing

23-Point Peer Editing Checklist for Creating Exceptional Content

An editor is a writer’s best friend.

For me, that’s literally the case. I’ve known Ben Mulholland since my school days…

But for you, an editor is your best friend because nothing helps a writer grow faster than a great editor .

How will you know if what you’re writing is any good? You write to the best of your abilities, so to you even the most poorly received article was supposed to be good.

An editor, however, will be able to sniff out weakness straight away.

• The opening line is weak
• I lost interest during this paragraph
• You don’t source this quote

And so on…

So you need an editor. And an editor needs a peer editing checklist.

At Process Street, we use checklists for everything we do. We have a pre-publish checklist for blog posts and marketing emails. We have a checklist for keyword research. We even have a checklist for making checklists.

In this post, I want to share with you our peer editing checklist for training writers and editors to become the best they can be, and creating stellar blog content.

Let’s go!

P.S: Scroll right to the bottom for an interactive version of this checklist!

Structure and theme:

What are your first impressions of the post?

From reading it through once out loud, you’ll be able to tell where the flow breaks, where you got bored, and all kinds of vital reactions that readers will be experiencing, too.

In this section, you’ll check:

Read the entire post through once aloud

The post is interesting, the post is unique, the post is actionable, the structure flows logically, subheadings make sense when read alone, post is scannable.

Reading a post aloud is the best way to find mistakes and dodgy language. Kate Kiefer Lee says she always reads her blog posts out loud because it helps her:

• Catch errors
• Improve the flow
• Write more like you speak

You’ll catch out any unnatural language while reading aloud, and quickly be able to tell how to rewrite it.

Is the post boring? What kinds of content do you find boring? A good writer can make an interesting article out of pretty much any topic.

For example, I once set about writing about the importance of business processes .

 … Right?

Instead, I turned it into a series of stories: NASA blew up a satellite, the most disastrous train-wreck in history happened, and the nuclear reaction at Chernobyl went into meltdown.

That doesn’t sound quite so bad, right? All of these issues happened because of bad processes, so it was the perfect way of showing you how terrible things can be if you don’t bother to follow standard procedure.

According to Neil Patel, there are 9 elements to an interesting blog post :

• First person writing
• Foreshadowing (in this post…)
• Transition (we’ve looked at X, now we’re going to look at Y)
• Flow and detail (think  article , not  outline )
• Short sentences
• Scannable chunks of text

Uniqueness is the easiest thing on the list! All you have to do is tell a story from your own experience, or put a personal twist on the post. See at the start where I talk about my friend being my editor?

Also, I couldn’t find another peer-proofing checklist for bloggers on the internet anywhere, so that’s another.

Make sure the post is:

• Telling a story
• Combining data or advice in a unique way
• Sharing an opinion

Yes, ‘actionable’ does sound like an empty buzzword…

The thing is, it will make or break your blog posts.

If a user doesn’t know what to do with what they’ve just read, or even if they’ve learned anything they can implement, they’re going to be disappointed. And so are you when you look at your traffic.

There are a few simple ways to make posts more actionable , so don’t worry!

• Use ‘for example’, a lot
• Demonstrate with images and screenshots
• Use videos to show how to do something
• Use imperatives to tell your reader what to do

Let’s say you’re reading a blog post to find out more about a topic…

What do you expect?

You expect to find out what it is exactly, why you should care, see some examples, and see how to implement it yourself.

And that’s how blog posts you’re editing work, too.

If you’re giving people the ‘how’ before you give them the ‘why’, they’re less likely to read on.

Here’s the anatomy of a perfect blog post, according to CoSchedule :

Subheadings need to convey value and make enough sense on their own to show the reader what the post contains. Cut vague subheadings like ‘What happened?’ and ‘Why this matters’ — use scannable headings that add value.

Read this guide for more information.

It’s a fact that readers on the web are going to scan your post whether you think that’s good or not. The best thing you can do is to make it scannable, because readers will first scan the main points to determine whether or not they should bother reading the post.

Show them that it’s worth it by:

• Using images
• Using bullet points or numbered lists
• Using short one-line paragraphs

If a post looks like one massive wall of text, no-one’s going to read it. You’ll get a high bounce rate, it’ll kill your SEO, and it offers a bad user experience.

At Process Street , we make it a rule that no paragraph can be over two sentences in length.

Line editing:

After going through the piece as a whole, you need to check it word by word, line by line.

Most people think that this is the only part of editing you need to do, but that’s totally wrong. Editing is everything from tone, to style, to content. Not just spelling and grammar.

Included in this section:

Run spelling & grammar check

• Opening line grabs the reader’s attention

Remove filler words

• Remove passive voice where possible

Hyphenation is correct

Call to action at the end.

If the writer didn’t have Grammarly installed while writing, it’s your job to double-check the post for spelling and grammar problems.

Common issues include:

• Confused homonyms (there, they’re)
• Missing comma after introductory clause
• Missing apostrophes

Read this post for 25 of the most common grammar mistakes (but more importantly, install Grammarly and never need to check for grammar issues again).

Make sure the opening line grabs the reader’s attention

The best content and copy keeps readers hooks right from the start. The first sentence drags readers onto the next one. The next one takes them further and further down the page.

It all starts with a great opening line! Brian Dean’s the master at this, and even has his own formula for you to do the same.

You can see this exact technique in action on his post about squeeze pages:

Actually, probably, really, very, possibly, like, pretty, which is.

Filler words suck the life out of your content, and you’re better off deleting all of them.

This top 10 list from Erin Feldman  shows the most common examples:

Want a comprehensive list of 297? Click here .

Remove the passive voice where possible

It’s best to describe the passive voice with an example:

When you’re speaking indirectly (the window was broken by the boy), it makes it harder for the reader to make sense of what’s being said, and uses unnecessary words.

Action : Instead of saying ‘the window was broken by the boy’, say ‘the boy broke the window’. Much better.

Hyphenation is complex, but you want to get it right to avoid confusion. It’s not one of those rules that could be thrown away, because without correct usage you could end up making silly mistakes. For example:

• Confusing : Springfield has little town charm.
• With hyphen : Springfield has little-town charm.

There are 20 different rules for using hyphens . If you’re unsure, or think that a word seems wrong when hyphenated, check that guide for a quick reference point.

When the reader’s finished your blog post, what’s the next thing you want them to do? Share, comment, buy your product?

