Why would someone hire an editor? According to the Editor’s Association of Canada, “an editor can help make your message clear, correct, attractive and appropriate to your market.” That sure sounds nice, but what does it really mean?

When I coach clients through the writing process, I try to help them learn about the requirements (style, layout and content) of their writing project.  Often, tight timelines make it impossible for writers to focus on all of the details when they are working hard to include as much content as possible. My role as a coach and editor is to ensure they address the requirements and deliver a polished piece of writing that (hopefully) achieves its intended purpose.

Does the use of an editor = success, i.e., funded grant applications and business plans or accepted manuscripts? I wish I could say it does (just think of what that would mean for my business), but content is the most important part of any document. The contribution of an editor is to help the author make the document easy to read, understand and recall.

“Good writing will not save bad ideas, but bad writing can kill good ones.” – Jacob Kraicer

Here is the caveat-not all editors are the same: some specialize in science and technical writing (like me) and others edit literary works. (There are other specializations too.) Importantly, picking an editor with experience working in your genre will save you time teaching them how to edit in your required style.