Editing is the dynamic process of scrubbing content until it beams with clarity, bursts with impactful meaning, and has seamless reading flow.
All writers at some point get numb to the array of words on a page and often become too attached to what they’ve written. That is the call to arms for an editor. Stellar writing of any substance requires different skill sets and, as a matter of course, an objective set of eyes removed from the internal fray of a written piece of work.
Key is understanding client purpose and sensibility. What is the best way for me to capture your thoughts, feelings, and ideas in your voice? What singularly identifies you and your point of view? It’s not how would I say it; it’s how would you.
When I was a writing coach to young lawyers, I often invoked this mantra: “sloppy writing reveals sloppy thinking.” What are you trying to say, why, and to whom? Invariably, the answers are the tickets for fixing any writing problem and raising the level of written quality.
I get immense satisfaction when I hear clients say they can’t tell what I’ve changed in their work, even though a tracked-changes version would make them bleary-eyed. It is an editorial achievement to return work that is precisely what the client thought they said in the first place.
I am available to edit all kinds of works. If you need some help, I’d be pleased to hear from you.