Since blog posts are there for marketing purposes, you need to make sure the post is focused on its end goal.

Action : Add a call to action at the end of the blog post. Check here for the different kinds you can use.

On-page SEO:

Aside from getting backlinks, optimizing the content for search is the 2nd most important thing you can do to make sure you’re in for a chance of getting as much organic search traffic as possible.

This means you need to make sure that:

The keyword is in the title

The keyword is in the first 100 words.

• The meta-description contains the keyword

The post contains LSI keywords

H2s are keyword optimized.

• Image alt tags are keyword optimized

Slug contains keyword

• 5+ outbound authority links
• 5+ deep links
• Content is over 1,800 words long

In the words of Brian Dean:

“The title tag is a webpage’s second most important piece of content (besides the content of the page) and therefore sends a strong on-page SEO signal.”

Action : Always make sure to use the keyword in the title of the page, especially closer to the start of the title. For example: ‘SEO Tips: 38 Ways to Boost Organic Traffic’.

SEO tool SEMRush says :

“It is an essential signal of relevancy to have a keyword appearing in the first 100 words of a page’s content. For less valuable keyword synonyms use second paragraph and so on.”

Action : Make sure to drop your target keyword in the first paragraph.

The meta description is properly optimized

When you include the keyword in your description , it will show up in  bold in the search results and reassure the searcher they’re going to click on the right result. Here’s an example of a good meta description:

Use a tool like Yoast or All in One SEO to easily edit the meta descriptions in posts so they’re:

• 160 characters or less
• Including the keyword
• Persuading readers to click

Latent Semantic Indexing (LSI) keywords are terms that Google judges to be related in some way. When you use them in your content to support your main keyword, you’re signaling to Google that your post covers a wide range of related topics, and you’re in for a better chance of ranking for more long-tail terms.

There’s a really quick way to find them, too — LSIGraph . It shows you a ton of terms, and you pick the relevant ones to sprinkle throughout the post.

Sub-headers (H2s and below) give the post structure and hierarchy, but also indicate the key points of the post to Google. While sub-headers don’t have to be exact match keywords to your target, they should be related and helpful for users as they skim read.

Image alt tags are keyword optimized and helpful

Alt tags are important for a couple of reasons:

• They help images from your post rank in Google Images, increasing search visibility
• If a user’s browser isn’t displaying images, the alt tag will appear and describe the image instead

While it’s not necessary to include the exact keyword in your alt tag (especially if it isn’t an accurate description), make sure to use logical descriptions.

The URL is a known ranking signal for Google , and cutting it down to the keyword strengthens the signal and increases readability for users.

Think about which looks better:

• process.st/peer-editing-checklist
• process.st/category/editing/2016/10/13/29-point-peer-editing-checklist-for-creating-exceptional-content

3+ external authority links

Outbound links show Google your page is backed up with research, and deserves to treated with authority. It shows Google what kind of content your page is associated with  and gives you the chance to build relationships with other bloggers because they’ll be happy you’re linking to them.

ShoutMeLoud advises  you to:

• Link to pages which actually add value and cover the topic very well.
• Link to articles having good page authority or domain authority .
• Link to articles which have got high number of social media share. (Though do consider other factors like authenticity of the site)
• Link to the bloggers in your network or in your niche, helping you to create a community with fellow bloggers.

Action: A good place to start for adding outbound links is finding sources for every claim you make, and linking to Wikipedia articles for explanations of concepts.

5+ internal links

Never overlook the power of internal links for SEO and user experience. According to Moz , deep links are important because:

• They allow users to navigate a website.
• They help establish information hierarchy for the given website.
• They help spread link juice (ranking power) around websites.

Deep links help Google establish where your content stands in relation to the other pages on your site. What other pages that it’s ranking does this page relate to? It also passes authority to other pages on your site. With solid deep linking, you can often rank for easy search terms without much extra effort.

Content is over 2000 words long

While it is true that people’s attention spans on the internet are woeful, it’s also a fact that longer content ranks better in search engines. If a reader is interested enough in the post, they’ll appreciate detail over brevity any day, especially when it comes to useful, linkable , and sharable resources:

Google does admit that 90% of the time, users are turning to Google for a quick answer to a question, but users do spend 10% of their time looking for long-form content, so Google ranks it.

“Users often turn to Google to answer a quick question, but research suggests that up to 10% of users’ daily information needs involve learning about a broad topic. That’s why today we’re introducing new search results to help users find in-depth articles.” — Pandu Nayak , Google Panda Algorithm Technical Staff

Action: If the content doesn’t reach at least 2,000 words, make notes on how the writer can expand it. Descriptions of ‘what’ and ‘why’ make good opening sections.

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Benjamin Brandall

Benjamin Brandall is a content marketer at Process Street .

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5 Peer Editing Strategies That Actually Work For Student Writers

When you ask your students to do peer review of their writing, do they stare at you with puzzled expressions?[…] Continue Reading

When you ask your students to do peer review of their writing, do they stare at you with puzzled expressions? Here are five specific, hands-on approaches to peer conferencing that your students can really sink their teeth into.

Revising and editing a peer’s writing helps students learn to work as a team. It also gives them a fresh perspective on the proofreading process that will help them become more aware as they write and edit their own work. So, how can you make the peer review and editing process engaging, meaningful and fun for students? Here are five ways to get your students excited about peer review that actually work!

Highlighter Markers: 3 Colors Yellow – Mark the first word of each sentence. Questions to think about: Is there variety? Does the writer use transitional words? Are there any sentence fragments or run-ons? Pink – Highlight each adjective. Think about: Is the writing descriptive? Are the adjectives strong and specific? Blue – Highlight each verb. Think about: Are there too many “to be” verbs? Are the verb choices strong?

Students begin by highlighting specifics. Then, remind them to look at the big picture. After highlighting, they can make comparisons and add suggestions about what the student needs to add, adjust or remove. Proofreading will come later. First, they are helping a peer with sentence fluency and word choice—both descriptive language and “showing without telling.”

Teach students about the revision sandwich: compliment, suggest, correct. Remind students that when reviewing someone’s work, always start out by saying what they like about their work. Next, they make a suggestion and converse with their partner. Students ask questions. Then, they make corrections. By working together, they both learn from each other.

Click here for a PDF of the Writing Wheel Checklist.

