If you find yourself in front of a text that’s meant for other people to read, you may need editing services. But how to decide if that’s the case? And what do editing services involve, anyway? Are they really needed? In this article, we’ll first explore what editing services are, and we’ll then talk about the cases in which they are really necessary.
What Are Editing Services?
Editing is the assistance given by a professional to a person or organization to improve the quality of a variety of written content. You can hire editing services for books, editing services for dissertations, or editing services for online content, among others. The professional who provides the services is a skilled editor with a deep understanding of language, who is detail-oriented, has expertise in content organization, and knows the topic the text is about.
Editing Services: Stages
Depending on the quality of the text and the client’s needs, one or more than one of the following stages of editing may be needed.
- Proofreading. This process, which involves correcting only spelling, grammar, and punctuation mistakes, can be classified as a type of editing. If it’s part of a longer editing process, it’s the last stage.
- Copyediting. It stands in between proofreading and proper editing. Copy editors deal with syntax, consistency, structure, and style issues.
- Editing. This stage involves a detailed reading of each sentence to get a deep understanding of a text. The aim is to make a comprehensive improvement of the content: the editor restructures the text when needed; develops the bits with potential; eliminates what’s superfluous; and rewrites what’s not accurate or understandable. In the process, plot, tone, and style must be taken into account. It’s also important to regard what the author wants to express, that’s why they are in constant communication with the editor. After undergoing this process, a text usually needs to be proofread.
Editing Services: Definition
All in all, we can say that editing services aim at enhancing all aspects of a text—its coherence and cohesion, its clarity, its accuracy, and its overall effect—to make sure it meets its intended purpose and the expectations of the target audience.
5 Types of Text That Need to Be Edited
Now it’s time to answer our first question: does your text need editing services? We’ll discuss in which situations it’s advisable to hire an editor and why.
1. Books
This is maybe the first thing that comes to mind when we think about editing. There are many examples in pop culture about the author-editor relationship. Editing services for novels, or for books of any genre, involve refining and polishing a manuscript before publishing it, but also guiding the author through the writing process, helping when a writer’s block appears. That’s why, whether you have a finished manuscript that you want to submit for publishing, or you are in the process of writing a book, you’ll benefit from the work of an editor.
2. Academic writing
The professional assistance of an editor helps improve any type of academic text: articles, papers, PhD thesis, or dissertation proposals. Writing a thesis, for example, can be a long and hard process, during which we might lose sight of our main goal and target audience. Through hiring editing services for our dissertation, we can have feedback on whether the text is correct and understandable, whether the information is properly organized, and whether the citation system sticks to the guidelines. If you are looking for academic excellence, it’s highly recommended that you hire an editor to review your writing.
3. Journalism
Many media companies have in-house editors who make sure that the text is correct and complies with the newspaper’s style guidelines. They also improve the structure and clarity of articles and, sometimes, they do fact-checking. However, these services might not be provided for external collaborators. Or maybe, even if there is an in-house editor, you want to hand in an article that’s free of mistakes. If that’s the case, you would benefit from the work of an editor who can improve your article before you submit it.
4. Online content
If you write content for websites, social media, or blogs, working with an editor can be really helpful. Besides eliminating grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes, an editor can help you to be sure that you are delivering the intended message to the target audience through refining the writing style and the tone. Editing services can also be applied to ensure consistency in tone and style throughout the whole website. For all these reasons, collaborating with an editor can be helpful for online content creators.
5. Business communication
Finally, you may not consider yourself a writer at all. Maybe you have a small business or you work in a big corporation, and you only write reports and proposals. Sometimes for other colleagues, sometimes for your bosses, and other times for clients or potential clients. Depending on how important those documents are, you might want to run them through an editor. They will help you to deliver well-written, error-free, and highly-communicative text to achieve your goals. Don’t underestimate the power of good writing!
Conclusion
Professional editing services are a vital tool for improving the quality and impact of a wide range of written content. Whether you are an author seeking to perfect your manuscript, an academic striving for clarity in your paper, a journalist wanting to ensure error-free articles, an online content creator aiming to refine your message, or a business professional looking to communicate effectively, the expertise of an editor can come in very handy. At Palabra, we have a team of professional editors who can help you improve any text. Don’t hesitate to contact us!
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