Great editing transforms a work. Editing is writing, an essential part of the creative process.
Writing a manuscript is the start of a long and sometimes difficult process. Many writers deny the need for editing and rewriting but rarely is a work 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 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 and Revising
The editing and revising cycle varies among writers. We tend to edit, revise, and then edit again. Editing always precedes submitting work for publication because we want manuscripts to make a good impression on reviewers and editors.
Fun with Language
- Cool English: Words they put on tests
- Cool Latin: Latin Phrases to impress editors
- Cool French: Some readers like French
- Academic Language: Avoiding pretentious writing
- Rhyming dictionary
Organizing a Text
- Stellar Sentences: Sentence structures
- Painless Paragraphs: Organizing paragraphs
Grammar
- Basic Grammar
- Nouns and Pronouns
- Verbs – Regular
- Verbs – Irregular
- Adjectives and Adverbs
- Prepositions
- Conjunctions
- Interjections
- Doubles
- Common Grammar Errors
- A Grammarian’s Lexicon
Spelling and Usage
- Commonly Misspelled Words
- Word Building Blocks: The Latin & Greek “roots” of English
- Words and Phrases to Kill
- Word Usage (and Abusage)
- Stylebook Basics
Sentences and Mechanics
- Punctuation
- Sentence Structures
- Phrases & Clauses
- Various Writing 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 hand off editing duties to another individual after the writer is comfortable with the manuscript.
There are several reasons to have another person edit your work:
- 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.
Improve Editing by Writing Well
The best way to improve editing is to avoid mistakes during the writing process. Writers who understand grammar and mechanics craft better prose before the revision begins.