Lots of clients get in touch for the first time when their backs are against the wall – when they need a last-minute edit. Usually the report has been batted around the office and everyone’s had a go at pulling it into shape, fiddling around with spelling, punctuation and grammar. Now the deadline’s here and still it’s not quite right.
There are a few reasons why team edits don’t work:
There is no definitively correct way to edit. People have different and sometimes very strong opinions about the right way to edit a document. A professional editor will talk to you about your corporate style and preferences, and then ensure the document is edited in a consistent manner.
Familiarity can be an issue. When you write, co-author or even read a document many times, you become so familiar with the content that you stop noticing the finer details. Sometimes printing out the document and doing a hard copy edit helps or, better yet, give it to an independent third party to proofread or edit.
Objectivity can be an issue. When you know the subject matter very well, sometimes you will make leaps in logic that an independent reader won’t be able to follow. A professional editor will be able to identify gaps in your logic and/or make changes to the structure to enhance readability and understanding. A writer/editor (such as myself) will be able to talk to you about the missing information and write the additional copy for you.
Who are you writing this for? Sometimes the document is not adequately targeted. You need to know who you are writing for and vary your language accordingly. Technical language or industry jargon is often overused. Experts are often tempted to demonstrate their own knowledge, rather than communicate with others. A sensitive editor will ensure that the author’s voice is maintained, while making sure the information is accessible (clear and easy to understand) to the target market.
What point are you trying to make? Sometimes a report will contain lots of interesting information, but it’s unclear what is important or why it is important. It’s best if you create a plan, structure or hierarchy of information from the outset. However, if necessary, this order can also be imposed late in the writing process. This is known as a heavy or structural edit, which is a hard call to make when the deadline is upon you. An experienced business editor will be able to help you identify your key messages and re-structure the report accordingly.
Working under pressure. Most people work well under pressure – when they are doing what they know best. For me, editing is second nature. I can’t read a book without editing it. Urgent edits are not a problem. Send me your document and I will make the necessary changes quickly, returning a vastly more focused and targeted report to your Inbox.
A note about formatting. Formatted documents are more difficult and time consuming to edit. If possible, please send your report to me before you send it to the desktop publisher. It will save you time and money.