Everyone Needs An Editor

You’re Blind to Your Faults

   I’ve been so used to editing student papers and leaving constructive feedback that I forgot what it feels like to be edited. There is nothing more humbling than to have someone read your work and point out your faults. Being a writing professor is one of the joys of my life but it doesn’t mean I’m impervious to bad writing habits. I’ve learned a lot about myself and know where I need to improve because I have an editor who values quality.
Pitfalls

    Writing on Medium is awesome because I can publish whatever I want and it has helped me build confidence as a writer, but it has also allowed me to be lazy about self-editing. Once I finish writing something, which isn’t easy, the last thing I want to do is proofread. I’ve gone back to read some of my work and they are riddled with mistakes. It’s embarrassing. Even some of the pieces in publications aren’t checked thoroughly for errors. Drafting and proofreading are important parts of the writing process but having someone else do it is so much better.

Double Edged Sword

    I’ve recently started writing for a website that is very meticulous about the quality of the articles published on their site. Before you become a contributor, they train you on pitching ideas, drafting, style, and format. While you are training, an editor grades your work and provides constructive feedback on how to improve your article to be up to par with the company standards. Don’t get me wrong, it cuts deep to hear your first draft is a mess and needs to be tweaked. I found out that I was being redundant and wrote in circles around certain points. While I was writing the draft, the flow felt so clean and clear, but another pair of eyes was able to find the faults I couldn’t see in myself.

Photo by Piron Guillaume on Unsplash

    Though the cut is painful, think of it as a surgical incision that is meant to heal a wound rather than cause pain. Like a boxer with a swollen eye needs the trainer to drain it, writers need someone to drain the excess and clots from their writing. I know…it’s a disgusting analogy but it’s what came to mind.

Finding An Editor

    All of the greatest writers have people read their work before putting it out into the world. I know of a lot of world famous writers whose wives edit their work before their publishers get to see it. Some people, like J.D. Salinger, had their old college professor edit his work. If you don’t have a job that assigns one to you then find someone who loves to read and knows the English language well. This doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, but your mind often moves light years faster than your hands. Whether you hand write or type, errors will occur and proofreading sometimes fails because your mind is too familiar with what you intended to write.

    Finish your draft, proofread if you can, give it to an editor, then take the feedback, and make the necessary corrections to have a high-quality finished product that you can proud of.