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Professional Editing
What is Editing?
It is important that every completed text is carefully checked for errors. This process is known as editing and it involves an experienced editor reviewing a text, making alterations or corrections, and suggesting ways of improving the general quality of the writing. The latter particularly refers to language usage and how a writer expresses themselves. After a text has been edited, its language will be sharper and more consistent, the writer’s expression will be clearer, and overall legibility will be improved. The editing process is designed to make sure your texts give the feeling that English is your natural language even if it is not.
Below are some of the key elements that editors usually take into account when examining a written piece:
- Has the writer chosen appropriate words to convey their ideas? For instance, an editor will notice if a writer appears to have used a thesaurus throughout their paper.
- Has the passive voice been used? While active voice is sometimes not appropriate, overly-passive writing does not tend to be very compelling.
- Has an appropriate tone been used for the intended audience?
- Is the paper too wordy? A lot of writers use unnecessary and meaningless words, a trait that editors hate.
- Has gender-related language been used appropriately?
Good quality writing is vital in all aspects of an individual’s life. Quality can differentiate between failure and success, e.g., when a writer is defending a PhD dissertation, following a business lead, or trying to sell a book. The better the writing standard, the more coherent and persuasive an argument will be, and it helps make an author sound authoritative. Regardless of how inspirational a writer’s ideas, how brilliant their logic, or how compelling their story, these will lack impact if it the writing is full of errors, is not consistent, or is not fluent.
As well as improving writing quality, careful editing also makes sure that the particular conventions of a specific writing style are adhered to, most especially in terms of formatting and referencing.
What Polishing Methods Should a Typical Writer Choose?
In the experience of Essays-Services.com, editing is appropriate for certain genres of writing while proofreading is more suitable for other types. The rules provided below are not definitive. However, they provide general guidelines on what certain types of writers typically need. In our capacity as providers of professional and high-quality editing services, we understand very well that every rule has some exceptions, and that writing needs can vary a lot among writers, even those in the same genre.
Why Editing is an Essential Element in the Writing Process
A writer whose first language is not English i.e. an ESL (English as a Second Language) student or writer are very likely to require editing (as opposed to proofreading). This is irrespective of whether their text is an academic one such as an essay or thesis, a book, or some business-type document. A lot of ESL students and writers often struggle with the complexities of English and the language’s many peculiarities. Even proficient ESL writers can trip up on various language contradictions and nuances when creating formal English-language papers. This can also happen to a lot of native English speakers!
Generally, authors of books should also choose editing over proofreading. The process of editing a book can be beneficial for improving the text’s general language quality, and helping it meet publishing standards. These days, the fields of e-book publishing and self-publishing, as well as conventional publishing, are extremely competitive. Therefore, you may be certain your competitors have had their books professionally edited. Neglecting to do this can leave you at a great disadvantage.
The Advantages of Editing
Most native English-speaking writers seeking to have academic texts published decide on editing. While some students and scholars are experienced writers, it can still be beneficial for them to have their texts professionally edited. As mentioned earlier, the editing process improves a text’s quality, thereby ensuring that the arguments a writer spends a lot of time and energy developing are appropriately expressed in a compelling and clear manner. Additionally, the editing of academic papers involves checking that formatting and style rules have been adhered to. Two essential ingredients of getting an academic text published are good-quality writing and conformity to prescribed conventions.
Businesses regularly choose to have texts edited or proofread, often depending on how important a document is. The quality of a business’s communication often defines its identity, with good written work a sign of professionalism and competence. Where a writer is not confident, or if several writers have contributed to a document, then editing is recommended, at least to rectify any inconsistencies.
