6 Reasons to use a Professional Editor
How do you know if you need a professional editor?
Now you have completed your thesis, article, white paper, e-book or some other piece of writing you have worked hard to produce. But have you communicated your ideas clearly and effectively?
Maybe there are some parts you are not sure of. You’ve read your work several times, but you have doubts.
Good editing can turn good writing into excellent writing – a professional editor does more than just fix mistakes.
1. An editor is a second, objective pair of eyes
It can be difficult to edit your own work. When you are so close to something – when you have spent so much time working on it – it can be difficult to see how it can be improved. A second person can more easily see what you may have overlooked. You can ask a friend or co-worker, but will they be objective – or will they hesitate to make some suggestions?
2. An editor saves you time
Letting an editor correct your work allows you to move on to something else and make better use of your time. Meanwhile, your editor will correct and improve your document, and quickly rectify grammar, style, word choice, or flow issues.
3. An editor is a paid professional
When you hire an editor, you are hiring someone skilled and trained in the skills of optimising text. They are paid for their expertise and their job is to ensure your writing is as polished as possible. So be careful of those cheap online services!
4. Editors can improve your language use
With the right help, your word usage and grammar can be improved, so that your message is communicated as effectively as possible. If English is not your first language, a professional editor can correct a wide range of common ESL mistakes.
5. Professional editors have professional qualifications
Many professional editors have previous professional or academic experience in various fields, meaning they have a broad range of editorial and writing experience, right up to the high semantic density of academic papers.
In my case I was a professional degree-qualified engineer, and I also have a masters degree in linguistics. I am also the managing editor of a monthly print publication and its associated web site, and a member of the Institute of Professional Editors.
6. Your writing will improve
Getting a professional editor to correct your work reveal errors and style issues you may not have noticed. By showing you ways to correct and improve your work, you will learn how to refine your writing ability.
A professional editor asks the right questions
Professional editors take pride in their work and will not take any job thrown at them. They look for projects where they know they can make a difference, and feel like they can work with a writer in a meaningful way. Quality editors turn down projects all the time, and can be choosy in who they work with.
A true professional will not just accept your work unseen. They will want at least a sample in order to assess the text and provide a realistic quote for the work. If your work is an academic thesis, such as a PhD, they will be aware of the academic assessment requirements, and will work to meet approved guidelines in terms of how much they can change your work or assist you without compromising your assessment.
Why you should be careful about using cheap online services
If you search for editors online you will find many web sites pushing cheap editing services to the market.
You have heard the adage: you get what you pay for. If you submit your work to an anonymous, cheap editing service, you don’t know the capabilities or skills of the editor behind the web site. In many cases, these services work like ‘sweat shops’ paying the editors very low rates for their work. Many of them are using people in developing countries, who themselves do not have English as their first language.
Just look at it this way:
- Whatever you pay to such a service, the editor gets only a percentage.
- Ask yourself: Would I do that much work for that price? In other words, do you think it is a fair payment for the work?
- If someone is paid ‘peanuts’ do you think they will give you the quality a professional editor may give you?
Contact me
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