Revising (The big picture) A dd words and sentences (be descriptive, capture all ideas). R emove words and sentences (be concise). M ove words and sentences (sentence fluency, organization). S ubstitute words and sentences (word choice, voice).

Editing (Conventions) C apitalization U sage (Verbs and nouns—does it make sense?) P unctuation S pelling

To help students with their understanding, say you use your arms and hand to hold your ear to help them remember that when you revise, you want the writing to sound better. If you punch a hole in a cup and look through it, you are using your eyes. This will help them remember that when you edit, you want your writing to look better. Students could even create a telescope made out of a paper cup and call it their Revisoscope! Check out Busy Bee Kids Crafts to see how to construct one. Once students know the difference between revising and editing and have the acronyms memorized, they can jot them down on a Post-it note when checking a peer’s writing. The acronyms will remind students of what to look for and how writing can be improved to make it look and sound better!

Print out Be the Editor task cards for students to use when revising and editing at each station. Students use Zaner-Bloser’s task cards to help them discuss and check one another’s writing! The task cards provide the children with prompts, making editing/revising easier. By concentrating on one writing trait at a time at each station, students will not feel overwhelmed. Along with the task cards, put out highlighters, sticky notes, colored pencils and other writing utensils to keep students interested.

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Transforming the Writing Process with Peer Editing

Listen to the full episode to hear strategies for implementing peer editing:.

I’ve talked many times about the process and importance of students engaging in the writing process. It allows students to work on their written skills and creativity. But the step that most teachers gloss over or find optional is the peer editing stage, when in reality, it provides many benefits and life skills for students. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing a new perspective to make peer editing work for your students and how to use it effectively in the classroom.

When students are peer editing, they’re building their communication, critical thinking and collaboration skills that will only make them successful in the future. However, there are so many more benefits to having students peer edit, which are highlighted and provided throughout the episode. 

Since teaching writing can be challenging for some teachers, especially with a skill as important as peer editing, I help explore strategies that you can easily implement in your classroom. And even though it’s toward the end of the school year, now is still a great time to teach peer editing to your students. Not only have they built a foundation of writing, but they’ve gained practice and experience throughout the year. 

The next time you go through the writing process with your students, don’t skip or downplay the importance of the peer editing step. I’ve established the many benefits and how it’s a game changer when it comes to developing writing skills in young writers.

In this episode on peer editing, I share:

• Why peer editing is so important and essential during the writing process
• Ways to explain the importance and concept of peer editing to your students
• Modeling is a non-negotiable for peer editing
• Guided questions to provide your students when getting started
• A list of important to-dos when planning for implementation

Resources Mentioned:

• The Daily Writing Disguise
• Writing Process Checklists
• Writing Reference Sheets
• Six Traits of Writing Charts
• Episode 125, 10 Reasons Why You Should Have Students Engaging in Collaborative Writing

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Your host, Megan Polk, is the creator and owner behind The Literacy Dive and loves to support students and their teachers with curriculum, literacy instruction, best practices, and engaging literacy activities.

Dive in with us every Monday for a new episode from Megan! She, and her guests, will chat about various literacy topics and will bring you tips and tricks that can easily be implemented in your classrooms. You can tune in wherever you get your podcasts! Listen to The

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Peer editing in the classroom: A creative approach (Part 1)

What is Peer Editing and Why Use It?

Peer editing , defined for a classroom context, is a process in which students or learners take on the role of the teacher in order to check or comment on work produced by another student or learner. It can take the form of checklists, written critiques, verbal conferencing, or a combination thereof.

The obvious advantages to peer editing have made it an increasingly popular teaching strategy in classrooms from elementary schools to universities. Large class sizes and increased instructor workloads often make it difficult for instructors to give detailed feedback on every piece of work that a student produces; looking to students themselves as valuable resources for response and critique makes a lot of sense.

As well, any instructor who has asked students to edit their own work with a mind to revision knows that there is often great resistance to self-editing. This is by no means limited to students—we all find it difficult to look at our own work objectively, and many of us are reluctant to revisit work that we feel is “done.” Peer editing not only allows the writer to see the work through another person’s eyes, it develops the collaborative skills that often go into creating a project or book or product in a “real-world” context.

Who I Am and What I Offer

I’ve taught creative writing in high schools, public workshops, and university classrooms across Canada, and I’ve and mentored individual writers through both writer-in-residence programs and private consultations. I am also, though, an editor of books of fiction and non-fiction, and it’s my editing practise that has made me look at the process of peer editing in a new way.

In over ten years of professional editing, during which time I’ve worked with everyone from beginning writers to Governor General’s Award‒winners, I’ve developed a keen appreciation for how challenging editing is. Engaging with another person’s work, whether it be an engineer’s process description, a fellow teacher’s lesson plan, or a short story about colonizing Saturn, calls for a level of concentration and analysis that few other of our endeavours require. When you add responsibility to that engagement—you are the editor paid by the publishing house to guide the writer to the best possible version of her work; you are the classroom instructor tasked with critiquing and evaluating a student’s essay; or you are the student asked to give feedback on the work of a peer—the level of engagement is even higher. Putting ourselves through the paces of editing another’s work is one of the most rigorous ways of using our skill sets and brain power, and one of the most effective ways of learning new things. Conversely, getting detailed feedback about a piece of writing from an attentive, engaged reader is the best way to find out whether that piece is communicating what we wish it to. It is, as we say, “writing gold.”

Peer Editing in the Classroom

As soon as you sit down to design a rubric for assessing student writing, you come face to face with the sheer number and variety of criteria involved—everything from the minutiae of spelling and grammar to the “big-picture” exigencies of clarity, concision, and persuasion. It’s little wonder that students can find it overwhelming to edit their own work, and that they need concrete guidance when tasked with critiquing the work of others.

