Whatever you write – whether that's books, papers, reports, blog posts, press releases, training guides or product brochures – it’s a huge investment of your time and energy. You’ll be familiar with the feeling of relief when you’ve written that final word. And also the way that your eyes glide over what you’ve written, convinced that it’s perfect, only for a colleague or peer to point out a spelling error in the title.
Your words are important. Your message matters. Your knowledge is valuable. Your credibility counts. All of these can be put at risk by even the most mundane spelling error, formatting oversight or grammatical mishap. This is where an editorial professional can help.
Here are five reasons you should hire a professional editor:
A fresh perspective. However long you have spent crafting your document, it's hard to review your own work. An editor can offer an objective view of your text, spotting things that you can no longer see, from spelling errors and repeated words to errant page numbering and missing references.
To refine your work. You write for a purpose; to communicate a message or share your knowledge. An editor will refine your text to make sure that your message is clear and flows fluently, while preserving your voice.
We are human. Spellcheckers and grammar tools are great, to a point. But they are not human. There are many errors that these tools can't pick up, which will scream out to human editors and proofreaders. An editor considers your writing in context, taking into account the purpose of your work and its intended audience, to make sensitive edits for a more effective result.
For language expertise. You are the subject expert of your field. An editor is an expert in language and writing. You can focus on sharing your knowledge with the reassurance that your writing is in expert hands.
As the final polish. Editing and proofreading are an integral part of publishing for any quality product. Editors and proofreaders take the time that you don’t have to review your text – line by line, word by word, character by character – to catch errors, check for consistency, improve flow, and make your writing the best that it can be.
As your editor, I am your partner. As your proofreader, I am your ally. Your message matters and your words are important. Let’s make sure they get out there looking their very best.
