Editing Is Not Writing

Great editing transforms a work; terrible editing destroys even the best.

Writing a manuscript is only the start of a long, and sometimes difficult, process. Many writers prefer to deny the need for editing and rewriting, but no work is ever what it can be when the first draft is completed. Editing is part of the writing process, not a separate task. Seemingly minor changes made during editing might improve a work substantially.

Editing? Yuck!

Editing is not boring, if you consider it a chance to learn. Checking facts brings out the detective in a writer or editor. Writers and editors should love learning, since the idea of writing is to educate — even while entertaining.

Editing Topics

Reference guides on the Tameri site address the following topics:

Grammar

Spelling and Usage

Sentences and Punctuation

Composition and Other Topics

Who Should Edit?

It seems like a simple question: who should edit a work? The obvious answer is the author or authors, which is correct — for the first or second draft of a work. However, we strongly encourage any writer to handoff editing duties to another individual after the writer is comfortable with the manuscript.

There are several reasons to have another person edit your works:

  • Writers tend to miss “obvious” spelling and grammar errors.
  • Another person might detect confusing passages that are clear to the writer.
  • Editors are often experts in certain areas, catching technical and historical errors.

Citations

Any citation referring to the Tameri Guide for Writers site must name both editors.

APA:
Schnelbach, S. and Wyatt, C. ( 19 July, 2008 ). Tameri Guide for Writers. [Online]. Available WWW: http://www.tameri.com
MLA:
Schnelbach, S. and Wyatt, C. “Tameri Guide for Writers.” 19 July, 2008 . Online. Internet. [Date Printed]. Available WWW: http://www.tameri.com