Everyone Needs an Editor: Let Us Be Yours

Lauren McDowell
July 7, 2022
5 min read

There’s a common misconception that your company only needs outside writing assistance when it is understaffed in the writing or content arena. After all, if you have someone on staff whose job is to write (or someone who has a way with words that can take on assignments when needed), why would you need to hire an outside team for more help?

The answer is simple: Everyone needs an editor.

That’s right! Everyone! Even the best writers. Even those of us who specialize in writing, messaging, and communications.

It’s not just a “Type A” mindset that drives this notion, either. Everyone makes mistakes and typos, and while it’s not the end of the world when one gets published, it can be pretty embarrassing.

The truth is, good editing isn’t just about correcting grammar—it’s about finding the right tone and style, executing the perfect turn of phrase that makes people pay attention. It’s someone who can read something and say, “this isn’t clear to me, so it probably won’t be clear to your audience. Can you rephrase?”

Here are just a few of the types of editing we practice on our team:

  • Copyediting: includes catching typos, spelling and punctuation errors, grammar mistakes, irregular spacing, and general inconsistencies in the text that are not in line with house style
  • Style editing: includes adjusting tone, voice and vocabulary as appropriate to match given style guide or brand guidelines
  • Formatting & structuring: includes rearranging paragraphs or sentences for overall cohesion and flow, adding subheadings or bulleted lists where appropriate to break content into digestible chunks
  • Final edits: includes proofreading and putting finishing touches on a polished version that is ready for publication

Good writing and content doesn’t just convey information. It makes you think, and sometimes gets stuck in your head for hours, days, or even years. At the risk of sounding corny, it’s a true joy to read, something that makes you sit back and think, “Wow, that was really fun,” or “I think I need a moment to process this moving story.”

And if you’ve read this far and are thinking it sounds a little self-important to talk about a company’s content as if it were up for a literary award...that’s fair. Not every piece of communication needs to be Pulitzer-worthy. After all, sometimes you just need people to call the number, buy the product, or show up to your event.

But these seemingly small pieces of communication—a blog shared on LinkedIn, an Instagram caption, a Facebook event description—are part of your overall communication and messaging strategy. And the way they’re worded and presented matters, because they may be the only communications touchpoint you have with some of your audience.

Your content is the first, and sometimes last, impression someone will have of the work you do and the products or services you sell. It’s the reason all content we write for clients goes through an editing process multiple times, every time.

It’s worth it to have an objective third party oversee the work. To be an extra pair of eyes. To help navigate the editing process and emerge on the other side better for it. Your content needs editing—let’s have a conversation about how our team can help.

Lauren McDowell