Why Every Writer Needs a Good Editor

Peanut butter and jelly.

S’mores and campfires.

Tom and Jerry.

It’s difficult to imagine one of these things without the other…and the same can be said about

writers and editors. It’s a cooperative relationship based upon words and stories, feedback and

learning, communication and collaboration, with an end goal of creating one amazing read.

Though the fields share many similarities, they’re starkly different in practice, making each

specialty dependent upon the other in order for the whole writing-editing-publishing process to

flow. For the sake of this blog, “manuscript” refers to any type of written work.

Once a writer has completed the first draft of a manuscript, they’ll continue reviewing and

refining it until they feel it’s “ready”. Naturally, writers are often too close (emotionally or

personally) to their own material, which can lead to confusing language, grammar mistakes, or

poorly-crafted paragraphs…resulting in disinterested readers. Hiring a second set of eyes – a

professional editor – will ensure the manuscript is error-free and ready for the world to read.

Here are a few more reasons writers should enlist the services of editors:

• Editors find and correct mistakes in punctuation, spelling, grammar, capitalization, etc.

• Editors offer feedback, which may give writers some new ideas.

• Editors pick up on and correct inconsistencies in argument, plot, theme, formatting, and

• design.

• Editors make recommendations to improve the text, cohesion, and overall flow.

• Editors view literary works through an impartial and unbiased lens, striving solely to

• improve a manuscript while retaining the author’s voice and sentiment.

A good editor will offer objective, constructive criticism when necessary. Think about it like this:

the writer is the chef who puts all the ingredients together, and the editor is the one who does

the plating to make the dish look appetizing to the customer. Without a doubt, the vast majority of writers can benefit from having their work edited, no matter how good a writer they are.

Check back soon for more articles covering editing, writing, and everything in between!

Tired of reviewing your next masterpiece? Need to kick your writing up a notch? Contact me today to find out how!