I will discuss a few different approaches to peer editing, but first, a caveat: a peer-editing session is not a vacation for the instructor. Yes, as mentioned, it can be an effective way of managing large classes: it often isn’t possible, as an instructor, to read and respond immediately to each piece of writing a student produces, and so in a class where students are asked to produce writing often (an approach I applaud), peer review can increase the number and immediacy of responses a writer receives. But the instructor should be an active participant in the peer editing process at every stage, from modelling effective critiquing methods before the peer review even begins, to monitoring and commenting upon the review once it’s in process. Take this summation of a three-week peer-review of a formal paper assignment, from Melissa Trombo:

I ask students to turn in a draft for peer review during the first week. I ask students to bring two copies of their drafts so that during the class session I can do my first read of their work. This allows me to answer any immediate questions that come up during peer reviews or address concerns they want to begin working on right away. I provide detailed student feedback in the second week. I have a larger class discussion with the students about patterns I see in the writing so that we can have an open dialogue and share concerns. The final draft is due in the third week. Students are asked to submit the original draft, my comments, both peer reviews and their final draft. This way I can evaluate the process from top to bottom. For instance, if both peer reviewers and I suggest a revision to the introduction, I will expect a student to address this concern. In reviewing feedback, I encourage students to listen to their peers and to my feedback but ultimately to make their own decisions about how they want to revise their essays. The grade I assign is an assessment of where each essay is in relation to the progress I think it should make in the class. [1]

Whew, right? But this is actually a realistic description of the planning and time it takes to use peer reviewing/editing effectively. Students should not be expected to write and critique in a vacuum; as valuable as their fresh perspectives on each others’ work are, the instructor should plan to be constantly involved as a guide and as assessor. Both the writer and the peer editor should be held accountable for their work—in fact, that accountability is one of the great advantages of using peer review with your students.

The peer editing model of workshopping writing, by breaking students into pairs or small groups rather than using the “around-the-table” model of workshopping a piece with the entire class, does allow for reviewers to spend more time reading, editing, and critiquing a given piece. As a result, the peer editing process can be more detailed, accurate, and in-depth than the full-class workshopping model allows. Students have time to truly engage with one another’s work, discuss their points of view in detail, and respond to each other’s reactions. And, not least, they have more time to actually read the piece of writing in class. Remember that what you devote class time to as an instructor sends a strong message to your students about what kinds of learning and practises are valued. By allotting significant class time to reading and writing, you are signalling that these are activities that are valued and rewarded in the world.

That said, be realistic about what you hope to accomplish in a peer editing session. Students can easily feel overwhelmed by the responsibilities they’re given in this process, and it’s important not to overload them. You will need to carefully consider the amount of class time you’ll have for a specific activity, and tailor your instructions and, if using, checklists accordingly. Speaking of which…

To Checklist or Not To Checklist

That, if not the question, is certainly a big one.

First, let me give you a couple of examples. This first one is a bare-bones writing checklist suitable for students in grades 3‒5. (Note: I’ve adapted these examples from an amalgam of open-learning online resources, tweaking them here and there. For example, the edict about the dictionary under “Spelling” on this one is my own addition—take it from a seasoned editor: the dictionary is one of the most underrated (and, sadly, underused) resources around.

I like the Self- and Peer-Editors’ Checklist because it is clear and easy to use, and has a finite, manageable number of items. Ideally, the teacher will have the writer and peer editor fill out their checklists separately, then they will get together to talk over the similarities and differences in their results. Ideally, too, the teacher will allot enough time for each stage of this process (reading, rereading, filling out the checklist, exchanging results, discussion, and teacher participation in/feedback on the discussion). Remember, even at this simple a level, reading and editing takes significant time!

Like any resource, this checklist can and should be adapted with your particular learners’ needs and focus in mind. Categories could, for example, be geared toward high school or undergraduate essay writing in any subject, and include such areas as a clearly stated thesis, appropriate use of paragraphing,  detail and support for topic sentences, subject-specific vocabulary, and sentence clarity and variety.

Next, let’s look at a very different approach. The Peer-Edit Response Form is also modelled for younger learners, but can easily be adapted for any level and context. The focus here is on more subjective questions rather than mechanics, and admittedly it probably can’t properly be called a “checklist” at all.

This kind of open-ended checklist can be adapted to any context, including for complex projects and graduate-level and professional writers. A peer-editing checklist for an engineering and design course might include categories like the readability or relevance of charts and diagrams, the clear and parallel listing of materials to be used, and the accuracy of equations. A checklist for a student-teacher’s lesson plan could well ask, “Have the lesson outcomes been written in terms that are observable and measurable?” and “Could the lesson plan be easily understood by a substitute teacher?”

Clicking through the riot of peer-editing checklists that are available online can be a bit of a maddening exercise because of their sheer volume and variety. But for me, the value of these existing tools is not so much how useful they are in themselves, but in how reading them sparks ideas for better questions or, at least, ones more specifically geared to your particular students’ needs. Once you get started on planning your assessment rubric, checklist or no, you’ll realize that identifying categories is (at least relatively) the easy part. The hard part, and the important part, is making them work in a classroom setting. More on that to follow. In the appendix to this document, I’ve included a “Revision Checklist” that I’ve used with my creative writing classes—you are welcome to use it or adapt it for your own writing, revising, or teaching purposes. If you do give it to students, again I suggest you tailor it to the specific student or class you’re giving it to; some of the items on the list may well need tweaking or omitting according to their needs (and your philosophy!), and you may have ideas for others. I make it a rule to never use a handout with a class (even my own) unless I’ve gone over it anew and adapted it to that class specifically.

Above all, remember that teaching any kind of writing, like writing itself, is a creative process. So, too, should be your approach to peer editing. A student in a workshop I recently gave asked me, “How do you determine the line between leaving creative writing open and authentic while still providing enough guidance for [students] to succeed?” I told her, honestly, that I didn’t have an answer to that excellent question, but that we should strive, as educators, to keep that tension always in mind. It’s a tension that I think applies to any discipline of study: creative thinking is just as important in nursing or business management as it is in English or creative writing; so, too, are the clear parameters that allow us to make honest and useful assessments of student work. Developing a peer editing practise in your classroom can help both you and your students address the tension between the freedom to create and the need to refine and revise in practical and meaningful ways.

Cartoon Credits

• Cullum, Leo. “Never, ever think outside the box.” The New Yorker , November 30, 1998.
• Twohy, Mike. “Overuse of the Exclamation Point.” The New Yorker , April 15, 2019.
• Wheeler, Shannon. “’‘Grrr’ is not a word.” The New Yorker , July 2, 2012.

[1] Trombo, Melissa. “Workshop and Peer Review Process” in “Teaching Autoethnography: Personal Writing in the Classroom.” https://milnepublishing.geneseo.edu/teaching-autoethnography/chapter/4-workshop-and-peer-review-process/. Accessed February 5, 2020.

