I started my career as a writer, but over the years, I’ve found I spend a lot more time editing than writing—and grumbling about the general lack of understanding about and appreciation for what editors do, the different types of editing, and the value editors and editing bring to the creative process. 

As my colleagues have heard me say many times, I truly believe there are no great writers without great editors. By the end of this blog, I hope I will have convinced you this is true. 

What do editors do? 

Writing clearly and concisely doesn’t come naturally to many people—and it can be very difficult to edit your own work. An editor has the challenging yet essential task of making someone else’s writing accurate, correct, and compelling without losing the author’s original intent, voice, and tone. This requires a combination of expertise, creativity, and diplomacy. An editor’s fresh perspective and objectivity can also clarify your ideas and identify errors you may have overlooked because you are too familiar with your own writing. 

How is editing different from proofreading? 

Editing is often confused with proofreading. While proofreading is an important part of the overall discipline of editing, proofreading and editing are two different activities. 

Proofreading is typically the last step in the creative process before a deliverable is approved for distribution—at LMD, we call it “the white glove treatment.” It focuses on checking the work for grammatical, punctuation, and usage errors, as well as typos, formatting problems, and misspellings. Correctness is paramount. Proofreading is as important as editing because accurate work contributes greatly to being perceived as credible, reliable, professional, and trustworthy. These characteristics are hallmarks of LMD’s brand—and perhaps yours, as well. 

Editing is more holistic than proofreading. It focuses on the overall structure, organization, and flow of the content, with the desired result being consistent, clear, cohesive, coherent, factually correct, and on-brand content. The editor looks at the piece through the lens of the reader and makes suggestions for the format, structure, language, point of view, tone, and style to better meet the expectations and preferences of the intended audience. Editing requires a creative and analytical mindset, as well as knowing the rules of grammar and language—and when to break them to make language more natural and readable. 

What is the value of editing? 

Editing serves so many important functions—some are obvious, and others you may not have considered. These include:

• Improved reading comprehension: Refining your language eliminates ambiguity and makes your ideas more precise, useful, helpful, and memorable. 
• Enhanced structure and flow: Reorganizing your work can make your points or messages easier to follow and more persuasive and believable.
• Stronger arguments: Editing can strengthen your arguments by adding supporting evidence, eliminating weak points, and ensuring your messages are well articulated and compelling.
• Consistency: Editing ensures consistency in tone, style, and terminology, contributing to a more professional and cohesive final product that aligns your brand across all channels. 
• Legal and ethical compliance: Incorrect information can damage your reputation, create misunderstandings, offend others, and even lead to legal problems. Editing can help avoid legal issues, maintain ethical standards, and prevent the spread of misinformation, which is increasingly important in an era where false information can spread rapidly online.
• Better decision-making: Clear, accurate, and persuasive content helps readers and leaders make informed decisions that create better outcomes.
• Search engine optimization (SEO): Search engine algorithms prioritize high-quality, accurate, trustworthy content, which improves your online rankings and visibility and leads to more site traffic and broader reach. 
• Learning opportunities: Editorial feedback can help you improve your writing skills. An editor’s changes or suggestions can provide valuable insights into how to enhance your future work.

How can I improve my editing skills? 

There’s no such thing as having too many editorial eyes—including your own—on a written piece. Even if you’re not a professional editor, you should always review your own work. It’s the first line of defense against inaccuracies and ultimately saves time and increases the efficiency of the creative process. Editing your own work also encourages self-reflection. Becoming more aware of your writing style, strengths, and areas for improvement can lead to personal growth and developing your own unique voice and point of view. 

There are some easy things you can do to become a better editor and help the editors and proofreaders on your team, such as: 

• Reading the content and asking yourself, “Does this make sense? Do I understand the point the content is trying to make? Did I achieve my communications objective?” If the narrative doesn’t make sense to you, it won’t make sense to your editor or your audience.
• Checking your work with built-in tools. At LMD, we like Grammarly, but every software platform—including Google, Microsoft Office, and Adobe product suites—has built-in spell-check functionality at a minimum. 
• Allowing time in the project process for editorial review. Editing and proofing take time and shouldn’t be an afterthought. The risk of overlooking errors increases exponentially as time on the project clock runs out, so be sure to build at least a few hours into the project schedule for reviews and incorporating changes. 

Have I convinced you that editors are indispensable? I hope so. Still, some people will argue it’s only a matter of time before human editors are replaced with AI—but I disagree. AI, machine learning, and software can assist us with our work, but they can’t replace the instincts, ingenuity, sensitivity, and eye for detail the brain and eyes of a human editor offers.

Are you looking for a great editor to review your content and make recommendations that can make all the difference in reaching your audience? Contact LMD.