Why You Need an Editor
As writers, we often think that we completely nailed it–the writing is awesome, the grammar is great…so, why would we pay an editor?
The answer is two-fold. To start, English has so many flexible and inconsistent rules that it’s difficult, even for very experienced and knowledgeable writers, to know and catch everything. Here’s a little test: do any of the following sentences have errors? If so, which?
I only meditate in the morning.
Each of the drivers have their own car.
That medicine effects me in a negative way, so I don’t take it often.
Okay fine, so it was a trick question; they’re all wrong. In the first sentence, “only” is a misplaced modifier. It should say “I meditate only in the morning.” Otherwise, it’s saying that the only thing I do in the morning is meditate. I don’t eat, brush my teeth, or get dressed; I just meditate. In sentence two, “each of the drivers” is referencing one person at a time. “Each” means one, so “have” does not work with “each.” The sentence should say “each of the drivers has their own car.” This is a subject-verb agreement error (honestly, even that edit could be debated amongst editors because some may say it should say "each of the drivers has his or her own car," but in the modern day, it's acceptable to use "they/their" rather than gender pronouns). In the last sentence, “effects” should be “affects.” This is a usage error for a homonym. If you didn’t realize that all three of these sentences had errors without being told, then this is a clear example of why editors are important. We don’t get a warning for each sentence error; we have to catch it regardless. If you did catch them all, nice job! You might be fine just getting a proofreader.
The second reason why you need an editor is simply because after you have read and re-read your work 1,000 times, you become blind to your own mistakes. This is natural and even happens to experienced editors. This is why multiple rounds of editing can be beneficial, especially for those that needed heavy revision on the first round of editing.
If you are a writer, there is no shame in hiring an editor. Every writer needs an editor, no matter how good they are, and almost any modern, published writer you can think of has an editor. If you decide not to hire an editor, it could determine the success of your novel or documents. You can lose credibility, customers/readers, and money if your materials are not up to standard. Do yourself a favor, and just pay an editor. It will definitely be worth it in the long run.
If you're in need of technical, creative, or busines writing or editing, please contact us by email at ren@rennovateit.com, by phone at 972-454-0151, or by completing our Project Inquiry Form on our website.