Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide to Creating Ridiculously Good Content

24Hire a Great Editor

Writers have their name on a work, so they naturally get a lot of credit. But behind the scenes, a good editor adds a lot to the process.

Remember what I said previously, about the two kinds of people? Those who think they can write, and those who think they can't? And very often both are wrong? A good editor teases the best out of self-described writers and nonwriters alike.

The best writing—like the best parts of life, perhaps—is collaborative. It needs a great editor.

There are three major types of editors:

1. Copyeditors/proofreaders, who check facts and wield a push broom to clean up messy style issues, punctuation, typos, misspelling, and so on.
2. Substantive editors, who give a piece of writing a higher level read and offer suggestions on how parts of it might be improved or which parts need to be expanded or condensed. Their review includes broad feedback on things like the overall development of a piece.
3. Line editors, who comb through a piece to correct grammar, word choice, and paragraph and sentence flow—while doing a good deal of rewriting as well, all without overwhelming a writer's voice.

The first type is relatively easy to find (see Part VI: Content Tools); the second, less so; and the third, less still…because editing is a nuanced, collaborative approach that can be specific to a writer. I've worked with many, many editors over my career, and in my experience great line editors are hard to find. If you find one, hold on to him or her; get ...