Hiring an editor sounds like a luxury for a small business, but if you write frequently for your clients professional editing is probably worthwhile.
When Does Editing Make Sense for a Small Business?
In my experience, longer pieces seem more prone to repetition and structural issues, but an editor can help with written materials of any length, including:
- website content
- articles for an email newsletter, Medium, or Substack
- blog posts
- ebooks
- instructional materials like how-to guides or Frequently Asked Question pages (FAQs)
As the saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. A little polish before you publish can help you avoid errors and ensure your message is clear to your intended audience.
Common Mistakes I’ve Seen
When you review your own writing, you are pretty close to the material so it can be hard to see where a little buffing up might be needed. Here are a few of the common issues I’ve seen in my work as an editor:
- run-on sentences that inhibit clarity
- lack of breaks in the text to help people read more easily
- jargon or acronyms that are not defined and may cause confusion for readers
- burying the most impactful information at the bottom of a page or post
- repetition of key points or phrases
- inconsistent formatting and spelling
- errors in usage like incorrect punctuation and capitalization, misspelling, or possessive and plurals being interchanged
These sorts of issues are easy to miss when you are the writer but might be obvious to readers, i.e. potential customers. A second set of eyes can be immensely helpful for cleaning up your content before it goes live.
How Does Editing Work?
Lots of editors work on a freelance basis, so you can hire them as needed. Building a relationship with an editor helps you get to know each other and establish a rhythm of communication, while also giving the editor a chance to develop an understanding of your voice and audience.
And it doesn’t have to be expensive. Many freelancers charge an hourly rate and experienced editors work very efficiently, ensuring work is done in a timely manner to a high standard.
Questions? Contact me to talk more about working with an editor.
Photo of typewriter with books by Sophie Symons on Unsplash.