Melanie Little

Melanie Little is an award-winning author and editor of fiction and non-fiction. As the inaugural editor of Calgary’s Freehand Books, she was awarded the Book Publishers’ Association of Alberta’s Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence, and under her direction Freehand was named BPAA’s Publisher of the Year and was a finalist for Small Press Publisher of the Year at the Canadian Booksellers’ Association Libris Awards. Subsequently she was the Senior Editor of Canadian Fiction at House of Anansi Press, where she edited authors including Lisa Moore, Rawi Hage, Sheila Heti, Pasha Malla, Patrick deWitt, and Lynn Coady. Books she has edited have won the Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award, the Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Quebec Writers’ Federation Prize for Fiction, and the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and have twice been finalists for Canada Reads. She is currently a freelance editor in Toronto, editing fiction and non-fiction for clients including Coach House Books, McClelland and Stewart, Doubleday Canada, and House of Anansi Press.

Melanie has taught creative writing at Dalhousie University, the University of Alberta, and at workshops across Canada. Her debut collection of stories, Confidence, was shortlisted for the Danuta Gleed Award and selected as a Globe and Mail Top 100 Book. Her novel-in-verse for young adults, The Apprentice’s Masterpiece, was a Canadian Library Association Honour Book, a gold medalist at the Independent Publisher Book Awards, and a White Raven selection for the International Youth Library in Munich. She is currently writing a novel for which she has received funding support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. She holds an Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and a Master of Arts in English literature from the University of Toronto.

• Melanie Little https://teach-learn.ca/author/mlittle/ Peer editing in the classroom: A creative approach (Part 2)
• Melanie Little https://teach-learn.ca/author/mlittle/ Peer editing in the classroom: A creative approach (Q&A)

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Peer editing checklists: a game-changer for the writing classroom.

Ever had your students swap papers for peer editing or revisions, only to have the feedback go no deeper than, “I like your work because the picture is so colorful”? Enter the student-friendly peer editing checklist – it’s like a treasure map for finding the golden nuggets in writing (and the not-so-shiny bits that could use a polish.) It’s a great way to get kids thinking about the things that make good writing good , and the fixes that make less-strong writing stronger.

What is a Peer Editing Checklist?

Think of a peer editing checklist as a roadmap that lets students know exactly what they should be looking for in a classmate’s writing.

Different grade levels will need different versions, but a good peer editing checklist will often include reminders like checking for those sneaky capital letters that so often go AWOL, hunting down the punctuation that plays hide and seek, and giving a thumbs up or some friendly advice on what’s great and what’s not in the writing piece.

A good peer editing checklist should also be kid-friendly – the language on the checklist shouldn’t be ten times more complex than the language in the writing piece itself!

Why Use Peer Editing Checklists?

• Keeps the Eyes on the Prize : The checklist keeps kiddos zeroed in on what to look for, so they don’t end up just praising the cool handwriting.
• No More Guesswork : It lays out all the things they should comment on, clear as day.
• Fair’s Fair : Makes sure everyone’s writing gets the same eagle-eyed treatment.
• Brain Gains : Kids get to flex their thinking muscles by playing detective with their buddy’s work.
• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work : It’s all about working together to make those writing pieces shine.
• Taking Charge : Students often up their game when they know a classmate will be peeking at their paper.
• Level Up Writing Skills : Regular swapping and reviewing can lead to a class full of word wizards.

Making Peer Editing Checklists Work for Your Classroom

Show and tell.

First, walk your students through the checklist. Talk through each item on the checklist, and discuss why it’s important.

Practice Run

Do a mock edit together. Grab a piece of writing, project it up on the board, and let the class have at it, checklist in hand. I always tell students to read the whole piece through for every single checklist item. So, if the first thing on the checklist is looking for capital letters, we read the whole piece and only correct capital letters. Then we do it again, looking for punctuation. Etc., etc., until everything on the checklist has that friendly little checkmark next to it.

Buddy System

Pair up the students and let them have a go. You can do homogenous or heterogenous pairing, but for the first run I often like to pair students with similar writing levels. This way, both students in the pair will feel like they really have something to contribute. Encourage students to be kind but honest – it’s all in the name of making the writing better, after all.

Reflection Time

Once the editing’s done, get your students to reflect. What did they learn? Did they spot similar issues in their own work?

Feedback Fiesta

Make peer editing a celebration, not a chore. When they’ve done a solid job giving feedback, let them know it’s a big deal! After all, giving constructive feedback is something that many adults even struggle to do!

Watch Out: Common Pitfalls of Peer Editing (And How to Dodge Them)

Peer editing is like navigating through a jungle gym – it’s a blast, but you gotta watch where you’re stepping. Here are some common slip-ups that can happen and how to swing past them:

1. The “Nice Job!” Trap

We’ve all seen it – the peer editing process is complete, and only compliments have been given. Super sweet, but not super helpful. If you have students who are hesitant to actually edit their peers work, sometimes some special writing tools can help. Colored pencils, colored pens… let students use these to mark up their classmates’ work. You can even have a different color assigned for each checklist item. The first draft may come away looking messy, but isn’t that really the goal?

2. The Overwhelm

Sometimes a checklist can look like a to-do list that never ends, and students might just shut down. To avoid this, break it down as a whole group before sending them off to edit. Show them how to tackle one item at a time, so they don’t feel like they’re trying to juggle while balancing books on their heads.

If you find that your students are still struggling, take a step back. Choose one checklist item to really focus on for the day.

You can also differentiate peer editing checklists by just chopping off sections of some of them. Some students might be working with the whole checklist, and others just have one or two items to be on the looking for.

3. The Harsh Critic

There’s always that one student who fancies themselves the Simon Cowell of writing. To prevent any tears or crumpled papers, chat about constructive criticism. If you foresee this being a problem, maybe even role-play on how to deliver the “tough love” in a way that’s more love, less tough.

4. The Rush Job

Time’s ticking, and suddenly, peer editing turns into a race. Slow it down by drawing positive attention to the students who are really taking their time! I like to start the process by letting students know that in my past experience as a teacher, those who take the most time to edit usually do the best job. Then, as students are working, I’m constantly calling out, “Wow, Jayden hasn’t even checked off the first item yet. He must be doing a super thorough job. Thanks, Jayden!”

