Editing

Though they may sound similar, there is a very distinct difference between editing and copyediting. When I copyedit a piece someone else has written, I focus on grammar and spelling and give it a good polish. Editing, however, requires a heavier hand. When I edit a piece, the general ideas are there but much of the content needs to be rewritten. When editing, I focus on:

• Content flow. How are the ideas organized?
• Tone. How does it sound? Is it appropriate for the audience?
• Cohesiveness. Does it sound like it was written by several people or just one? Are the ideas disjointed or connected?
• Transitions. Is the content choppy or does one idea flow to the next?
• Length. Is it too long or too short to get your ideas across and have it read by your audience?
• Marketing efficacy. Do you have an effective call to action? How is the headline? Is it a white paper that talks all about your product rather than your readers’ needs? Is it a case study that talks more about you than your customer? Is everything in place to make it an effective sales tool?

As you can imagine, editing can require a significant amount of work. In fact, I often find that editing another person’s work takes more time than if I were to write it from scratch. So if you’re thinking you might save a bit of money by writing it yourself first, don’t. Jot down your ideas in a few bullet points, call me to discuss your thoughts and leave the rest to me.