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The three things editors see (and why you need our expertise)

Writers of all kinds are often advised to have someone look at their work before they publish it, post it, submit it or otherwise share it. Such readers are typically colleagues or friends who can spot a missing word or fix a misplaced piece of punctuation.

For documents that really matter, however, it is best to engage a professional editor. Based on our expertise, there are three things that editors see which a more casual reviewer will not.

1. Editors see what is there
We read your words. Every one of them. More than once. We do this carefully, even scrupulously. We note the content of your document. We see its scope and shape. We observe its complexity and texture. We go further, discerning patterns and repetitions, recognising rhythms and inconsistencies.

We perceive the meaning you aim to convey and assess how well you have achieved this. We engage with your turn of phrase. We enjoy your use of metaphor but we are also attuned to your grammatical quirks. We detect those regular errors you make that can distract your reader and dent your expression. (Fortunately, we know exactly how to address those. It’s all part of our brilliance. Also our charm.)

Most of all, we see – and believe me, we appreciate – the effort and dedication you have put into your work. We see it and we respect it. That’s why we give your words the care they deserve.

Yet this is just the beginning.

2. Editors see is what is not there
It might be as simple as a subheading or as necessary as an explanation. Maybe it’s a definition that will make clear your use of a certain term, or a lively example to illustrate the point you are making. Perhaps your character needs a bit more backstory to reveal more clearly why she acts in the way she does. Or it could be that you need to be a little more generous with your commas, or include a few additional transition signals to guide your reader easily from one idea to the next.

Whatever is missing from your text and is diminishing the effectiveness your message, we will see.

We know good writing. We know how it works. We can tell if your words are behaving at their best and can identify what is lacking when they’re not. We know what to do to improve them.

But even that’s not all.

3. Editors see what could be there
This is where the magic happens. This is your editor’s gift.

It’s the ability to envision just how good, indeed how very much better your writing could be. It’s the belief that your words and your message are important enough to resound more meaningfully.

From our appraisal of what appears in your writing and what is absent from it, we know and can show you how to reach that level of excellence.

Sometimes the slightest adjustment is all that is required. Other times, our skill lies in finding the gem in the midst of the mess and holding it close while transforming the rest.

We can see what your words can achieve even when you can’t. And we are more than happy to show you.

These three kinds of insight set professional editors apart from all your other readers. They enable us to distinguish writing that is good enough from writing that truly shines. If your words matter, having them professionally edited does too. Want to see the difference?

Now it’s your turn…

Have you worked with a professional editor? What insight did that editor bring to your writing?

How to look more professional

Want to know the simplest way to look more professional in your writing? Ultimately, my friends, it’s all about style.

I’m not talking here about grace or glamour, nor the seemingly effortless ease with which chic beings glide among us. My kind of style is more editorial. It involves a nifty little list called a style sheet. This records your preferred version of words that can be written in different ways.

It notes, for instance, whether you’re searching for more color or colour in your life. It advises you what to do with words like alphabetise, contextualise and extemporise that can end in either –ise or –ize. It reveals when to wield a hyphen, how to format numbers and dates, and whether single or double quotation marks apply. It even indicates if the government or Government has your best interests at heart. (Personally, I have my doubts about that.)

A style sheet provides you with a personalised guide to using the right words every time.

It may seem that choosing and methodically using a single version of a word is a little bit petty. It’s the sort of thing that may not even be noticed. Which, actually, is kind of the point.

When you are consistent with your usage, you spare your readers from trivial distractions. They may not realise why their minds flinch from an unsteadily worded message. But on some level those capricious capital letters and erratic spellings still niggle. They give off a whiff that something’s not quite right, and that’s mostly because it’s not.

It’s not accurate. Not considered. Not professional and it is definitely not the look you want in your writing.

The easiest way to avoid this is to use a style sheet. I’ve created a simple one for you. Just note down next to the appropriate letter which version of a word you prefer, remembering that it’s best to stick with a single style of spelling. Elect either –ize and –or word endings, which are typical in American writing, or opt for a more British flavour with –ise and –our. Both varieties are equally acceptable. If in doubt, select a suitable dictionary to use as a reference.

These are all small choices but they do make a difference – if only a subtle one. Then again, it’s often the subtle differences that can be the most meaningful. In my view, it is worthwhile taking the care and making the effort to write consciously and consistently.

After all, that’s what professionals do.

Now it’s your turn…

What tools or techniques do you use to ensure your writing looks shiny and bright? What do you struggle with when trying to give a professional impression with your words?

Photo credit: The exquisite orchid image by brainchildvn via photopin is used stylishly on this site under a Creative Commons licence.

Are you excited? (It’s a question of prepositions)

There is a curious linguistic trend I’ve observed. It concerns the preposition linked with the word “excited”.

Before we get too enthused, let me remind you that a preposition is a word which indicates a relationship in time or space between two elements of a sentence, clause or phrase. Nifty little words like at, on, into, amid, between, toward and beyond are prepositions that show us where or when a thing is in relation to a noun or pronoun.

What I have been bumping into lately is the phrase “excited for”, as in “I’m excited for this tasty breakfast” or “I’m excited for this exhibition of abstract art”.

My editor’s instincts wince at this. They assert quite firmly that the correct preposition to use here is about.

To be excited for something means to be excited on behalf of it. I may, for instance, be excited for you right now because I know learning about prepositions is so useful and interesting to you. The important thing to note is that I am not excited for learning about prepositions. I am excited about it. You are too, right?