5. The “What Did I Just Read?”

Confusion can set in, especially with younger students or those who really struggle with writing. If a student doesn’t understand their peer’s writing, have them ask their peer to tell them what they meant to say. Most students are clearly able to explain their intentions orally. Then, the duo can work together to get the writing on paper, in a brand new draft if necessary.

Ready to Try Peer Editing Checklists in Your Classroom?

Peer editing with checklists is like giving students a map, a compass, and a pat on the back before they set off on an adventure. I have peer editing checklists available for every grade level from 2nd grade through high school! They’re designed to meet each grade level’s specific standards for writing and editing. Check them out:

• 2 nd grade peer editing checklist
• Peer editing checklist for 3 rd grade, 4 th grade, & 5 th grade
• Peer editing checklist for 6 th grade, 7 th grade, & 8 th grade
• High school peer editing checklist

You might also be interested in: Using poems to improve reading fluency Teaching word problems with tape diagrams

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Peer editing

Peer editing can be done during class time or electronically outside of class, as the documents below--from Northwestern instructors--illustrate.  The questions that students respond to can vary according to the nature of the assignment and the purpose of the peer review.

peer editing sheets for drafts Peer editing sheets for two essay assignments in a freshman seminar.  Providing very specific questions helps the editors give useful feedback and suggestions. 

peer feedback form literature seminar Students exchange drafts in class, complete the peer feedback form, and then discuss their written comments with one another.  Students submit the forms with their drafts so that I can read them.  I frequently refer to their peers' comments when I am writing my own comments on their drafts.   

peer review Asian diaspora freshman seminar Students do a close reading of one another's drafts to provide insight into what has and has not been conveyed by the draft.

research draft peer review Prompts peer reviewers to comment on key pieces of information, logical organization, and conclusion

research paper introduction peer response Prompts peer editor to comment on introduction, and prompts author to respond to those comments

research paper peer evaluation of claims Prompts peer editor to evaluate the paper's effectiveness in supporting claims and addressing counter-arguments

peer editing science papers Prompts peer editor to complete a checklist on the paper's content, structure, and grammar

getting the most out of peer reviews A link to NU's Writing Place that explains how to make sure you benefit from sharing your writing with peers

peer review guidelines for a personal essay These guidelines from a freshman seminar are aimed at pairs of students who are exchanging drafts before meeting individually with the instructor. 

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The Writing Process

Making expository writing less stressful, more efficient, and more enlightening, search form, you are here.

• Step 5: Edit

Personal Editing Checklist

"If you re-read your work, you can find on re-rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by re-reading and editing." —William Safire

Click to download and create your Personalized Editing Checklist.

A Foolproof Editing Checklist to Take Your Work from 0 to 100

You've just finished writing a blog post, sweat pouring from your brow much as words poured from your fingertips a second ago.

You're about to press publish when suddenly… a small, niggling voice pipes up in your mind.

“You should probably proofread that, at least…” the voice says snidely. 

You resist. Your writing feels good! Or at least, good enough to send. Why bother with the whole editing bit?

The voice is correct. Although many people think writing is the hard part, the toughest part of any writing process is the editing. Editing is what takes your writing from good to great.

If you're an academic, editing will help polish your work and make it more professional.

If you're a blogger, editing will help you earn more trust with your readers.

If you're into creative writing, editing helps you carve out motivations, characterizations, and tell a better story.

I'll break down exactly how I recommend incorporating editing into your writing process.

Understanding the Basics of Writing and Editing

Let's start by explaining the stages of the writing process. Though many people think the process is simply: write → publish, it's a little more complex than that.

Prewriting (Brainstorming)

Gather and organize your thoughts. Understand the assignment or purpose, consider your audience, and come up with ideas. Techniques like free writing, clustering, and mind mapping can be useful here.

Once you have your ideas, you start to put them into sentences and paragraphs. This is where you write your first version or rough draft. It doesn't have to be perfect; the main goal is to get your ideas down on paper.

Here, you rethink and reorganize your paper. You might rearrange sections, add or delete paragraphs, clarify ideas, and ensure that your argument is well structured and supported. The focus is on clarity and meaning.

Refine your draft by fixing grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical errors. You might also look at sentence structure, word choice, and consistency in style and tone. This is where you polish your work.

Proofreading

This is the final check before you consider your piece complete. You're looking for any last-minute errors or typos that might have been missed during the editing stage. It's often helpful to read the paper aloud or have someone else review it.

Publishing (or Sharing)

Finally, once you're satisfied with your work, you share it with your intended audience. This could mean turning it in to a teacher, posting it on a blog, submitting it to a journal, or any other way of making your writing public.

This isn't a linear process all the time. Sometimes you'll be editing and realize you need to go back to the revision portion, or even back to brainstorming. You may also find yourself proofreading as you write, instead of at the end. 

Writing for students in high school is slightly different to writing in academic settings – high school writing is more about foundational skills like clear sentences and organized thoughts. Academic writing requires specialized knowledge, critical analysis, and adherence to specific formats. Keep those standards in mind when editing your work.

Key Elements to Check in Your Writing

This is a bit labor intensive, but the best way to go through your piece and make sure it's perfect is by taking each section and sentence and making sure it fits and flows perfectly. 

Here are some of the biggest issues to tick off your list:

Check for complete sentences – no sentence fragment allowed.

Example: "Because I like to read."

Corrected: "I like to read."

Ensure each body paragraph has a topic sentence.

Example: "It's a popular sport. Many people love soccer because it's exciting and unites fans globally."

Corrected: "Soccer is beloved worldwide for its excitement and ability to unite fans."

Ensure each sentence conveys clear ideas.

Example: "She went to the place with the thing for that stuff."

Corrected: "She went to the library to borrow a book."

Avoid the passive voice – go for active voice.

Example: "The cake was eaten by him."

Corrected: "He ate the cake."

Scrutinize your word choice to convey the right message. 

Example: “She talked really bad.”

Corrected: "She spoke inappropriately."

Check for grammatical errors, grammar mistakes, and proper grammar.

Example: "She don't like chocolate."

Corrected: "She doesn't like chocolate."

Check for common spelling pitfalls.

Example: "I have a reciept."

Corrected: "I have a receipt."

Check punctuation, including exclamation marks and proper punctuation.

Example: "Its raining outside, isn't it!"

Corrected: "It's raining outside, isn't it?"

Avoid unnecessary words, filler words, and long sentences.

