Back to the Basics: The Importance of Editing

If you want to put out quality work, then editing that work is quintessential. Editing your work tells your readers and peers that you think enough of them to ensure their reading experience is pleasurable. How many times have you read a book and thought, If the editing was better, this book would be fire?  For my non-colloquial users, If the editing were better, this book would've been superb. I have had those thoughts more often than I’d like to admit. 

Honestly, that's why— and how— I became an editor. I was exhausted from reading books of a particular genre, and the editing was lacking or downright lackluster. It felt like the author didn't care what they put out. I can almost guarantee that wasn't the case, but the editing was subpar for whatever reason. It could be because they did the editing themselves, or it could be that the person tasked to do the editing wasn't skilled enough to do it. Whatever the reason and whatever the genre, all literature that is put out for public consumption should be done thoughtfully.

If writing and the art of storytelling is your passion, make us believe it! Here’s the importance of having your work edited:

1. Having your written work edited ensures that it has minimal to no grammatical, punctuation, or spelling errors and is relatively easy for your audience to read. 

2. It ensures that you haven't said the same thing numerous ways yet allows the story/information to flow.

3. Editing also checks for accuracy, inconsistencies, and fact-checking.

4. When your work is well-edited, it is presented in a way that says you've taken pride in it.

Anyone can put out random, unthought-out, messy material, but evidence of a skilled writer doesn't just stop at the storyline. A writer who went the extra mile and obtained a skilled editor shows that they want to be taken seriously and plan to be around for some time. 

Happy writing, but please, let someone else do the editing!