The exception (and of course there is one) is when “excited” functions as an adjective in a sentence and is followed by a prepositional phrase. This is what’s happening if I say “I was excited for an hour at least.”

Of course, about is not the only acceptable preposition to use with “excited”. You may also be excited by a given thing. I myself am excited by bright ideas, insightful writing and engaging conversations. And the adept selection of prepositions, it would seem.

A person might also be excited to do something. Excited to explore the world or to try new things. Excited to write with greater skill and dexterity. Likewise, people can be excited at something, although this use is generally reserved for ideas or concepts. Perhaps you are excited at the prospect of a holiday or the chance to get lost in a really good book?

Each of these options situates the elements of the sentence with subtle variations. It’s a case of ascertaining which preposition works best for your purpose. Once you delve into the implications of each one, you can begin to have fun.

Switching your prepositions can be as entertaining as mixing your metaphors and can have a similar stylistic effect. But it must be done knowingly. Don’t repeat a phrase like “excited for” merely because other people have said it. Instead, consider what you want to say then choose the words that enable you say it in the most meaningfully expressive way.

That’s how you get people excited about – and indeed by – your writing.

Now it’s your turn…

Do correctly selected prepositions excite you? What do you think of being excited for, to, by or about something?

Photo credit: The dazzling image that accompanies this post is by Kevin Dooley via photopin and is used on this site under a Creative Commons licence.

The importance of crafting your written expression

It happened in an art gallery. Of course. Amid the burble of opening night chatter, surrounded by inspiring artwork, an idea arrived surprisingly in my mind.

“I could start a business,” I thought. “I’ll call it Artful Words.”

So I did.

Deciding on a tagline for my business, however, wasn’t so intuitive. I had to go looking for one. I sifted through a variety of phrases. They were mostly awkward, lumpy things. Yet when the words “crafting your written expression” came to me, I knew that they were right.

I like the pleasant resonance between “artful” and “crafting”. I appreciate the way these two terms allude to a view of writing, editing and proofreading as activities involving both art and craft.

More than this, the phrase states what I will do for you and what I hope to help you do for yourself.

It affirms the value I hold in being careful and intentional with your words.

I’m not saying it’s easy, though.

Crafting your written expression requires time and attention. You need a clear understanding of your purpose and a willingness to keep reviewing and improving your writing. This includes cleverly selecting which terms to use, noting their rhythm and tone. It means meticulously reading each line and excising whatever is unnecessary, even if it stings a little to cut it out.

When you craft your written expression, you demonstrate respect for your reader and yourself as a writer. Through such crafting, you consciously cultivate your insight and skill, developing your technique through repetition and devotion. Your aim may be to make art. But ultimately, you craft your writing because it matters.

You do it because it can be better. Because it will be better. Because you make it better.

Perhaps not all your words need to be so finely wrought. However, any writing that aims to sway or persuade, that aspires to enchant or impress, that seeks meaningfully to tell a story or share an idea will always be more vibrant when both art and craft mingle in its composition.

At the core of my business is a desire to help you communicate your ideas more elegantly and effectively. In that way, “crafting your written expression” is more than just a tagline. It’s an articulation of the way I work with your words, using expertise, insight, precision and care.

That is what you can expect – and what you will get – from Artful Words.

It’s something I believe you can expect and achieve for yourself too.

Now it’s your turn…

What craft do you practice? What art do you make? How do you view the interplay between the two?

Photo by Jessica Ruscello on Unsplash

Disambiguate this! Who are “they”?

This is the first in an occasional series of posts focusing on disambiguation, which is an essential element in effective writing and copyediting. And before we go any further, let me assure you that “disambiguate” is a real word with a proper definition and everything. The one above comes from our friend the Macquarie Dictionary.

Disambiguation alludes to the editor’s art of untangling the multiple possible meanings in a sentence and proposing alternative versions that express the writer’s intention simply and unequivocally.

A recent ambiguous sentence I encountered asserted that:

“The media should tell the public they got it wrong.”

But who exactly got it wrong? The media or the public? The sentence could be read either way.
If the intended meaning is that the media should tell the public when the media has got it wrong, a more precise phrasing could be: “The media got it wrong and they should tell the public this.”

Or perhaps: “When the media gets it wrong, they should inform the public.”

Or even: “The media should tell the public when incorrect information has been given.”

If in contrast it is the public who has got it wrong, the revised sentence could be: “The media should inform the public when the public gets it wrong.”

Or alternatively: “When the public gets it wrong, they should be informed by the media.”

However, this latter version contains its own ambiguity. Does it mean the public should be told (informed) by the media that the public is wrong? Or rather that the media should be the instrument for enlightening for the public by providing them with information (informing them) rather than simply admonishing them?

I’ll leave you to choose which of the above options you think best expresses the intended meaning of the original sentence.

Meanwhile, I’ll keep trying to decide whether I’m a pessimist or a realist for using “when” instead of “if” in relation to the media (not to mention the public) getting it wrong.

Perhaps I’m secretly optimistic for believing that the media would ever tell the public of their error?

No, wait! Whose “error” is that?

Now it’s your turn…

Sentences with multiple meanings can be confusing but also amusing. (Have you heard the one about the dog that was too hairy to eat?) Which ambiguous sentences or phrases have you found? Share them in the comments below.

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