Example: "I just really think that, you know, maybe we should, like, consider going to the store or something."

Corrected: "Maybe we should go to the store."

Ensure proper capitalization. Each proper noun gets a capital letter.

Example: "i love paris in the springtime."

Corrected: “I love Paris in the springtime.”

Make your content interesting.

Example: "The Renaissance was an important time in history."

Corrected: “The Renaissance, a vibrant period of rebirth, profoundly influenced art, science, and thought.”

Advanced Editing Techniques

When you're ready to go a step further, there are a few final i's to dot and t's to cross to finalize your editing, both for students and professionals. These are a bit more big picture. 

Use body paragraphs to structure your writing . 

You want to ensure that each paragraph has a point, and that everything in that paragraph supports your main point. 

Sometimes on tricky pieces, I will print out my article, highlight my main point, and cross out any sentences that don't directly strengthen my main point.

You also need to understand the role of each phrase , word , and paragraph in enhancing readability. 

Short, clear sentences and paragraphs make content more scannable, especially online. 

Transition words help guide readers through an argument or narrative, and varied sentence structures can maintain reader interest. 

You should also think of editing skills not just as a checklist, but also as a way to improve your writing skill . 

As you consistently edit and refine your work, you begin to internalize the principles of good writing. 

Over time, you'll notice that you start avoiding common mistakes you used to make in your first drafts. It's very satisfying.

Formatting and Style

A boring but necessary item on any checklist for editing – make sure you're following the rules. Especially relevant for students, your teacher has probably assigned you MLA style or APA style. Students and professionals alike will have to adhere to font regulations, too.

Double check you're in Times New Roman, if that's what the assignment calls for. It's really annoying to get docked points for a simple format mistake.

Curious about the best Microsoft fonts? Read here.  

Resources for Effective Editing

Where to begin? Don't worry, you're not starting from a blank slate. There are tons of online resources and tools for editing. (Almost all of these are all free – I know what students' and freelancers budgets are like!)

Grammarly . It's a free Chrome extension, powered by AI, that finds spelling issues, grammar mistakes, but also can go into clarity and where to cut unnecessary words. Perfect for students, veteran marketers, and everyone in between.

ProWritingAid . This AI editor does a similar job – it will correct your misspellings, simplify jargon, and help trim your writing to be more concise.

Hemingway Editor . This resource is a free app that is all about picking out common writing issues, like if your sentences are too complex, or if you've got a lot of passive voice.

Readable is a great resource for giving you a sense of the reading level, either the well-known Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level or another metric. Great for students. 

OneLook Thesaurus. This will solve your overused word problem. Not only does it work as a traditional thesaurus, it's also good for finding that word that you can't quite remember. 

Students bonus: Your local writing center . Most colleges will have a center dedicated to helping you write. Here's a sample of what UMass Boston's will give you: “We offer individual writing consultations in person and online where we work collaboratively with writers and provide feedback on any writing, from class essays to cover letters to theses and dissertations to manuscripts for publication and anything in between.” Pretty great resource, huh?

Your friendly peer editor . If you're really stuck in the editing process, I recommend asking one of your fellow students or peers very nicely – or even hiring a professional – to give your piece a once-over. 

Final thoughts on this checklist

Running your piece through a checklist like this one is the best way to polish your article. It gives you a sense of professional pride. For students, it's a good way to keep grades up or just feel like your assignment is done. 

My last three piece of advice:

Read it out loud . This is the fastest, cheapest, and best way to edit. You'll find stale sentences, missing commas, boring bits, and forgotten clauses. 

If you can, print it and read it on a physical copy . Especially for students submitting an assignment, changing the format can really help your eye spot hidden errors. 

Have fun . Editing can feel like a drag, but I like to gamify it a bit with this kind of checklist. Remember, you're skilling up, like a video game character. Do your best and enjoy the process. 

How Does a Freelance Writer Make Money?

How to write a comparison essay from start to finish.

How to Teach Peer Editing: Effective Strategies for the ELA Classroom

Wondering how to teach peer editing in your classroom? Dive into helpful reminders, effective strategies, and sample exercises to share with your students. Let this article guide you as you reassess your approach to this critical aspect of the writing process.

Even as teachers, providing feedback can be a struggle. There’s so much to process; where do you begin? How much is too little or too much? How can you ensure the feedback is constructive and effective? Now, imagine the challenge our students face when we task them with peer editing. Cue the ineffective “Your paper was good” and “I liked it” comments students typically give. There has to be a better way to teach peer editing, right? Read on for effective strategies you can use when considering how to teach peer editing in your classroom.

The Importance of Peer Editing

Revision is an essential part of the writing process, including peer revisions. Peer editing has many benefits once students move beyond superficial comments and simple proofreading.

One of the most significant benefits is receiving feedback on one’s writing from a reader’s perspective. We often read over our work with the understanding of what we meant to say. However, the intention does not always translate so clearly. Writers are so close to their work that it can be difficult to spot areas for improvement. That’s where peer editing comes into play. As students review and revise each other’s work, they provide a fresh perspective, new insight, and an overall second eye for any simple mistakes. However, peer editing is just as beneficial for the reader as the writer. By reviewing their peers’ work, students can learn about themselves as writers, gaining new insights into how they can improve their writing.

Introducing Peer Editing

Rather than assuming your students understand how to approach peer editing effectively, I recommend you begin with a brief introduction to remind students what it is, why it’s important, and how to do it. Sure, your students will likely believe they already know, but their lackluster comments and surface-level suggestions say otherwise.

Begin by explaining what peer editing is not. It is not the same as proofreading. Effective peer editing required students to look beyond surface-level spelling and grammar mistakes. Encourage students to consider the word re vision, emphasizing the idea of bringing a new set of eyes to a text.

Students need a reminder that peer editing includes critically analyzing aspects such as content and structure. Therefore, it is not just about corrections. More importantly, effective peer editing is about providing feedback and suggestions.

