We all know how difficult it is to finish an extended piece of writing. Given the enormous amount of effort and time that go into the process of writing an essay, thesis, or blog article, most writers use editing services to ensure that their work is always at its best when published. Finding a good editing service, though, is not so straightforward. For this reason, the purpose of this article is to highlight a few of the key things to look out for when you are searching for an editing service.
Image: There are good and bad ways to look for your next editor
First of all, before you even begin your search, it’s important to ask yourself what you need an editor for. After you’ve determined this, your writing life will become much easier. This stems from the fact that most editing services, despite often being referred to as the same thing, differ in very significant applied ways. For example, there are key differences between developmental editing, structural editing, line editing, copy editing, and content editing. The similarity across these types of editing is that in none of them will the editor act as your co-author, but knowing about the differences is crucial when setting out to find someone to help optimise your writing.
The second thing to bear in mind when looking for an editor is that irrespective of the type of editing you are interested in, it is usually worth working with an editing company as opposed to a self-employed freelancer. The reason for this is that editing companies have quality control and quality improvement processes in place that safeguard you from receiving poor work. That is to say, while you may save money working with a freelancer, you are likely to spend a significant amount of time compared to choosing a professional editing company.
Image: Choosing a reputable editing company can give you peace of mind
Another issue to consider is the all-important factor of word-of-mouth. As an author or writer, it is very likely that you operate in a network with other authors and writers, and many of your peers will have worked with professional proofreading editors in the past. For this reason, it is important to leverage any recommendations that you can find in your network since this will make it much easier to locate a strong and qualified editor who can help you with your writing task. If it is genuinely impossible for you to receive a personal recommendation from a friend or colleague, the next port of call should be online reviews. Ideally, the editor you work with will be affiliated with a reputable company that has a proven track record.
Altogether, if you are someone who has never worked with an editor before, it is vital to pay close attention when hiring somebody to collaborate with on your written work. After all, the last thing you want is for the valuable time you put into creating your document to be undermined by shoddy or unsatisfactory editing.
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