Introduce Various Types of Feedback

Simply telling students to leave feedback is not enough. Many students will continue to make basic corrections or stick to surface-level comments. Therefore, I find it helpful to explain the different types of feedback students can leave when peer editing:

• Compliments: This is what I call the feel-good-feedback. Making space for positive feedback is essential to building confident writers. Students should always leave at least one specific compliment about a particular aspect of the writing.
• Corrections: This type of feedback is not up for debate. Corrections are meant to note mistakes in spelling and grammar and mark something that is missing. For example, if a paper is missing a thesis statement, hook, evidence, or conclusion, a correction would point that out.
• Suggestions: Students shouldn’t take this type of feedback lightly. However, the how is up to the writer when implementing the suggestions in their next draft. The editor provides insight, but the writer decides what to do with it if anything at all.
• Questions: Questions are similar to suggestions in that the writer decides what to do with them when it comes to the next phase of writing. However, I always remind students to be mindful of their audience. If a reader has a question, it’s worth considering the answer and working it into your piece.

Regardless of which category of feedback the student is leaving, explain the importance of being specific . For example, don’t just identify something as confusing or intriguing. Remind them to explain why .

How to Teach Peer Editing: Effective Strategies

Relying on a peer editing handout isn’t the only strategy you can use. Consider the following as alternatives or in addition to your current practice:

Model the process: Before students can leave effective feedback on their own, it helps to understand how . Have a student volunteer their essay or use a model to read and revise with your students. Explain your thought process, including any questions or comments that come about as you read and annotate the piece. As you move through the paper, you can start asking students for their thoughts on what feedback they would leave.

Provide guidelines and rubrics : Before students engage in peer editing, be sure they know what they are looking for. Having a copy of the expectations on hand provides a guide for students as they engage in peer editing. Consider providing an extended rubric where students can leave specific feedback and suggestions for each category. That way, both readers and writers have a clear understanding of the feedback.

Provide a checklist: For more holistic revisions, consider providing a checklist. For each item on the checklist, leave space for the editor to leave a specific comment. If the item is checked off, the student can write a specific piece of praise or an optional suggestion for improvement. (Just because they have it, doesn’t mean it’s perfect!) If the item is missing from the paper or unsuccessfully incorporated, the editor should provide a suggestion, ask a question, or specify what is missing.

Narrow the focus: This is one of my favorite techniques.To avoid overgeneralized holistic feedback (“It was good”), consider providing a specific lens through which students conduct their revision. Students are often overwhelmed by power editing because they don’t know where to begin. Narrowing the focus to one to three specifics can help take some pressure off and ensure writers get relevant feedback on their drafts.

Offer thinking stems: Providing students with thinning stems can relieve some of the stress of peer editing. Guide them toward more effective feedback by helping them get started. Here are a few ideas:

• The … was effective because …
• I was confused by the … because …. Consider …
• You make a good point about … but it might benefit from more …
• Instead of … consider trying …
• Your piece made me feel/think …

Peer Editing Exercises to Try in Your Classroom

Ready to see peer editing in action? Consider trying one of these exercises:

Peer Edit Station Rotation: The value is peer editing is perspective, right? This activity allows students to receive feedback from various students and get up and move around. Arrange the desks into six groups and leave a stack of papers at each station. Randomly assign students to a table and have them pick one essay to edit until the timer goes off. When time is up, students must move to a new table and select a different paper to focus.  Allow enough time for each paper to be reviewed at least three times. Add a little extra fun by letting students pick a fun (yet legible) color to use for their feedback. The result? A rainbow of revisions!

Mystery Peer Edit Pile: This simple peer editing activity takes away the stress of students knowing which paper belongs to whom. (Bye-bye biases and social pressure!) Have each student bring a copy of their draft without their name on it to add to the mystery pile.  Hand each student a random draft from the stack (just make sure they don’t get their own) to read and review. Once they finish leaving their feedback, they return the paper to the pile and grab another. This cycle goes on for the duration of the activity.

Editorial Board: Roleplaying can make a seemingly dull task more fun, especially for younger students. Turn your classroom into a publishing house for the day. Begin the class by assigning students the role of junior editors. Their task? Finding the next piece with “big hit” potential in a pile of submissions (aka student drafts). However, that means finding the potential in a draft and providing appropriate feedback to make it great. Spend a few minutes exploring what an editor does (hint: it’s more than making simple corrections). Then, review the guidelines for publication (the assignment itself and its rubric or guidelines) and have them get to work!  This real-world context allows them to step away from the role of a friend or peer and into the role of an editor. How fun!

Peer Edit Press Conference: Trust me, this activity is far less intimidating than it sounds. Students won’t be standing in front of their peers, answering and deflecting questions. Instead, they will be the ones asking the questions about their writing. By having students come up with questions for their peers to answer during peer editing, they must first think critically about their work.  As they reflect on their writing, they can identify areas they would like to improve or know they are struggling with. Furthermore, it helps their peers have a sense of direction as they read and provide feedback. However, I remind students that they are free to mark corrections and make a few other remarks.

How to Teach Peer Editing: A Final Thought

Peer editing is a great learning opportunity for students. But it all begins by teaching students how to effectively revise and edit each other’s work. Not only will they learn ways to improve their writing, but they will also practice clear communication strategies. After all, clear communication is a must for effective peer revisions.

Let’s be honest. Peer editing takes a bit off of our plates as teachers too. However, if we don’t begin by teaching peer editing, it’s a waste of valuable time. Hopefully, these strategies help you with how to teach effective peer editing in your classroom!

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Level 3 - peer editing forms.

Peer Editing Stations & Checklist, High School Writing Review, PDF

Description

This Peer Editing Station & Checklist activity is written for my dual-enrollment, college Composition students, but can be used with students in grades 7 - 12, as well. Peer review is an important part of the writing process, but students can sometimes struggle to move past basic feedback like, "You Did Great!" These stations focus students in on specific elements of a writing assignment, and each station overview sheet contains a checklist of questions students should ask themselves as they read the paper.

Station 1: Overall Structure & Clarity

Station 2: Evidence & Analysis

Station 3: Mechanics, Grammar, & Style

Station 4: Formatting & Citations

Each student is given a Peer Review Data Collection Sheet, and peer reviewers use this sheet to document feedback for the essay based on the specific criteria at each station. Then, students use the Reflection Sheet (I usually print these two forms back-to-back on the same page) to review and reflect on the suggestions they feel are most beneficial for their papers.

Included in this purchase:

4 Station Overview Sheets (Black-and-White)

4 Station Overview Sheets (Color)

1 Peer Review Data Collection Sheet (Black-and-White)

1 Peer Review Data Collection Sheet (Color)

1 Reflection Sheet (Black-and-White)

1 Reflection Sheet (Color)

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